Unhealthy shell?

[TurboLove]

Hi all,

I'm New and worried!!!

My Russian tortoise has dents/marks/damage, I don't know what you call them on his shell. I think I may need a new lamp.

Is it this shell rot?
Thoughts?

Pictures attached.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
The Russian tortoise has dark patches in the centre of its scutes but new growth is naturally paler and yellowish.
This is perfectly normal.
He has some indentations, but nothing to worry about in my opinion.
Just the way he's grown.
Very pretty tortoise.
Please read http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[TurboLove]

Thank you so much for responding!!!

That's a relief. I am going to take him for a vet check up in March for a general health check uo (as his in hibernation mode at the moment) but I thought the markings looked a little bit bigger than I remember, so didn't know if I needed to take him to the vets sooner than March.

The one mark he has is due to him taking a tumble trying to escape and chipped his shell.

I also didn't know if his shell is like that due to his diet, he's a VERY picky eater.

 

[PJay]

Welcome to the forum! You have a nice looking tortoise there. Do you have any pictures of its enclosure to share?

 

[TurboLove]

Just been cleaned but he has a tortoise table. The light is a combined lamp - heat, UV and UVB.

 

[Gillian M]

A warm welcome to the forum, @TurboLove .

Your cute tort looks healthy, don't worry.

Oli is another picky eater.

 

[TurboLove]

Thank you for the warm welcome!!!

Glad I'm not alone. I've had him for almost 3 years and still feel like an idiot.

 

[Gillian M]

Thank you for the warm welcome!!!

Glad I'm not alone. I've had him for almost 3 years and still feel like an idiot.

I know what you mean. I've had Oli for almost six years now. It did worry me at the beginning, but at the same time I thought: "Even we human beings can be picky eaters."

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Please read the links I posted.
You need an enclosure of at least 8' by 4 ' for a Russian tortoise and that's an absolute minimum.
He needs substrate to dig into, coco coir, cypress mulch or orchid bark are best.
No hay or straw, it's either too dry and when damp becomes moldy and dangerous.
A cheap terracotta plant saucer, sunk into the substrate and big enough for the tortoise to soak in is ideal for water.
If that's a coiled bulb it needs to be changed for either a strip UVB light and basking lamp or an all in one MVB (mercury vapour bulb) that provides heat, light and UVB
Sorry, but some changes are necessary
If you have some of this, but it's just that you've cleaned the enclosure, i apologize

 

[TurboLove]

Thank you for the advice. There is substrate in the boxed off bit, where he does dig.

The table is massive...the photo doesn't do it justice. The lamp is an all in one - Solar Glo but I shall look into an MVB!!!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

If it's this one http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/solar_glo.php that's fine, it is an MVB
Newspaper is not a good substrate, you need proper substrate throughout, to a depth of about 6 inches

 

[TurboLove]

Yes, that's the one.

Haha, it's not just the newspaper...it's a proper tortoise soil but I'll spread it about more.

Once again thank you for your time and advice!!!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Yes, that's the one.

Haha, it's not just the newspaper...it's a proper tortoise soil but I'll spread it about more.

Once again thank you for your time and advice!!!

Tortoise soil ?

 

[TurboLove]

A proper tortoise substrate....don't panic I've got most things under control.