What is a "Lantern Condition"?

[TommyTheV]

Hi everyone,

A member here private messaged me about this and I searched high and low with no lead as to what it is about. Can anyone shed some light on what to look for, etc?

"You might want to take a flashlight against the plastron to check if they are in "lantern" condition.
mine just died."

Apparently the member bought from the same breeder as my Sri Lankan Star trio and hers just died. Got me curious and worried as they are 3 months old and still only at about 25-30 grams average for them

 

[wellington]

Do they mean to see if the shell is very thin? Like putting a light up against the shell, you will be able to tell the light shines thru?
@Tom
@Markw84
@Yvonne G

 

[Yvonne G]

I never heard this term used with tortoises. I would guess it refers to a thin shell like Barb suggests.

 

[TommyTheV]

I would imagine that but how or what am I am trying to base it with as "thin shell" as their size I would imagine with a powerful LED light these days it would shine through I would imagine like candling an egg?

 

[Tom]

Hi everyone,

A member here private messaged me about this and I searched high and low with no lead as to what it is about. Can anyone shed some light on what to look for, etc?

"You might want to take a flashlight against the plastron to check if they are in "lantern" condition.
mine just died."

Apparently the member bought from the same breeder as my Sri Lankan Star trio and hers just died. Got me curious and worried as they are 3 months old and still only at about 25-30 grams average for them

I've never heard that term either.

How did the breeder start the babies and where is the breeder? Were they soaked daily and kept indoors in a warm humid closed chamber, or outdoors?

I don't know how fast Sri Lankans grow as I have never bred them or raised hatchlings. My platynota hatch at around 20 grams and get to 50 by around 60 days.

 

[wellington]

I would imagine that but how or what am I am trying to base it with as "thin shell" as their size I would imagine with a powerful LED light these days it would shine through I would imagine like candling an egg?

Yes, that's what I was trying to describe except with the shell and possibly being thin.
Ask the member that used that term what they mean by it?

 

[TommyTheV]

I haven't heard her response for awhile hence I started the thread to ask. Haha

 

[TammyJ]

I think the person meant "latent".

 

[wellington]

I think the person meant "latent".

Possibly, but not sure what the flash light to plastron is going to show unless very thin shell and I'm not sure that word, latent, fits?

 

[TammyJ]

Possibly, but not sure what the flash light to plastron is going to show unless very thin shell and I'm not sure that word, latent, fits?

I think it does fit this situation. It means "existing but not yet developed". "Lantern" is probably just a typo.

 

[wellington]

I think it does fit this situation. It means "existing but not yet developed". "Lantern" is probably just a typo.

Maybe. I took it as something not yet developed and that couldn't be found. Most words used in definition meaning it can't be seen or found, so I figured there is no sense in lighting it up.
I may be thinking too much into lighting it up lol

 

[TommyTheV]

I just candled all 5 of my guys. I treat it just like candling eggs and shine from underneath and here are the results:

Crush (30 grams) - 80% of the light penetrates the plastron. 20% shows black spots near the head and the tail area. Mostly transparent in the middle section.

Squirt (25 grams) - 80% of the light penetrates the plastron. 20% shows black spots near the head and the tail area. Mostly transparent in the middle section.

Shelly (29 grams) - 95% of the light penetrates the plastron. Couldn't see much dark spots, almost transparent. This is a bit concerning? She is more active than Squirt though.
===========
Spot (67 grams) - No light could shine through
Speedy (73 grams) - No light could shine through

 

[TommyTheV]

Finally got a clear answer here so would like to share:

Meet my new "True" Sri Lankan Star Tortoises

3 months is plenty of time for them to have had issues when you bought them. I can’t say with any certainty that this is the case, but they did not have all that much growth (for their age) when you got them. How did the breeder keep them? If there were issues there, that would be a big...

www.tortoiseforum.org