Baby tortoises are folded inside the egg. They quickly straighten out once they hatch all the way. What you see on the tummy is the remains of the yolk. They derive nutrients from that until it is absorbed.
i think that this baby is very adorable! I have just never seen a tort that looked like that before. are there any health issues that go along with that??
No health issues at all Almost all hatchlings look like this when they hatch. In about 24 hours their plastrons straighten out and look normal.
Being folded in the egg lets a larger hatchling hatch from the egg, which gives them an advantage in the wild.