Concerned about shell

[Dylan]

Hi all

I've had my Herman (George) for 7 years now and has always been a healthy little fella. But I've noticed this year his shell has started getting bigger and flaring around his hind legs and the end is curling near his tail. Is this normal. ?

 

[JoesMum]

Flares on the shell are completely normal It's just the shell of a more mature tort

 

[Dylan]

Phew. I keep watching him strutt around the garden and he looks slower than normal. I was worrying the shell was growing in the wrong directions and hindering his walking.

 

[JoesMum]

Speed is temperature related... and whether or not there's anything to be speedy about.

Here in the UK it's been unusually hot and that can slow a tort down as the microclimate in the sun at tort level is much hotter than that in the official weather forecast.

Do you weigh your tort? Keeping an eye on weight is as good a way as any of checking its health progress.

Weighing fortnightly at roughly the same time of day each time is good practice.

Also in hot weather, don't forget to soak your tort to keep it hydrated

 

[Dylan]

Thanks. He has a bath every other day for 15 mins and has a water tray in his enclosure. I need to start weighing him. I'll buy some scales this week.

 

[JoesMum]

Digital kitchen scales work well.

The easiest way to do it:

Put a tin on the scales and then zero them.

Strand your tort on the tin so his legs are dangling over over the sides and your tort can't walk off.