Rough / Jagged Gular Growth

[TheWaveCarver]

My Cherryhead is about 10 months old now and weighs about 120 grams. I noticed that his gular seems to be growing in rather roughly and was wondering if it should be smooth or if this is normal.

The gular is part of the plastron and is located right below the head. Attached are some pictures.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

It looks more or less okay. There may have been something that eroded some of the keratin and it has grown back over the underlying bone, or maybe just grew that way from the start. If you see that the tortoise is not bothered by it then the worry, if at all, is that some form of decomposition/rot (had or is) happening. It looks clean to me in your images, so maybe something in the tortoises' short past.

Keep an eye on it, it could just be unusual growing pattern. If it is some kind of shell rot it will progress fast enough you will see a difference over the course of a week or so, and there will be a putrid smell.

There is a first aid kit for tortoise thread here somewhere and in that thread a few folks have spoken about resolving shell rot.

 

[wellington]

I agree it looks like the one side is a start of something, shell rot or the result of some past damage.
I also agree to for now keep an eye on it and that it doesn't start to cause a problem for your tort or get worse.

 

[TheWaveCarver]

Pretty new tortoise owner, but I assume it's not common for the gular to grow in with jagged edges? The white in the photo may be due to some anti fungal cream i put on an area very close by (One of my previous posts).

I guess my biggest concern is just that it can eventually grow in smooth / heal if it was a result from a scrap or chip.