Worried about bump / dent at front of shell

[CylonSurfer]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum, from what I have read thus far it's a great source of knowledge. I'm also the owner of a juvenile Marginated Tortoise we have called Samson. I have never kept a tortoise before so I'm new to it all (although I did have a Red eared slider turtle for about 21 years).

Samson for the most part seems to be doing fine, he is fairly active during the day, eats most of what we put out for him and gets a bath every evening which he seems to enjoy. Judging from his cert Samson is about 7 months old. My only concern about him is that part of his shell seems to have a slight bump in the lighter colored part and indent in the darker part of the front central plate (not the smaller marginals). I have included a picture but the problem might not be easy to spot, I can get a better picture when I'm at home.

Is this something I should be concerned about or is it just normal for a juvenile and something that will grow out?

One last thing, when I last measured / weighed Samson he came out at 50mm in length and 27 grams - is this about right for a juvenile of his age? I have struggled to find much info on monitoring the growth of marginated juveniles...

Cheers all.

 

[HLogic]

Please read the following link and make adjustments to the enclosure/habitat accordingly: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/marginated-tortoise-testudo-marginata-care-sheet.98564/

I don't see anything "wrong" with the tort but I note a few conditions under which it is being kept I would change.

More important than current metrics is metric trends. Measure periodically but regularly (every 2 weeks is reasonable). If the metrics are increasing, things are likely OK. Do not panic if a weight is slightly lower (10%) for a single recording date/time. Reweigh in a day or two to see if it was transient. A full gut vs. an empty gut may result in a surprising weight difference.

 

[CylonSurfer]

"I don't see anything "wrong" with the tort but I note a few conditions under which it is being kept I would change."

So I shouldn't be concerned about the lump / dent in the front center plate? The enclosure has been changed since the pic was taken (it was from the evening we received him), we're now using coco husk based substrate so the humidity is up in the 60's / 70's and have a lot more items for him to hide in as well as items crawl over such as pebbles and stones (non too small for him to eat). Pic below taken from my webcam, so not the best of quality or the entirety of the table.

I have read that guide a number of times - anything else you would suggest?

And thanks for your reply.

 

[HLogic]

You're welcome. The lump is not something I would be concerned about unless it becomes more pronounced. As long as the humidity is maintained and the diet is varied, I think you are well on your way to a long and enjoyable ride with your new lifelong buddy.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

The pictures really don't show us what you're worried about. I can't really see anything wrong in the pictures.

 

[CylonSurfer]

I'll be home in a few hours, I'll try and take a better pic before I give him a bath.

 

[CylonSurfer]

Okay here are a few more pics I took last nite while bathing him. You can see the 'bump' on the pic take from his back, and the indent from the front view.

 

[HermanniChris]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with him. It's just a very, very slight/minimal imperfection. Simply cosmetic, not even worth a second look. Beautiful tortoise. You can read my care sheet at the top of this forum for added tips on successfully housing T. marginata.

 

[CylonSurfer]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with him. It's just a very, very slight/minimal imperfection. Simply cosmetic, not even worth a second look. Beautiful tortoise. You can read my care sheet at the top of this forum for added tips on successfully housing T. marginata.

Thanks Chris and everyone else for your replies.

We're glad to hear its nothing to worry about

Something else while I think about it. Has anyone else ever had their tortoise croak or churp while having their head / shell softly stroked? Samson seemed to be enjoying a bit of a head rub after his bath, stretching his neck out and pushing against my finger as if to encourage it, then let out a little croak, i've never heard him do it before.

 

[HermanniChris]

The croak is not normal. Is there any discharge from his mouth or nose? Bubbles? Does he gape his mouth at all?

 

[CylonSurfer]

The croak is not normal. Is there any discharge from his mouth or nose? Bubbles? Does he gape his mouth at all?

I've seen him yawn once or twice but not really anything else. No bubbles from the nose or discharge from the mouth.