what causes split scute

naturalman91

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title say's it all or best guess at what causes it or if there is a post already here about it that someone could link me it would be awesome
 

kimber_lee_314

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They are usually caused when the eggs have been incubated at too high of a temperature. I don't know why - but this seems to cause the scutes to split.
 

Tom

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This is a debatable topic with no definitive answer. I agree with Kimber_lee, but there are also cases where the temps were not high and split scutes still show up. Some people believe there is a genetic element involved too. The only time I ever saw splits was when my reptile room temps spiked one summer and my eggs were on a top shelf high in the room. After that I started incubating in the house instead of the reptile room. Never saw splits again.
 

Yvonne G

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My incubator spiked/malfunctioned up past 100F and I don't know how long it was like that. The 8 leopards in those eggs all had split or extra scutes. All other leopards before and since, from the same parents, have normal shells.

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naturalman91

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so if its to do with heat is there a chance splits or extras are female? you incubate at higher temp for females then males right?
 

Yvonne G

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That is the case on the temperature splitties, however on the genetic splitties, they can be either sex.
 

kimber_lee_314

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Every "splittie" I've ever had was female if that's helpful. :)
 

jonckt

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May I request for some pictures of those split scutes? I wanna see how it looks like? Tq


Sent from my iPad using TortForum

Jc
 

FLINTUS

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Every "splittie" I've ever had was female if that's helpful. :)
And females are associated with higher incubation temperatures. My guess would be that when the keratin on the shell is warmer, obviously-based on basic chemistry- the particles have more heat energy, so move around faster and the keratin will be less dense. So my guess is that due to more space due to them being more active, perhaps the keratin can't fuse properly into scutes? Just a theory.
 

kimber_lee_314

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And females are associated with higher incubation temperatures. My guess would be that when the keratin on the shell is warmer, obviously-based on basic chemistry- the particles have more heat energy, so move around faster and the keratin will be less dense. So my guess is that due to more space due to them being more active, perhaps the keratin can't fuse properly into scutes? Just a theory.

Wow! That's really interesting! I've never heard this theory before but it makes sense.
 

Tom

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naturalman91

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FLINTUS

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@Tom , what do you think of my theory to do with heat energy causing a different 'fusation' in the keratin?
Btw, I should point out that I have 2 tortoises with split scutes, both Red Foots. One is now appearing male after I thought he was female, but is now showing that typical 'hourglass' shape. Other is probably female.
 

the Turtle Shepherd

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here is a theory: if the super warm temps are responsible then perhaps it simply has something to do with cell replication. at higher temperatures the cellular activity spikes also, perhaps resulting in simple over production of cells, resulting in too many cells that result in extra scutes formation. I have one female boxie with split spine, damn, it is like a zig zag :) only turtles can function with spines that crooked because the vertebrae are attached to the carapace, lucky:)
 

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