Split Scute?

[boardpunkchic]

I know this has been posted before but since the threads were so old I figured I'd start a new one. Does anyone know what the line is across the top of his shell? Is it a "split scute"? I've had Soup for a month now. I got him when he was 6 mths old and he already had that line. He is also starting to show some white lines around his "top scutes" which I am hopping might be marbling! I don't have any photos of those at the moment but will try to take some later. Thanks guys!!!

 

[jacksknight]

It's just a fold in the shell from being in the egg. Keep your heat and humidity at the proper levels and it will eventually grow out.

 

[wellington]

The two scutes is just a cold line. The other scute could possibly be a solid line making a split scute. It's hard to tell in the pic if it is part of the fold her not. White coming in is growth lines or marbleing.

 

[domalle]

I know this has been posted before but since the threads were so old I figured I'd start a new one. Does anyone know what the line is across the top of his shell? Is it a "split scute"? I've had Soup for a month now. I got him when he was 6 mths old and he already had that line. He is also starting to show some white lines around his "top scutes" which I am hopping might be marbling! I don't have any photos of those at the moment but will try to take some later. Thanks guys!!!View attachment 256495 View attachment 256496

The first and second costal scutes (or shields) on the left side are partially merged and split. The split continues across the carapace through the first costal on the right side which accounts for the malformation of the fourth costal in the right rear. In the typical tortoise there are four costals (also called pleurals) on each side of the carapace. There are five central (or vertebral scutes) down the back. Your little tortoise lacks the full complement of these as well. It is likely that the first and second vertebrals also merged. This all occurred during embryonic development in the egg.

None of these shell anomalies will affect your nice little tortoise adversely but they will always be evident to some degree. Good luck.

This is a Northern redfoot. Marbling is more characteristic of the Cherryhead redfoots.