Will scuffs on shell hurt tortoise

[Cryatha]

We have just acquired a new tortoise for my son (almost 2 months ago). He is happy and healthy and I have been stalking this forum since before we brought him home. My concern is that Tony loves to burrow but his favorite place to make himself a nest is right up against/partially under his basking rock. He always digs in head first and then turns around in the same direction causing him to scuff one part of his shell on the rock. I am worried that if he continues to do this he will hurt himself. Should I be concerned or should I trust that he will not do this to the point of injury?

 

[JoesMum]

Scuffs are just part of the look of a happy healthy tortoise.

The shell doesn't stay shiny forever. We've had ours for 46 years now and he's pretty evenly scuffed all over

 

[edwardbo]

Or you can raise the roof of his cave . I try to prevent any marring on my torts shells as they scuff going under rough slabs in their enclosures .

 

[AZtortMom]

I agree with Joesmum,
That's part of being a happy and healthy tort.
My ladies have a few scuff marks on their shells and they are no harm for wear

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum, @Cryatha .

Please read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread.

 

[Tom]

A little scuff is no big deal and won't hurt them, but if that keeps happening over the long term it will become much more than just a scuff.

 

[Cryatha]

Thank you all for your input. @Tom, that's what I was worried about that he would keep rubbing the same area and wind up doing damage. I turned his rock around so that the part that turned into an overhang when he dug down is now against the wall, leaving only a straight edge where he digs. He is still nesting in the same spot, but he can't get underneath the rock anymore.

 

[TigsMom]

I would elevate the rock with some bricks and create a sort of burrow for him, with lots of the soil mounded around the bricks so he can eat on top of the rock and burrow/hide underneath with less scuffing. A thin piece of wood underneath the rock (as a roof to the burrow) will also be more forgiving in scuffs and scrapes. Just be sure to leave plenty of soil for him to arrange inside, so that he thinks he built it himself. My tortoises remodel (move the soil around) the huge burrows I built outside for them. Occassionally, I have to get a rake inside the burrows to level out the soil a bit because they've remodeled a bit too much and start getting scratches from the wood roof.