shell

My desert tortoise is about a year old and I noticed some light spots I don't previously recall being there. Is this a) normal? If not, could it be caused by a scrape? Or what else might be the cause? It's acting normal, doesn't care if I touch those spots, etc. Just wanted to make sure I'm...

Hello all. I've fostered a few older sulcata's in the past for a few months at a time but hatchlings are completely new to me.. We rescued a hatchling in distress during one of the storms here recently we've been caring for this sweet little baby for about a month now. Things have seemingly...

Hello I'm a newish tortoise owner I have a redfoot called twig I got him in March at the start of 2019 and I need some help lately I've been noticing the front of his shell looks like its scratched or worn down can somebody help me and tell me if it's normal or bad

Hi so I've had my russian tortoise Donatello for a year now and I've recently started to notice how his shell doesnt look as nice as other shells. I've tried to do some research but I felt like I was just getting my self worried about it being something really bad so I decided to come here and...

Golem was out on her daily exploration and I couldn't resist capturing the texture of her shell.

Hello all :) I have owned my tortoise for 11 years and I’ve never had any problems with her. She is kept in an indoor glass vivarium (upgrading to a table in the next month or so). I bath her regularly and she has a diverse diet and eats very well. However, I recently changed a blown...

He was formerly known as Alexi until we discovered he was a boy. His curious personality and territorial nature has earned him the nickname of "Alexander the Great".

Hello everyone, I'm new here and have come for a bit of advice regarding my Russian :):tort: Shes about 2 years old and shes been to the vet recently for a few stones which the vet put down to the warmer weather and not being hydrated enough! She has daily baths now and shes doing better not...

Hello, I’ve had my Sulcatas Tortoise for a couple years now. We got him from a previous owner so he was a decent size to begin with but he’s pushing 40lbs now and recently I’ve noticed some cracking in the shell. Is this a concern? How should I treat it?

Hello! Is Terry's shell damaged or is this normal growth?

This is my first red foot tortoise, but not my first tortoise. Seems like his shell is pyramiding. Or is this a normal adult shell? Other than that, his shell is hard and he's very active.

Hello everyone! I've owned my Russian tortoise, Ivan, for around 3 years now (he's the first tort I've ever owned). Maybe 3 weeks ago I noticed that a small spot of his lower shell, on his belly, had an odd reddish-brown color. I assumed it was a small abrasion of some kind, I didn't think much...

We have 2 CDT that are almost 2 years old. During their soak time, I dripped some water on their shells and they looked very different from one another. Should I be concerned? Coloring and pattern seem so different

Hi all! I've had Aristotle, a hermann tortoise, for 1.5 years and her new growth on her shell has become a brighter yellow colour than her older growth- please see attached photo. I havent changed anything in regards to her food/habitat. Is this healthy or should i be worried? Thank you! Ellie

Help! My Jackie was stuck in his Burrow. I think it collapsed around him. After Middle of March I got very worried he still had not come out! And when I looked in his burrow it was filled with Dirt where a tunnel use to be. I couldn’t get a shovel in there So for a few days I dug out the dirt...

Hi everyone! I have an 8 year old Hermann's tortoise (Chompy). I've noticed some weird discoloration in the back of his shell in the past year. It seems to be a dusty brown color and I am not sure why. (I did switch from substrate to soil as he seemed to prefer it, and thought maybe the soil is...

Hi all, Murphy, my DT, is now 4 months old. He has doubled his weight since I got him, which is amazing, eats like a champ and gets plenty of UV and water. Question, his shell seems to be flatter than what I imagine it should be. He not super round, more of an ellipse. Can anyone tell me if...

I am a new tortoise owner. I have a Redfoot Tortoise hatchling and I’ve noticed some unusual spots in between his scutes. I was unable to scrape or clean them off. Is this marbling or rot? I cannot tell.

Hello! I am new to the forum and certainly very new to tortoise keeping! I have recently bought a baby sulcata this month during a reptile show. The sellers said it was a hatchling and that the babies hatched last August. I wanted to know if my new sulcata looks okay at the moment. I'm...

Hello, I noticed my 10 year old red foot that I obtained this summer to have some peeling of her shell. I am attaching a photo. I got her from a family that did not take proper care of her. She is very small for her age, and she is now growing. She has growth lines under her shell. I noticed...