Weird "spots" on baby Sulcata's scutes

[meg_a_tarian]

So my little guy has some weird spots that just popped up on his scutes, it seems to be on all of them. I'm attaching the best picture I could get.

Any ideas? I've tried brushing at them gently with a toothbrush but it makes no difference. They are not on the surface seems like they are under the first layer of keratin or something. He's been to the vet recently but of course this popped up after his visit. Could it be fungus?

 

[meg_a_tarian]

(I posted this in the Sulcata section but thought later that it may be more appropriate here)
So my little guy has some weird spots that just popped up on his scutes, it seems to be on all of them. I'm attaching the best picture I could get. You can see them best on the middle scutes. One of them looks like a figure 8.

Any ideas? I've tried brushing at them gently with a toothbrush but it makes no difference. They are not on the surface seems like they are under the first layer of keratin or something. He's been to the vet recently but of course this popped up after his visit. Could it be fungus?
Attached Files:

 

[Sesel]

I've read that those are normal.

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/white-marks-on-shell.97887/#post-913684

 

[Bambam1989]

Yes the white squiggles are common. I'm not sure what causes them but are completely harmless. My own sulcata has them.

 

[meg_a_tarian]

I've read that those are normal.

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/white-marks-on-shell.97887/#post-913684

Thanks so much for the reply! I had searched all over the forum for "sulcata shell spots" but couldn't find anything. I guess I needed to be less specific!

 

[chemprentice]

Thanks so much for the reply! I had searched all over the forum for "sulcata shell spots" but couldn't find anything. I guess I needed to be less specific!

I agree with the consensus that they are normal; my Greek has them as well. I noticed they became very apparent when he started to reach a growth spurt:

 

[meg_a_tarian]

I agree with the consensus that they are normal; my Greek has them as well. I noticed they became very apparent when he started to reach a growth spurt:
View attachment 229618

That really makes sense. We went to the vet because he wasn't growing much at all. He had to get dewormed and some extra nutritional support. Since then it's pretty much just a continuous growth spurt.

 

[chemprentice]

That really makes sense. We went to the vet because he wasn't growing much at all. He had to get dewormed and some extra nutritional support. Since then it's pretty much just a continuous growth spurt.

Good to know that he's doing better!

 

[Yvonne G]

Weve talked a lot about this. Do a search for "white squiggly lines."

 

[Tom]

Do a search for "squiggly lines" and several threads discussing the topic will come up.

The consensus is that we don't know what they are or what they do, but they are normal and not harmful or a sign of anything bad.

@zovick You are a man of tremendous experience and I don't think you were posting here whenever we last discussed this. Do you have any insight into these white squiggly lines that appear in the shells of young, growing tortoises?

 

[Stuart S.]

My young Sulcata had them at first but as he’s grown they have disappeared.

 

[Markw84]

My belief is that these are from the way the original keratin is drying. The very thin layer of keratin first laid down as the scute is forming on the embryo. It often seems like it may be a layer of tissue/fluid from the egg environment that also dries on this portion. New keratin is hydroscopic - absorbs moisture and retains a "softer" look. As keratin ages on a tortoise shell, it becomes harder and looses that hydroscopic property. This leaves that layer we are seeing drying out and with portions that become that whitish more opaque look. Sometimes as sqiggly lines that form as it dries, sometimes almost like the scute is going to shed that very central part. That is why I have only seen it on the original central areolae of a scute.

 

[zovick]

Do a search for "squiggly lines" and several threads discussing the topic will come up.

The consensus is that we don't know what they are or what they do, but they are normal and not harmful or a sign of anything bad.

@zovick You are a man of tremendous experience and I don't think you were posting here whenever we last discussed this. Do you have any insight into these white squiggly lines that appear in the shells of young, growing tortoises?

I have seen the same thing on some of my Radiated Tortoise babies, but have no real idea why they form. They don't appear to cause any problems, so I haven't investigated the phenomenon at all.

 

[Sue Ann]

I agree with the consensus that they are normal; my Greek has them as well. I noticed they became very apparent when he started to reach a growth spurt:
View attachment 229618

Do they go away after the growth spurt?