Turtle skin

[axmna]

Is my mediterranean tortoise losing color or is it shedding skin ? Can someone tell me help me how to fix it

 

[TammyJ]

Welcome to the forum! I don't see anything that you should worry about from those pictures, but please tell us details of how it is kept, temperatures, humidity, lighting, substrate and diet. Also enclosure size. Pictures too please. Then you will get the best possible help for your tortoise. Thanks!

 

[axmna]

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Welcome to the forum! I don't see anything that you should worry about from those pictures, but please tell us details of how it is kept, temperatures, humidity, lighting, substrate and diet. Also enclosure size. Pictures too please. Then you will get the best possible help for your tortoise. Thanks!

Dont have a proper enclosure yet but the temp is 27 to 29c° ill be buying orchid bark for it soon and for diet I give it green lettuce everyday and stawberries and recently i started giving red bell pepper

 

[TammyJ]

Unfortunately, most folks who acquire a tortoise have very little or no idea of how specific their requirements are, and that even those particular conditions, which may mean life or death, also vary widely between species of tortoise. Also unfortunately, a tortoise is good at living for a long time in totally wrong conditions, suffering silently for months or even years before dying at last in pain and misery, with the owner saying "But he was just fine up to last week!". We don't want this to happen to your tortoise, so please take time to learn and follow the advice you will get from caring and experienced folks here. @Tom @wellington @zovick

 

[zovick]

Is my mediterranean tortoise losing color or is it shedding skin ? Can someone tell me help me how to fix it

I believe that the lighter areas of skin/scales on the underside of the rear legs are just areas which rub against the plastron (bottom shell) when your tortoise is walking. Those areas which are constantly rubbing against the shell are kept cleaner than the surrounding skin which gets dirt in between the scales making it look darker.

If you enlarge your picture, you will be able to see the areas between those little scales which appear to have coco coir deposits or dirt stains in them.

 

[axmna]

I believe that the lighter areas of skin/scales on the underside of the rear legs are just areas which rub against the plastron (bottom shell) when your tortoise is walking. Those areas which are constantly rubbing against the shell are kept cleaner than the surrounding skin which gets dirt in between the scales making it look darker.

If you enlarge your picture, you will be able to see the areas between those little scales which appear to have coco coir deposits or dirt stains in them.

So thats normal to happen or is there a way to prevent it ?

 

[zovick]

So thats normal to happen or is there a way to prevent it ?

It is normal. I would not be concerned at all about it. The skin looks fine to me.

The only way to prevent it would be to file away some of the plastron so the legs don't rub against it, but that is quite a drastic measure for something which is a normal phenomenon. Plus you would probably have to file all the way into the bone to remove enough shell material to make any difference, which would be a health hazard for the animal

 

[axmna]

It is normal. I would not be concerned at all about it. The skin looks fine to me.

The only way to prevent it would be to file away some of the plastron so the legs don't rub against it, but that is quite a drastic measure for something which is a normal phenomenon. Plus you would probably have to file all the way into the bone to remove enough shell material to make any difference, which would be a health hazard for the animal

Okay thank youu for helping