Salcata bleeding between sections of the carapace

Jrham08

New Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2019
Messages
19
Location (City and/or State)
Surprise
I noticed this about a week ago and have been periodically putting iodine and bacitracin ointment on it. I'm not sure how much I should worry or what else I should do. I'm in AZ and it's HOT this time of year. Could it be lack of moisture? Doesn't look like anything got ahold of it. They live in a small shed that's buried into the ground and also have their tunnels that go underground. This tortoises shell also shows quite a bit of wear on top from tunneling in the rock hard ground.

Suggestions are appreciated
Thanks
Jason

BTW that's iodine on the areas.
 

Attachments

  • 20210610_192910.jpg
    20210610_192910.jpg
    2.8 MB · Views: 27
  • 20210610_192807.jpg
    20210610_192807.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 26
  • 20210610_192802.jpg
    20210610_192802.jpg
    1.5 MB · Views: 25
  • 20210610_192756.jpg
    20210610_192756.jpg
    1.9 MB · Views: 24

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Stop the iodine. Using it too often will hinder healing.
How many sulcatas do you have? Tortoises should not be kept in pairs and even a group needs lots of room, acres.
My guess would be fighting/bring rammed or mountsd by the other tort or the rudeness of the tunnels.
If you have a pair get them separated asap.
As for the wounds, I would set him/her up so they can't go into the tunnels and put an over the counter triple antibiotic on it daily and keep it clean.
Be sure to keep them hydrated and spray their area down several times a day to keep up some humidity.
 

Jrham08

New Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2019
Messages
19
Location (City and/or State)
Surprise
I have 2 and they're definitely not fighting, the one with the issues is about 3 times the size of the other. At this point they normally stay quiet far from each other and have separate tunnels one large and one small ( based on their size). I'm not even sure it's possible for the smaller one to injure the larger one if it wanted to. My concern with blocking off the tunnel is the heat, it can get 100+ in their shed and their tunnels are their escape from the heat.
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,750
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
I have 2 and they're definitely not fighting, the one with the issues is about 3 times the size of the other. At this point they normally stay quiet far from each other and have separate tunnels one large and one small ( based on their size). I'm not even sure it's possible for the smaller one to injure the larger one if it wanted to. My concern with blocking off the tunnel is the heat, it can get 100+ in their shed and their tunnels are their escape from the heat.
I understand your concern about the heat. However, 2 sulcata aren't going to be able to live together.

Are they the same age? It's very possible that the smaller one is being bullied by the larger one. That could easily cause the difference in size.

Behaviors that we think are cute, like following, eating together, laying on top of each other...these are all power grabs by one of them. For the one being bullied, it can lead to illness and even death. And the bully is unhappy as well.

As to the bleeding growth line, does it go all the way around to the front of the tortoise? It just seems odd that this is only on the one growth line.

Have you checked his burrow for ants? Or any other interloper?

Dryness could make the keratin subject to damage, but again, why only the one place?

I hope someone else chimes in with some ideas. And I agree, stop the iodine. I would continue with the bacitracin, or get some triple-antibiotic cream.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
The injuries are all on the growth line. When they first get a new growth line its soft and vulnerable. Something that reaches the heights is causing it or he is so dry that its causing problems.
You need to get them separated. Its possible the smaller one is causing it.
Maybe @Tom can help further here.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I was thinking the space between the ceiling of the burrow and the floor of the burrow is too short and it's squeezing the shell as he goes down into the burrow, causing the new growth too much pressure and making it bleed. At any rate, keeping the new growth lubricated may help. The new growth does look quite dry. You can use cold pressed coconut oil to lubricate the new growth spaces between the scutes.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
They should never live as pairs. Even if there is not overt hostility, it is still bad for them and causes stress.

That looks like typical rough growth from a hot dry climate. The solution is humidity in the sleeping/resting quarters. I run water tubs in my night boxes, and in summer when they are using their burrows, I shoot water down there when they are up above ground.
 

Jrham08

New Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2019
Messages
19
Location (City and/or State)
Surprise
Thanks for all the replies everyone, I guess Ive never thought about them having issues with each other. They're siblings and the small one. ( much smaller has deformities with its shell.) I got them when they were small and they've always lived in the same area, maybe I was naive with that. Their inside sleeping areas and burrows have been separated until this spring, time to consider something different now. They still don't venture into each other's burrows, one is a small tunnel and the large one can't fit and the small one stays out of the large ones way. The Tortoise shed is monitored with a camera 24 hours a day and I've yet to see any real aggression( they keep to themselves) Tom thanks for the dry climate suggestion, this is going to be the second summer for them outside. They've both grown so much since having natural sun and grazing area.
 
Last edited:
Top