My dad lives on the north coast of Kenya and over the past 7 years his house (or garden) has turned into something of an accidental tortoise rescue, with 3 tortoises being dropped off at his house by well-meaning locals or tourists. My father has never owned tortoises before, but after he took the first one in I suppose a precedent was set.
I went to visit him in Kenya for the first time since he acquired the tortoises and am concerned about the health of 2 of them:
The first one has a hugely damaged shell. He said he found it wandering the streets near his house with its shell already like that (Maybe something heavy fell on it?) but it’s been the same for the past 7 years and seems to be walking around and eating fine. Is there anything you would recommend we do at this stage?
The second tortoise seems fine generally, but I am concerned about what looks like some skin or flesh oozing out from between a couple of the plates on his shell (just in front of his hind legs, the third plate from the back including the one over the tail - it's easier to see in the side photograph) I don’t know how long it has been like that. It’s definitely skin as it is soft and moves slightly when he walks, but apart from that it is dry and seems undamaged. Is there a reason for this? Is there anything we can do? I hope it isn’t painful for him. Likewise though, he seems fine apart from that, and is very active.
The third tortoise appears healthy.
I was also wondering whether you could identify what species they are, since if I were to guess I would assume they were all different?
I don’t know how they came to be in the town or whether they are species native to the area or were brought in and let loose/escaped/abandoned.
I went to visit him in Kenya for the first time since he acquired the tortoises and am concerned about the health of 2 of them:
The first one has a hugely damaged shell. He said he found it wandering the streets near his house with its shell already like that (Maybe something heavy fell on it?) but it’s been the same for the past 7 years and seems to be walking around and eating fine. Is there anything you would recommend we do at this stage?
The second tortoise seems fine generally, but I am concerned about what looks like some skin or flesh oozing out from between a couple of the plates on his shell (just in front of his hind legs, the third plate from the back including the one over the tail - it's easier to see in the side photograph) I don’t know how long it has been like that. It’s definitely skin as it is soft and moves slightly when he walks, but apart from that it is dry and seems undamaged. Is there a reason for this? Is there anything we can do? I hope it isn’t painful for him. Likewise though, he seems fine apart from that, and is very active.
The third tortoise appears healthy.
I was also wondering whether you could identify what species they are, since if I were to guess I would assume they were all different?
I don’t know how they came to be in the town or whether they are species native to the area or were brought in and let loose/escaped/abandoned.
