Soft shell on my baby tortoises

[sevilay97]

hello, I currently live in cyprus. Last year a wild tortoise came in to our garden and layed 3 beautiful tortoise eggs. After laying the eggs, the mama tortoise passed away so we decided to take care of these beautiful babies. It’s been one year and they grew so much.

However we noticed that their shell started getting soft and they started being aggressive towards each other. We got food for them that is rich in calcium. Can someone please help to see what we can do to save these babies?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello (from Cyprus!)!

1. How do you keep them? Do they have access to sunlight (without glass and covers)? Do you have a UVB lamp? We need as many details as possible (temperatures, photo of the enclosure, what lights).

2. What do you feed them? Do they have access to fresh water? Do you soak (bath) them?

3. Their aggression is somewhat expected, tortoises are solitary and territorial animals (more or less) and when kept together in a small space they can behave like that (especially if all three are males, or 2 males and 1 female).

 

[wellington]

The answers to the questions above we need in order to help.
But an FYI, mother torts do not raise their young. They lay eggs and leave and the babies fend for themselves. So really no intervention would have been needed, unless they are not native to where you live.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

The answers to the questions above we need in order to help.
But an FYI, mother torts do not raise their young. They lay eggs and leave and the babies fend for themselves. So really no intervention would have been needed, unless they are not native to where you live.

There no native tortoises in Cyprus, only some freshwater and sea turtles. So this one was a lost or thrown away one.

 

[Sarah2020]

Calcium is key for bone, claw, beak and shell strength. They also need heat, light, humidity and correct set up if your captive keeping them . I suggest adding a cuttle fish bone into the enc similar to what a parrot has to see if they nibble on that. You mentioned you add calcium but ensure it is a dusting on the fresh greens. Soft is not good as it will impact their mobility in future. Less have a good read of this to check and review set up.

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As mentioned they hate company so separation will need to be considered.

 

[Tom]

hello, I currently live in cyprus. Last year a wild tortoise came in to our garden and layed 3 beautiful tortoise eggs. After laying the eggs, the mama tortoise passed away so we decided to take care of these beautiful babies. It’s been one year and they grew so much.

However we noticed that their shell started getting soft and they started being aggressive towards each other. We got food for them that is rich in calcium. Can someone please help to see what we can do to save these babies?

They need to be separated first and foremost.

Are they housed indoors or outside?

 

[wellington]

There no native tortoises in Cyprus, only some freshwater and sea turtles. So this one was a lost or thrown away one.

Actually it's said the Greek is not native, but has been brought over from Turkey and released. So they do have wild Greek tortoises which must have adapted.