Please help - shell splitting?

otisthetortoise

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Hello,
Otis is approx. 8 months old. She's a Hermann's tortoise and eats normally, is active. Her basking temp is 35 degrees Celsius, sometimes 37. Her cooler area is 19-22 degrees Celsius, her general warmer area is 22-25. She's on a sterilised soil substrate.
I've noticed that there is a slight crack on her plastron, nearer the bottom of the shell. It seems pretty harmless as it is barely uplifted / noticeable, but I am worried nevertheless and was wondering if it could pose any problems.
I thought maybe she has been scraping it against the rock(s) that is/are in her basking area. They're flat pebbles, not risen or sharp, but maybe long term contact has caused it?
Anyway. Here's a picture (sorry for the bad quality, but it's rather hard to focus. If it isn't clear enough, just tell me so I can sharpen the image).
image.jpeg
Any suggestions?
Thank you so much.
Olivia
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Olivia:

I don't see the area of concern?
 

otisthetortoise

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Hi Olivia:

I don't see the area of concern?
Hi Yvonne,
I understand the picture isn't the best (it won't focus!) but basically there's a very slight line that may or may not be a crack that isn't just the lines of the plastron (unless I am very paranoid).
Since I'm charging my good camera at the moment, I can only provide this mediocre phone camera version of a photo at this time.
I've circled the area in which I'm describing - I don't know if you can see it well, though. For some reason the photo's rotated. I apologise.
image.jpeg Thank you again. :)
 

JoesMum

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By the way, scraping against rocks, etc is natural wear and tear. By the time they get to the grand old age of our Joe they aren't shiny any more... it's acquired by years of stubborn refusal to go round anything. Going straight over the top or through the middle is the only way for a tortoise :D
 

Yvonne G

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I guess I'd have to see it in real life, feel if it moves, etc. I don't see anything wrong with that section of shell in the picture.
 

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