Shell question

[DjangoJabuti]

Hello all,

I'm new to the forum and would like some advice on whether my tortoise looks healthy or not. She/he is a 3 year 10 months old Hermanns called Django.

Recently the shell has been curling inwards where the tail is and I'm concerned there is something wrong. Also, Django has become obsessed with trying to eat white pebbles or stones in the garden over the last few months and soil. I put the recommended calcium rich supplement on her food and she has cuttlefish in her vivarium. I'm wondering if shes calcium deficient and if so, what I can do to help her as I dont know what else to give her or try.

Many thanks in advance for reading, I hope someone can help.

Lara

 

[Yvonne G]

That's the way boy's shells are. It helps the tail hold position during breeding

 

[DjangoJabuti]

Hi Yvonne!

Thank you for your response! So Django is a boy?!

 

[Toddrickfl1]

"He"

 

[GBtortoises]

Definitely a male and the growth is normal. Your tortoises overall growth looks very good. Mediterranean tortoises will often try to consume small stones in order to take in more minerals and calcium. If you are providing calcium in the form of powder or cuttlebone it should be consuming those. Make sure that the cuttlebone is broken up in pieces small enough for your tortoise to take bites of. Do not offer it whole. The powdered calcium would be better served not coated on the tortoise's food but in a separate shallow bowl that the tortoise can access when it wants to. By coating it's food the tortoise is being forced to consume calcium whether it needs to at the time or not. If kept separate it can consume as much as it wants when it wants to. A tortoises calcium requirement varies with gender, age and stage of development. To increase exposure to minerals feed a good quality, varied diet at all times.

 

[DjangoJabuti]

Definitely a male and the growth is normal. Your tortoises overall growth looks very good. Mediterranean tortoises will often try to consume small stones in order to take in more minerals and calcium. If you are providing calcium in the form of powder or cuttlebone it should be consuming those. Make sure that the cuttlebone is broken up in pieces small enough for your tortoise to take bites of. Do not offer it whole. The powdered calcium would be better served not coated on the tortoise's food but in a separate shallow bowl that the tortoise can access when it wants to. By coating it's food the tortoise is being forced to consume calcium whether it needs to at the time or not. If kept separate it can consume as much as it wants when it wants to. A tortoises calcium requirement varies with gender, age and stage of development. To increase exposure to minerals feed a good quality, varied diet at all times.

Thank you so much for your help Yvonne! I will make sure to place his calcium powder in a separate bowl from now on and break up the cuttlefish into pieces. I have put them in whole before and he just bites chunks off until theres nothing left. Would his be bad for his beak?