help identifying little white dry patches on shell?

nicholas lim

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May 24, 2015
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lately i've noticed our little sheldon has what seems to be little dry patches on his shell.
i've tried to compare with pictures i've found on google but nothing seems to be close.
theres no flaking, no discharge, no bumps in his shell, and he eats sleeps poops sleeps, and sleeps like normal haha.
He also gets his baths daily for about 15 min before we feed him and in that time we wet his shell a few times.

can anyone help us identify what's going on? is this shell growth? could it just be dried water spots? it's been about a week since we first noticed it.



thanks!
 

QB&B

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Hi @Yvonne G (and any other experienced keepers who may read this post) ... please would it be possible to have a look at these pictures and provide a brief response with your opinion? I have two 9 month old Leopard tortoises and I’ve noticed these exact markings on one of my tortoises (I’ve tried taking photos to upload but they don’t show up on the camera because they’re currently too faint) ... is this something I should worry about or is it normal shell development? Many thanks.
 

ZEROPILOT

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It doesn't look fungal to me.
However I'm at a loss as to what exactly it may be.
Are they raised areas, like a pimple?
The photo is hard to zoom in on
 

QB&B

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It doesn't look fungal to me.
However I'm at a loss as to what exactly it may be.
Are they raised areas, like a pimple?
The photo is hard to zoom in on
Thank you for taking the time to look and respond to my concerns. No, there are no raised areas. And the shell feels very firm. There is no obvious discomfort when I’m prodding and poking either. He otherwise seems extremely healthy - eating well, pooping regularly and full of energy. I’ve decided to ease up a little when I mist their humid hide (perhaps I’ve been a little too enthusiastic but I’ve always monitored and been satisfied with the levels of humidity) and I’ve started to apply a thin layer of anti-fungal cream today just so see how it responds, if at all. I’ve not read any possible side effects on here so hopefully a case of better to be safe than sorry. It may be that I’m being over cautious and this is perfectly normal, but I welcome any other suggestions? And thank you again for your comments.
 

Yvonne G

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I'm sorry, but I don't see the areas you're concerned about.
 

QB&B

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I'm sorry, but I don't see the areas you're concerned about.
Forgive me using some else’s photos, but my tortoise has exactly the same marks but less prominent, so for illustration purposes I shall recycle from the original post. I’ve outline here the patches that I’m concerned about ... (apologies if this is perfectly normal. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time but thought it best to ask - I’m already reassured that nothing is jumping out at you as concerning). Many thanks.

780A9552-9058-43B5-95B9-D22BBF2BDCA0.jpeg
 

drew54

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Forgive me using some else’s photos, but my tortoise has exactly the same marks but less prominent, so for illustration purposes I shall recycle from the original post. I’ve outline here the patches that I’m concerned about ... (apologies if this is perfectly normal. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time but thought it best to ask - I’m already reassured that nothing is jumping out at you as concerning). Many thanks.

View attachment 281708
They are normal and nothing to worry about.
 

daniellenc

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Have you tried using a toothbrush and gently seeing if it can be removed? Doesn't look fungal and may just be normal but it's worth a shot.
 
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