Shell rot or growth?

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My Russian Tort is about 1-2 years old, and I got him/her at a local breeder. He is eating fine, he is very energetic, and loves his Kale, Collard Greens, and lettuce. My main concern is his shell. When I got him, his shell looked a bit funky. A bit of flakes, a few discolorations, but no sign of major shell rot. I was wondering if this is just how a tortoise grows into a healthy shell because the black on the shell is slowly covering it's segment/part, like a healthy tortoise. I just want to know, because I would hate for him to suffer. Thanks!
 

Yvonne G

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That tortoise actually looks better than most russians I've seen.
 
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If you need more, I'll put him in the sunlight for better viewing angles. He's eating well and is now starting to eat his mix with the calcium. In the morning, I spray him a bit. Every other day
 

JoesMum

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Yes, his humidity is around 50%, and since he is very young, I soak him everyday for him to poop. He pooped in his enclosure, so now I'm thinking about soaking every other day. His diet is Kale, Green Leaf lettuce, Collard greens, and calcium supplement with a bit of d3. His lighting is a 75w Heat Lamp and UVB is a 150 watt desert. I might get those mixed up, but his temperature in his enclosure is always 90-95. On hot days, I turn a fan on (low) and it lowers the temp back to 90-95. His UVB is 5-11% (no idea what that means) and his heat lamp is strong enough to the point where he goes to the cool side of his enclosure sometimes. Current enclosure: 20 gallon 60 in x 48
 

JoesMum

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Wear and tear is just the knocks and scrapes of an active life. And Russians love digging and climbing and hence bash themselves rather more than some other species. That's why Yvonne said he looked pretty good for a Russian. :)
 
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Oh. So the black uneven parts are to store extra calcium right? OR something along those lines. That's what I heard. Also, is my tortoise a male because sometimes, he tucks his tail in, but I still have yet ti look at his slit.
 

JoesMum

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To sex your tortoise we need a clear photograph of it from underneath including the tail.

The marks have nothing to do with excess calcium being stored. They're just marks.
 
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Huh. Anyway I checked my tortoise. The tail slit is a straight line, not one small cut. So, I'm assuming that means it's a male, right? I've seen how to find the gender of a tortoise (thread). My tortoise is still young, but sometimes (it) drags (its) tail and sometimes tucks it in. Maybe because it's still young and (its) tail is still in the process of growing.
 

Yvonne G

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If that's the tortoise we're talking about in the pictures at the beginning of this thread, I'm pretty sure it's female. I can see a tiny female tail in the last picture.
 
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