Plastron Okay?

[alsheldo]

Hello, my little guy is around 8 months old and has been growing quite rapidly lately. I'm a little worried about his plastron... its not completely smooth. I attached a pic. He wasn't the cleanest when I took this. Your thoughts and feedback is appreciated.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

@alsheldo,
Is he strong in the leg area? When he walks around outdoors grazing, does he carry himself tall, head held high, looking around and alert? Does he, "trot" towards you when offered a dandelion flower? Does he have proper lighting when indoors? How do you provide him with his calcium? Have you read the important posts at the beginning of the sulcata section?

 

[alsheldo]

Yes he moves well. I have a UV light for him indoors and he eats Mazuri tortoise diet and weeds and grass from the yard. I've read a lot on here. Did you look at the picture I attached?

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Did you look at the picture I attached?

Yes I did, even in detail. I'm brain fishing myself for a cause. What type of UV bulb are you using? Picture please…

 

[alsheldo]

Yes I did, even in detail. I'm brain fishing myself for a cause. What type of UV bulb are you using? Picture please…

I don't have a pic right now - its the long and thin type. I have a Tortoise House I keep it on top.

So are you confirming its shell rot.

From reading everything on the forum, I believe my temperature in my enclosure is good, but humidity is too low.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

So are you confirming its shell rot?
but humidity is too low.

I'm suggesting nothing of the sort. I've personally, over too many years, ever had to deal with shell rot. But I do know it's symptoms and it's more of an irregular patch removal of the carapace or more commonly, the plastron as you've shown.

 

[Bee62]

Hi @alsheldo

I can`t see something unnormal from the picture of the plastron of your tort. But can you take another pic after bathing the tort ( with a clean plastron ) ? And another picture of the whole tort ?
Sulcatas normally don`t have shell rot.
What substrate do you use in the enclosure of your tort ?
You said that you think your humidity is to low. Young sulcatas must have a high humidity or their shell can pyramide and other problems can occure.
How high is you humidity ?

 

[alsheldo]

The humidity goes between 40-60%. I have a vinyl flooring in the tortoise house which my vet recommended. Here are some pics after soak this morning.

 

[BrianWI]

He's fine... but...

 

[cmacusa3]

He's fine... but...

But..... not a Sulcata

 

[alsheldo]

What is he

 

[cmacusa3]

What is he

My guess would be California Desert tortoise.

 

[BrianWI]

My guess would be California Desert tortoise.

Eeyep!

 

[Bee62]

That`s what I would guess too.
But I see no shell rott.
What is a venyl floor in the enclosure of your tort? Can I see a picture ? It don`t sounds natural for a tortoise. I am sure your tort would feel better with another soil.

 

[alsheldo]

Vinyl is like what a kitchen or bathroom floor is made out of. My vet recommended that for 1 year so that he wouldn't ingest any of the substrate.

 

[cmacusa3]

Vinyl is like what a kitchen or bathroom floor is made out of. My vet recommended that for 1 year so that he wouldn't ingest any of the substrate.

I disagree with the Vet, do they have Vinyl flooring in the wild,? No. Coco coir, Orchid bark. Lots of other good choices, Find something it can burrow in. Do some research on this site and you will be happy with the results. There are plenty of great CDT keepers on this site that can get you heading in the right direction

 

[Bee62]

When you use orchid bark your problem of low humidity would be swept away. I use orchid bark for my sulcata tortoises too and it works really fine.
I sprinkle it with a flower sprayer every day and so the enclosure of my torts always have a humidity 75-85 %.
Orchid bark is easy to clean, tortoises can dig in ( what they love ) and it smells good. Very few times I saw my tortoises eat little pieces of the bark, but they never had any problems. I believe that they know what they do. Mayby they need little pieces of the bark against worms. In the poop I sometimes see one of that little pieces of bark but it causes no problems.