White Patch on Arm

[mytortoisereed]

Hi Tortoise Forum,

One day I noticed that my 15 year old male Russian Tortoise named Reed had a large white patch on his left arm. His scales are missing from the spot as well. Not sure what happened, he never got into any accidents or got hurt. He can walk normally and he doesn’t seem to be hurt or bothered by it. He lives in a 40 gallon terrarium, maybe he brushed up against the log that he loves to hide and sleep in and that created the scratch. Not sure what it is, I don’t want to worry unless I have to. Please let me know if you can help me, I have attached a picture of the arm with the white patch and of the arm without.

Thank you,
Emma and Reed

Left Arm (With Patch):

Right Arm (Normal):

 

[mytortoisereed]

*bump* please note he is an active and healthy tortoise, just curious as to how to take care of this and what it means. please help, thank you!

 

[Yvonne G]

Does he live outside? If so I would start bringing him in at night. He doesn't need any kind of fancy indoor habitat, just a covered cardboard box to spend the night in. Something (rat, mouse, etc.) is chewing on his legs during the night.

 

[TechnoCheese]

Please also note that a 40 gallon tank is much too small for this tortoise. An adult russian tortoise like the one you have requires a minimum enclosure size of 8x4 feet. Please be sure to give these a read-

Russian Tortoise Care Sheet https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Russian-Tortoise-Care-Sheet.80698/

Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

Can we see pictures of his enclosure?

 

[mytortoisereed]

Yes, I will attach a picture. He is only 6 inches and sleeps inside the terrarium, I take him outside everyday for at least an hour or more and he walks around a lot outside. In the terrarium he just likes to dig and bask on the basking rock or hide in his log. I attached some photos of the terrarium, but note he is outside a lot and we have a big backyard that he loves to walk around.
Here is the terrarium:

 

[mytortoisereed]

Does he live outside? If so I would start bringing him in at night. He doesn't need any kind of fancy indoor habitat, just a covered cardboard box to spend the night in. Something (rat, mouse, etc.) is chewing on his legs during the night.

Hi Yvonne G,
I know nothing is chewing on his arms because he sleeps inside and I watch him constantly whenever I take him outside, so I am thinking he might’ve brushed up against something and that gave him the scratch? I’m not sure how it happened, or if there’s a special way to treat it.

 

[mytortoisereed]

*bump* if anyone knows how to treat a scratch on a tortoises arm, if there’s an ointment or cream I should rub on the raw skin so that it heals up nicely, or if it will regrow normally on it’s own. He is still active, healthy, and walking around completely normally, just want to know if there is anything I can do.

 

[TechnoCheese]

Could it possibly be a burn of some kind? Is there anything outside he could have gotten into? Does he have a secure outdoor enclosure? How long has it been since you noticed it?

I have no idea how to treat it, but there are things that need to be changed about your enclosure.

-your tortoise is fully grown, so it does need those 32 square feet. While it seems like overkill for a small tortoise, these guys roam miles in days in the wild, and need to be able to move to help digest food, similar to horses. A 40 gallon tank is much, much too small for any species of tortoise, including this one.

-it appears that you’re using sand in your substrate. Sand is a huge impaction risk as well as an eye, skin, nose, and cloaca irritant. It shouldn’t be used in any amount. It should be switched to fine grade orchid bark, cypress mulch, or coconut coir.

 

[mytortoisereed]

Could it possibly be a burn of some kind? Is there anything outside he could have gotten into? Does he have a secure outdoor enclosure? How long has it been since you noticed it?

I have no idea how to treat it, but there are things that need to be changed about your enclosure.

-your tortoise is fully grown, so it does need those 32 square feet. While it seems like overkill for a small tortoise, these guys roam miles in days in the wild, and need to be able to move to help digest food, similar to horses. A 40 gallon tank is much, much too small for any species of tortoise, including this one.

-it appears that you’re using sand in your substrate. Sand is a huge impaction risk as well as an eye, skin, nose, and cloaca irritant. It shouldn’t be used in any amount. It should be switched to fine grade orchid bark, cypress mulch, or coconut coir.

Hi TechnoCheese,

Yes for my substrate I used a combination of sand and coconut coir, but the sand appears to be on the top because as Reed digs around, he brings the sand on the top. I will be adding coconut coir to the top so that he has a better substrate to walk around on and replacing all the sand. As for the habitat, I will look into getting something bigger, and maybe even an outdoor enclosure so I don’t have to watch him walk around for over an hour every day, and I can let him be alone outside somewhere safe. I do not think he got burned, unless he got burned by his basking rock. I have a feeling he must’ve rubbed up against something, maybe the log shown in one of the previous pictures, as it looks a bit rough. I noticed it about a week ago out of the blue, genuinely not sure when or how it happened. I’m assuming this will heal itself, I’m sure in the wild desert tortoises get scratched all the time and they heal. It does not seem to bother Reed as he is still acting healthy and walking around normally. Wasn’t sure if there was any action I should take, but I have a feeling he will be fine because he shows no bad health symptoms. Thank you so much!

 

[TechnoCheese]

Hi TechnoCheese,

Yes for my substrate I used a combination of sand and coconut coir, but the sand appears to be on the top because as Reed digs around, he brings the sand on the top. I will be adding coconut coir to the top so that he has a better substrate to walk around on and replacing all the sand. As for the habitat, I will look into getting something bigger, and maybe even an outdoor enclosure so I don’t have to watch him walk around for over an hour every day, and I can let him be alone outside somewhere safe. I do not think he got burned, unless he got burned by his basking rock. I have a feeling he must’ve rubbed up against something, maybe the log shown in one of the previous pictures, as it looks a bit rough. I noticed it about a week ago out of the blue, genuinely not sure when or how it happened. I’m assuming this will heal itself, I’m sure in the wild desert tortoises get scratched all the time and they heal. It does not seem to bother Reed as he is still acting healthy and walking around normally. Wasn’t sure if there was any action I should take, but I have a feeling he will be fine because he shows no bad health symptoms. Thank you so much!

I also think it’ll be fine, and it seems to be healing on its own. Definitely be on the lookout for what could have caused it, and maybe try filing down the log if it feels sharp

 

[mytortoisereed]

Thank you so much for the help! I feel so much better!