Tortoise face is peeling

[Will47hd]

Help I have a Russian tortoise and the skin on the side of its face is peeling off kind of like a half picked scab, my profile pic is what it looks like. Is this normal?

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I can't see properly as the picture is too small for my old eyes, but it seems to be just shedding a scale or two.
Tortoises shed skin in bits and pieces, not as single cells like us or the whole skin at once like a snake. This can make them look positively ragged at times. Does it look sore or bleeding under the 'scab' ?
Carrots are too high in sugar to be a major part of your torts diet, though a little shredded carrot mixed in with other food wouldn't hurt.
And the tortoise table says : http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?st=true&mode=main&catID=619
You can use the Tortoise table as a rough guide to what's good for your tortoise to eat.

 

[Will47hd]

I can't see properly as the picture is too small for my old eyes, but it seems to be just shedding a scale or two.
Tortoises shed skin in bits and pieces, not as single cells like us or the whole skin at once like a snake. This can make them look positively ragged at times. Does it look sore or bleeding under the 'scab' ?
Carrots are too high in sugar to be a major part of your torts diet, though a little shredded carrot mixed in with other food wouldn't hurt.
And the tortoise table says : http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?st=true&mode=main&catID=619
You can use the Tortoise table as a rough guide to what's good for your tortoise to eat.

It does

I can't see properly as the picture is too small for my old eyes, but it seems to be just shedding a scale or two.
Tortoises shed skin in bits and pieces, not as single cells like us or the whole skin at once like a snake. This can make them look positively ragged at times. Does it look sore or bleeding under the 'scab' ?
Carrots are too high in sugar to be a major part of your torts diet, though a little shredded carrot mixed in with other food wouldn't hurt.
And the tortoise table says : http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?st=true&mode=main&catID=619
You can use the Tortoise table as a rough guide to what's good for your tortoise to eat.

it's not really red or sore but it does not look like the other side of her face

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Is the tort disturbed or rubbing at it ?

 

[Will47hd]

Is the tort disturbed or rubbing at it ?

Yeah she keeps trying to pick it off

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Any chance of a bigger photo ?
My bet is on just natural shedding, though.

 

[Will47hd]

Any chance of a bigger photo ?
My bet is on just natural shedding, though.

I don't really know how to put a URL in the reply so I changed my profile pic

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Sorry, i can't make that out at all.
If you're on a PC, you can click the "UPLOAD A FILE" feature next to the green POST REPLY button.
This should access your photos.

 

[Will47hd]

Sorry, i can't make that out at all.
If you're on a PC, you can click the "UPLOAD A FILE" feature next to the green POST REPLY button.
This should access your photos.

 

[Yvonne G]

We'll really need a better picture to be able to help you. Take a picture in full light.

 

[Kasia]

View attachment 200985 View attachment 200985

It looks like a part of its beak is peeling, isn't it? If it's side beak part then it needs a trim. If it's a side scute then no worries it will peel on its own.

 

[Yvonne G]

It looks like a part of its beak is peeling, isn't it? If it's side beak part then it needs a trim. If it's a side scute then no worries it will peel on its own.

Yeah, I can see the piece they're concerned about, but I can't tell what part of the head it's hanging off of.

 

[Will47hd]

View attachment 201055 Is this better? Also if she is just shedding could I pull it off?

 

[Will47hd]

 

[Will47hd]

 

[Yvonne G]

It's still pretty small, but I'm guessing it's the side of the beak that has pulled away. You need to take your nail clippers and clip that off so it doesn't catch on anything.

 

[Will47hd]

It's still pretty small, but I'm guessing it's the side of the beak that has pulled away. You need to take your nail clippers and clip that off so it doesn't catch on anything.

Are your sure because I don't want to hurt her

 

[Yvonne G]

I doubt there's a blood supply to it, but if you allow it to pull away any more, it will bleed and be painful.

 

[Will47hd]

I doubt there's a blood supply to it, but if you allow it to pull away any more, it will bleed and be painful.

So you don't think it is shedding

 

[Will47hd]

I just pulled it off and she seems fine but the skin does't look the same as the other side, it's not bloody or anything just looks like she is missing some stuff, will it regrow?