Shell rot?

[Curtis_]

Hey guys, I have a 2-3 month old black Iberian Greek tortoise. When i picked him up today I noticed something on his belly. At first I thought it was dirt but I'm really starting to think shell rot. Could anyone give their input and maybe what you'd do to treat it? He's been eating and sleeping fine and the temps are always about 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sorry about the picture, if you need a better one I'll try to take a better one. Thanks!

 

[Curtis_]

Maybe I should add, he sleeps in his hot humid hide almost everyday and he does have a 90-100 degree basking area. This black mark certainly hasn't been there His whole life but it also doesn't look dried out or flaky or anything. I guess I'm mainly wondering is coloration like that natural? Or should I treat it as if it's shell rot?

 

[Curtis_]

A few other things ill add
-I've always kept it quite humid (usually between 65%-85% never below 50)
-Black markings like that may be natural and this actually may have been growing for a while, i never actually look at his belly until today he was flipped over and i noticed it
-The bigger black circle right above the black is actually a clump of dirt
-Bedding is about 70% coco coir 30% playsand
-He doesn't show any normal signs of shell rot (whitening of scales or any actually indentations or anything like that)
-I mainly feed him flukers land tortoise diet (tiny pellets) and mazuri diet. Sometimes ill give him dandelion or clover to eat.
-I give him soaks at least every other day and usually once or twice a day he'll go into his terra cotta water bowl
-I now have a bottle of "equate - First Aid Antiseptic 10% povidone-iodine (Compare to betadine solution active ingredients)" I also have "Hibiclens (Chlorhexidine Gluconate solution 4% w/v" should i go ahead and apply the antiseptic a few times and keep using the hibiclens? or is that just a waste and potentially harmful if this isn't shell rot?

 

[Curtis_]

Here's a slightly better picture. I'm starting to think it's just natural coloration but could still really use some input from someone who knows what they're talking about.

 

[Tom]

Its not shell rot, but the asymmetry makes me think it might not be "normal" color either. Lets ask somebody with more greek experience:

@GBtortoises ?
@HermanniChris ?

In general:
1. Temperate species need cooler nights. I like to let babies drop at least into the low 70s at night. This has always been fine for me even with higher levels of humidity of 50-70% and damp substrate.
2. Sand is a serious impaction risk. We have members here that have used it for years without a problem, but the vets I work with do sand impaction surgeries on tortoises several times a year. Why risk it? You don't need the sand. Coir works just fine all by itself.
3. Your tortoise really needs a better diet. I don't care for the Flukers food at all, and while I like Mazuri, I think it should be used as a supplement to an otherwise good diet, not as a staple. Your tortoise needs a high fiber diet of the right type of weeds, leaves, and flowers. The dandelion and clover is a good start, but I'll bet you've got all sorts of other good things around you already. At the very least you should add more endive and escarole to the diet so that the tortoise is at least eating real foods most of the time.

 

[Curtis_]

Its not shell rot, but the asymmetry makes me think it might not be "normal" color either. Lets ask somebody with more greek experience:

@GBtortoises ?
@HermanniChris ?

In general:
1. Temperate species need cooler nights. I like to let babies drop at least into the low 70s at night. This has always been fine for me even with higher levels of humidity of 50-70% and damp substrate.
2. Sand is a serious impaction risk. We have members here that have used it for years without a problem, but the vets I work with do sand impaction surgeries on tortoises several times a year. Why risk it? You don't need the sand. Coir works just fine all by itself.
3. Your tortoise really needs a better diet. I don't care for the Flukers food at all, and while I like Mazuri, I think it should be used as a supplement to an otherwise good diet, not as a staple. Your tortoise needs a high fiber diet of the right type of weeds, leaves, and flowers. The dandelion and clover is a good start, but I'll bet you've got all sorts of other good things around you already. At the very least you should add more endive and escarole to the diet so that the tortoise is at least eating real foods most of the time.

Thanks for the response. I'll change his bedding here very soon and just use coco-coir because he really seems to like it. I'll also cut out the flukers for now and start feeding him mainly weeds. Is it safe to get weeds from outside and just rinse them in water? no pesticides are getting anywhere near our grass. I've heard thistle is good for them too and we have tons of that growing here (also now that i look at pictures of wild endive it might actually be that). I'll also put his ceramic heat lamp on a thermometer instead of manually turning it on and off. Lastly, the substrate gets pretty cold when i leave it at room temp. Is it fine for him to sleep for 12 or more hours in cool, damp substate?

As far as the coloration goes do you think this is an immediate concern? Or should i make these changes and wait a while to see if it gets any worse?

 

[HermanniChris]

If you're referring to the black markings on the animal's plastron, they are 100% normal and supposed to be on this species. Some lack them, others do not.

 

[Curtis_]

If you're referring to the black markings on the animal's plastron, they are 100% normal and supposed to be on this species. Some lack them, others do not.

Again thanks for the response, I really love the community here. So it's totally normal for markings like that to grow on a baby tortoise? He wasn't born with it and it does seem somewhat asymmetrical. Although I'll certainly take your word for it that it's completely normal, just looking out for my little guy lol.

 

[HermanniChris]

Absolutely it's normal

Most Testudos look nothing like they do as adults when so young which is why it can be so difficult to determine subspecies or locale. You'll see plenty of new markings as it grows.

 

[Curtis_]

Thank you, Chris and Tom. I really appreciate the input and I'm glad it's nothing to worry about I'll still change his diet and night time temp though