Questions about his shell Russian

[Mommy22boys]

I got my Russian last Monday from a pet store (I know never should have) anyways. I'm curious about his shell. It's obvious that he wasn't taken care of very well. Do you see shell rot?
What is that reddish brown color in the first pic by my finger. It looks like it's chipping and peeling. In the 4th pic the two on either side of my finger are raised more than others especially the bottom edge. Actually now I'm noticing that there are more areas that aren't smooth around the edges. In pics 3 and 6 the lines aren't the smoothest. In pic 5 (I'm calling it his skirt) but they are almost transparent and more so when he's soaking. I'm assuming there are fixes for these and that they won't happen over night.

Tessa

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[Yvonne G]

Tessa:

You're being too critical. Russian tortoises' shells look like that. You'll hardly ever see a perfect shell on a Russian tortoise. I'll bet if you take some warm sudsy water and a tooth brush that red stuff will wash off.

 

[pugsandkids]

He looks great, I'm glad he's with someone who cares!

 

[Mommy22boys]

Ok Ms. Yvonne. I'll try the tooth brush. I'm a first time tortoise owner and since he's not eating or drinking I'm getting concerned so I started looking for things that might be wrong. All my pets are happy and healthy. I do my best to keep it that way. So when something didn't seem right I get worried and panicky.

Tessa

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[kanalomele]

Most petstore russians are wild caught. In the wild they are leading a pretty rough and tumble life with lots of digging and climbing. That shows in their shells. That is what you have here. The little knicks and scrapes are normal for these active, tough guys. Give him a good scrub and soak him daily for awhile to empty his gut. As long as he is healthy he will get busy eating up a storm soon.

 

[pugsandkids]

What she ^ said. Oscar just ended a summer of living outside, he's all scraped up!

 

[biochemnerd808]

I agree with what has already been said. It looks like you have a handsome little Russian tortoise male, who has had a few adventures out in the wild!

The slightly transparent portion of the 'skirt' is normal, too. That's where the keratin layer goes beyond the bone layer.

To help encourage him to eat, and to keep him hydrated, I would soak him daily for about a month, and then soak about once per week.

Congrats on your new tortoise!