First tortoise

Vos650

New Member
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Oakley
I recently purchased a sulcata hatchling about a month ago. I found this forum after acquiring him and have been changing everything to align with the opinions and views found on this forum. My question is about his carapace he has a scute that is split into 3 scutes. The growth lines or keratin I believe is not uniform and narrow between these scutes. His shell also appears to be misshaped it the area around the split scutes.

Is there anything to worry about or should I keep following Tom's care sheet as close as possible? Just looking for a little piece of mind
Thanks in advance

IMG_20200605_110439.jpg
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20200605_110432.jpg
    IMG_20200605_110432.jpg
    2.3 MB · Views: 15
  • Like
Reactions: Ink

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Just keep taking care of your new Sully per @Tom ’s Sully care sheet. Good humidity, soaking, good substrate, lighting, etc. Good diet of greens, grass n weeds. Cuttlebones for calcium. Daily soaks. Proper temps.

Our Sully has a split scute as well. Those split areas grow differently, sometimes looking alright, then bad. Good care of your Sully is whats important. Those split bits are more cosmetic to us than the tort.

Our Sully is now six years old plus. Close to 100 lbs, eats poops drinks sleeps. All good.

Here she is inspecting new work on our deck.
C974E6FB-E12D-4B20-83DA-5913437029F7.jpeg
 

Vos650

New Member
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Oakley
Just keep taking care of your new Sully per @Tom ’s Sully care sheet. Good humidity, soaking, good substrate, lighting, etc. Good diet of greens, grass n weeds. Cuttlebones for calcium. Daily soaks. Proper temps.

Our Sully has a split scute as well. Those split areas grow differently, sometimes looking alright, then bad. Good care of your Sully is whats important. Those split bits are more cosmetic to us than the tort.

Our Sully is now six years old plus. Close to 100 lbs, eats poops drinks sleeps. All good.

Here she is inspecting new work on our deck.
View attachment 296521
Thank you definitely eases my mind. The split scutes do not bother me at all just want to care for him properly.
pretty much all the info I received from the breeder contradicts the info on this forum. I was told to feed romaine and keep him on a newspaper substrate and soaking is not necessary because they're from the desert. I just hope I got him early enough that any damage from the poor start can be reversed
 

EllieMay

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2018
Messages
9,603
Location (City and/or State)
East Texas
Hello and welcome! You’ve been steered correctly and your baby just has some extra character:) I have one with aberrant scutes.. I have 3 and if I played favorites he would probably get the pick ?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Thank you definitely eases my mind. The split scutes do not bother me at all just want to care for him properly.
pretty much all the info I received from the breeder contradicts the info on this forum. I was told to feed romaine and keep him on a newspaper substrate and soaking is not necessary because they're from the desert. I just hope I got him early enough that any damage from the poor start can be reversed
Its normal to have some growth anomalies around split scutes. Nothing to worry about.

Please contact the breeder and let them know that tortoise knowledge has advanced and they need to catch up. Phrase it whatever way you think is best, but that person is literally killing their own babies doing it that way. Sulcatas do NOT come from a desert.
 

New Posts

Top