A
augustsalbert
Guest
Soft shell is always an indication of a problem if the tortoise is more than a month or so old. This condition often leads to the death of small tortoises. A deficiency of calcium and lack of sunlight are the primary causes. All tortoises have soft shells on hatching, but by the time they are a week old a slight firming of the shell should have taken place. To overcome this problem the addition of calcium lactate or simply a block of plaster-of-paris to the water has been widely advocated and is undoubtedly of some benefit, but the most reliable course is to offer the hatchlings only a natural diet. Another treatment is the addition of 500mg of aureomycin or terramycin to the water of an average size aquarium. These antibiotics are effective against other ailments which often accompany the soft-shell condition.
