YellowFoot Shell Picture

[Jenny Holland]

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forum, and hoping someone is
knowledgable concerning shell conditions. My new Yellowfoot
has a discolored scute. I've included a photo. Does anyone
know what this is and how to treat it? Thank-you very much.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Is it soft?
Does it flake off?
It looks like a rub mark or a scrape

 

[Jenny Holland]

It's hard and doesn't flake off. It looks like it's starting on another
scute. In a corner, there's a very small white patch. It's only affecting
the yellow scutes. I'm not sure if it's a fungus or a scrape. I'm
leaning towards a fungus, but I really have no idea.

 

[Yvonne G]

That looks like the spot where the tortoise sits under a light that's too close to the shell and it gets burned. It happens a whole lot. I've seen it many, many times. It doesn't seem to hurt the tortoise at the time, either. I had a rescue here with a fiberglass patch. He was temporarily set up in a plastic tub in my kitchen. Later in the first day of his being here as I was walking by I saw him sitting under the light. I placed my hand on his shell and it was too hot for me to leave my hand there, causing me to jerk my hand away. Yet the tortoise just sat there. Needless to say, I raised the light. Now, I don't know if the patch interfered with his sensing it was too hot or not, but I'm thinking not, because of the many burned shells I've seen.

The white under the keratin is bone, which is now dead bone. It will eventually grow new keratin and bone UNDER that dead bone, and as the tortoise grows and the new growth expands while the dead bone stays the same size, the new, expanding keratin underneath causes the dead bone to start lifting and it eventually pops off.

Maybe this happened while the tortoise was with his previous keeper??? At any rate, make sure the light/heat is up at least 12 to 15 inches above the tortoise's back.

 

[Jenny Holland]

I haven't needed a light yet. We're in Tampa, and he's outside during the
day, or in the heated garage at night. 90% of the time, he's in his indoor
humid hide, or outdoor humid hide. I just want to make sure there isn't
something I should be doing, like treating a fungus with medicine of
some kind.

 

[MPRC]

It doesn't look like a fungus issue, but it also doesn't hurt to try to treat for it. All you need is some athletes foot cream and if its not fungus you'll see no change.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It doesn't look like a fungus issue, but it also doesn't hurt to try to treat for it. All you need is some athletes foot cream and if its not fungus you'll see no change.

I agree.
It will cure fungus and also do no harm if it isn't.

 

[Jenny Holland]

Great advice. I'll do that now.