Cherryhead shell pigment

[NDevon]

I have a Cherryhead who has, it seems no pigment in most of her scutes. It's more noticeable when she's with her siblings, you guys would have spotted it at first glance though. Basically it looks like her colour has faded out. She was born like this, but what's strange is the middle rear-most scute has colour, and then the scutes to the side have some but it stops in a sharp line half way through the scute.

I obviously want to ensure she's healthy, I bought her as she has odd shape scutes and nobody wanted her, I knew she was different, I'm not worried how she looks I'm just keen to ensure she's healthy and there isn't anything else I should be doing for her. Her skin is fine and she has lovely red colouring, it's just her shell that seems to have no strong pigments.

 

[Yvonne G]

I'll bet it's some sort of calcium deposits from hard water. Apply a very light coating of baby oil and polish it off with an absorptant cloth.

 

[NDevon]

I will try some baby oil but really don't think anything will come off. She was born that colour, and her siblings all kept the same way are not remotely similar, she's not had time for any real discolouration by the environment as she's only 11 weeks old.

P.S I say 'she' but obviously don't know, just got to 'pick a side'!

 

[cdmay]

I'll tell you exactly what it is...
That hatchling pipped his eggshell membrane a bit too early, exposing the soft, not-quite-hardened-off shell to the air. This resulted in some very slight shriveling of the underdeveloped neonatal scutes, hence the dried out look. You'll notice that all of the newly laid growth of the shell looks perfectly normal.
As this tortoise ages it will wear down the weird looking stuff and by the time it's an adult you'll never know the difference.
This is mostly a captive only phenomenon...it happens in the fluctuating humidity and temps of an incubator. Sometimes a neonate is almost ready...but not quite yet ready, to pip its egg, but then a sudden change in humidity or temperature causes it to start its escape.
No worries, it'll be just fine.

 

[NDevon]

Thank you that's good to know. As I said I wasn't at all worried how she looked, just wanted to check it wasn't affecting her health, so that's very reassuring. Thank you