Cherryhead losing color

[Redstrike]

Hi all,
Coagi's been a slow grower and I noticed he's been losing the color on some of his leg scales (see pics). His appetite is ferocious, but he just doesn't stack on weight and has been growing slowly. Here are some stats on growth for my two:

Coagi this month: gained 5 grams (68g total), SCL = 6.7cm
Rafiki this month: gained 12g (115g total), SCL = 8.1 cm

I've had them since August of last year, so they're ~10 months old.

Should I be concerned or do I have a slow grower? Humidity = 70-90%, cool side = 79-80ºF, warm side = º86-88ºF. Any thoughts on the color loss?

Here's Coagi's growth lines evident via wet carapace:

Darned bleached scales, what's up with that!?

Diet is varied, consisting grocery store greens during winter and dandelion, c. mallow, hibiscus, plantain, etc. during spring, summer, and portions of fall.

 

[ascott]

I recall reading that there are some foods that will spark color to enhance...but I am sure I read that on google somewhere?????while searching for something else...so I can not give you anything directly useful....but I do know one thing....

What a beautiful baby...

 

[Redstrike]

I recall reading that there are some foods that will spark color to enhance...but I am sure I read that on google somewhere?????while searching for something else...so I can not give you anything directly useful....but I do know one thing....

What a beautiful baby...

Thanks Angela

I gave them both some pumpkin the last couple of days hoping it would help, I'm just curious if others have seen similar patterns in their RF's. I do worry about the slow growth, but they're all unique, right!?

 

[Hustler]

I had a cherry go orange with age.... then one day she went back to deep red... I havent owned many but i know in that case it wasnt how she was kept or what she ate.... just a genetic thing or maybe age?

 

[Redstrike]

I had a cherry go orange with age.... then one day she went back to deep red... I havent owned many but i know in that case it wasnt how she was kept or what she ate.... just a genetic thing or maybe age?

This is encouraging! I'm still curious about the apparent "bleaching" of those leg scales, it just seems strange to me, but this is my first go-round with cherryheads (and tortoises).

So long as Coagi is healthy, happy, and growing, I'm good. Though I'd like to see the little bugger retain his/her color... Initial weight was 45g, he now weighs 68g, not a whole lot of gain in 10 months.

Keep it coming everyone, I'm anxious to hear your insights and suggestions.

 

[Redstrike]

I'm bumping this, has anyone else ever seen their cherryheads lose color!?

 

[Madkins007]

Colors generally fade a bit with age, but not where scales go white. No brilliant ideas on that, I am afraid.

Things that enhance colors are basically beta carotine- orange colored stuff. Our fish hatchery aquarium used to add paprika to the food to enhance color. Not sure how well it works with reptiles.

 

[Redstrike]

Colors generally fade a bit with age, but not where scales go white. No brilliant ideas on that, I am afraid.

Things that enhance colors are basically beta carotine- orange colored stuff. Our fish hatchery aquarium used to add paprika to the food to enhance color. Not sure how well it works with reptiles.

Thus my concern... I'll have to reassess my husbandry a bit, perhaps more foods with caratinoids. Perhaps I have an oddball?

 

[Grigor.Love.]

Pretty!

I hope it's nothing. I mean, if you're taking adequate care of the tortoise then what else is there?

 

[Tccarolina]

Maybe you're not feeding her enough cherries

---

( joke )

 

[allegraf]

Chris,

I just saw this one. I know that the torts will go through phases where they dull down. Genereally it is with the adults though. As to what causes this, I am at a loss. Sorry.

Allegra

PS
Hmmm...I wonder if that one is a Gogo baby, I know it was a found clutch, but Gogo is my smallest female who also started laying eggs at 8 1/4" (or thereabouts). Her babies tend to be on the smaller size and grow at a slower rate despite being raised in the same conditions as the other hatchlings from different mothers. As a side note, I am breeding her to one of our smaller males to see if that will also produce smaller hatchlings.

 

[Redstrike]

Chris,

I just saw this one. I know that the torts will go through phases where they dull down. Genereally it is with the adults though. As to what causes this, I am at a loss. Sorry.

Allegra

PS
Hmmm...I wonder if that one is a Gogo baby, I know it was a found clutch, but Gogo is my smallest female who also started laying eggs at 8 1/4" (or thereabouts). Her babies tend to be on the smaller size and grow at a slower rate despite being raised in the same conditions as the other hatchlings from different mothers. As a side note, I am breeding her to one of our smaller males to see if that will also produce smaller hatchlings.

I recall you saying Coagi was found outside from a mystery clutch, so it may be tough to pinpoint his/her lineage. Given the information about Gogo, and the potential that coagi is her hatchling, my mind is slightly more at ease. I've been wracking my brain as to why Coagi is such a slow grower and what could be causing the bleached scales. Other than the Gogo hypothesis, I'm at a loss for the slow growth (other than parasites, but I'm reluctant to administer fenbendazole to such a small tortoise). As for the bleached scales, I'm flailing in the dark.

I feed them at 3 locations within the enclosure to ensure neither bullies the other and I've only seen occasional instances where either of them steals a choice leaf/flower from the other (it goes both ways). Just to be safe, I've been providing Coagi extra evening feedings 1-2 times per week, but still no apparent surge in growth.

Coagi's a weirdo...

Steve,
I'll work on the cherries

 

[allegraf]

When you wet the scales, do the legs still look dull? It may be a build up of the minerals in the water used to spray them down or from the soaking? Curiouser and curiouser.

 

[EricIvins]

Up your basking spot and Protein consumption and see what happens........

 

[Redstrike]

When you wet the scales, do the legs still look dull? It may be a build up of the minerals in the water used to spray them down or from the soaking? Curiouser and curiouser.

Allegra,
You were spot on! I used a very soft-bristled toothbrush and gave Coagi's "bleached" scales a good scrub, and, viola:

Great insight, thank you! Here's another example of the simplest idea answering a challenging "phenomenon". I tried for the head too, but Coagi wasn't having it! Those mineral deposits are really blocking his colors... Such a great tort, a total character!

Eric,
Good suggestions, I think I'll up their protein a bit and see if I can't get Coagi to take off a bit more in the growth department.

 

[allegraf]

Glad it worked. I will wish you luck on scrubbing his head. You can try holding the toothbrush over the front of his shell where he sucks his head in. When he gets curious, he may brush up against the toothbrush. But is it worth stressing him out just to clean his head?

 

[Redstrike]

Glad it worked. I will wish you luck on scrubbing his head. You can try holding the toothbrush over the front of his shell where he sucks his head in. When he gets curious, he may brush up against the toothbrush. But is it worth stressing him out just to clean his head?

I vote too much stress for both of us .

 

[Madkins007]

Or you could soak him in distilled or spring water with just a dash of vinegar to help dissolve the old minerals.

 

[Redstrike]

Or you could soak him in distilled or spring water with just a dash of vinegar to help dissolve the old minerals.

I was considering this, but wasn't sure if it would be too abrasive, especially on Coagi's eyes. Thanks Madkins! I'll probably try ~1 cap of vinegar to ~250ml of water when I get the chance. Maybe I'll play guinea pig and splash it in my eyes first...

I'm tellin' ya, the things I do for my tortoises!

 

[phtanus]

My baby cherry has a very similar problem. Her scales are turning white/light color and she grows slower than the other male cherry tort.
I really don't know why this happens.

See my post before :

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-My-baby-redfoot-s-scales-turn-white#axzz1sJtxST7u