Lifting scutes

[TortyPerson]

Hi,

My first time here.

We had have our 7 year old greek for 6 months. He's had an eventful past life and arrived with some pyramiding and some damage to 2 of his scutes, which we were advised looks like an old injury because there is no redness and it seems dry. If we are looking at him from behind, they're the 2 scutes to the right of his supracaudal scute. The damage was that the top edge of the scutes were crumbled/broken away in the top layer. We don't know what the cause was.



When we got him, the damaged scutes had not lifted at all, but recently, we have noticed that the damaged edge of the 2 scutes has separated slightly from the underlying layer of the scute. It's more pronounced in the left scute but the right one seems to be lifting slightly too. The layer underneath the lifting bits seem well attached still.



I would like to ask if this is a normal progression of an injured shell - that the damaged bits gradually fall off, like a scab on a knee?!

Also if there is anything I need to do to treat it.

I'm worried that grass or something will get in under the lifted edge and tear it away from his shell. Ugh!

Apart from that he's a great fellow - lively most of the time, eating well, and full of personality. Here he is with his poor humpy shell, eating some dandelion.



Any advice much appreciated. Thanks,

TP

 

[Yvonne G]

I THINK that it's nothing for you to worry about. It's probably just new, healthy shell growing under the damaged portion. You can give it a little help by rubbing in some cold pressed coconut oil occasionally.

 

[TortyPerson]

Thanks Yvonne. Is there anything I can do to stop grass etc catching on it when he's outside?

 

[Markw84]

I can't tell you scientifically, but from personal experience I have seen this commonly in many tortoises. I believe it may be some fungus (or simply dryness) that is affecting the new keratin growth. Seems to be most seen when the shell is kept quite dry. I see it when there is absolutely no injury involved. Sulcatas get it commonly when moved outdoors full time in dry climates. Seems to be from prolonged exposure to dry conditions. I personally apply cold pressed coconut oil to the shell to help moisturize the shell and pay attention to the scute seams. There is a reported anti bacterial/fungal property to coconut oil as well as the moisturizing. It definitely helps the shell. Find ways to improve/raise humidity where the tortoise is kept.

 

[TortyPerson]

Thanks Mark. He's on a soil/sand substrate in a tortoise table, humidity is between 55 and 65. He soaks every day 30 mins. As far as I know this is all OK for a mediterranean tortoise, but before we got him, he lived in a really super-humid room. While he arrived with the scute damage, the lifting is new - maybe the humidity difference has caused this to progress?