- Joined
- Sep 9, 2014
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- 40
Help! We have this new hatchling and the bottom of its shell is not flat! Will it flatten out as it gets older ? Is this something I should be concerned about ? ( I am not a breeder my tortoise just laid eggs )
That area is the umbilical scar where the yolk sac was attached to the tortoise. It will gradually get smaller and the shell will grow together and become flatter over the next few weeks. It looks fine as of now. Just be careful not to puncture the soft tissue while the shell is closing together.Help! We have this new hatchling and the bottom of its shell is not flat! Will it flatten out as it gets older ? Is this something I should be concerned about ? ( I am not a breeder my tortoise just laid eggs )
Thank you ❤️hello, I am not an expert but that bottom needs to heal and seal closed. I will get you to the experts.
good luck!
I will keep you in my prayers!
hope everything works out.
don’t worry.... yet. ??
@Tom
@Yvonne G
@Toddrickfl1
Hello ! Let me take a better picture. I am aware that the opening will heal. The bottom part of the shell is concave ?Completely normal. That is the open area where the yolk save is being absorbed. It will heal quickly if kept very humid in a brooder box setup. It should not be in an enclosure on substrate at this stage to heal properly
Look in the breeding section of the forum and read the post on how to start hatchlings
That area is the umbilical scar where the yolk sac was attached to the tortoise. It will gradually get smaller and the shell will grow together and become flatter over the next few weeks. It looks fine as of now. Just be careful not to puncture the soft tissue while the shell is closing together.
Oh ! Thank you so much! I was super worriedThat is normal they are literally folded in half In the egg and need to flatten out for the first few days. keep it worm and humid in a brooder box as stated above and it will be health and happy.
OK, now I see what you mean. The folded area is also normal as NorCal tortoise guy said. It occurs from the baby being crowded for space in the egg as it grows prior to hatching. As the days go by after hatching, that area will gradually flatten until the surface of the plastron looks level or flat. It make take a few weeks to go away, but it will ultimately disappear.Hello ! Let me take a better picture. I am aware that the opening will heal. The bottom part of the shell is concave ?
Hello ! Let me take a better picture. I am aware that the opening will heal. The bottom part of the shell is concave ?
As everyone said, that is totally normal and it will flatten out over time. The important thing is to keep the baby in a brooder box for at least 7-10 days after hatching. This will help the plastron flatten out and also help the umbilical scar close up and heal.Help! We have this new hatchling and the bottom of its shell is not flat! Will it flatten out as it gets older ? Is this something I should be concerned about ? ( I am not a breeder my tortoise just laid eggs )