I am new to tortoises the guy I found flipped upside down under a rug. I’ve done a lot of reading and finally I’ve come to this forum and it is the most information I’ve had. I see a lot of different articles on Shell, Rod And, skin diseases and I just wanna make sure this guy is OK, he’s become a very special part of our family and like any new parent it just don’t know what you’re doing and you feel a little insecure if anybody out there can tell me if he looks OK I would really appreciate it
I am new to tortoises the guy I found flipped upside down under a rug. I’ve done a lot of reading and finally I’ve come to this forum and it is the most information I’ve had. I see a lot of different articles on Shell, Rod And, skin diseases and I just wanna make sure this guy is OK, he’s become a very special part of our family and like any new parent it just don’t know what you’re doing and you feel a little insecure if anybody out there can tell me if he looks OK I would really appreciate it
Hi, good luck with your new tortoise! Russians are the best. Your tortoise just has some permanent physical damage/wear to its shell but it is purely cosmetic. Something must have happened to him where the keratin was scraped off, and this has happened to tortoises that for example were chewed on by a dog or caught in a fire being burnt, but again it does not affect the tortoise other than aesthetically. It is just exposed bone below where keratin layers used to be.
Hi, good luck with your new tortoise! Russians are the best. Your tortoise just has some permanent physical damage/wear to its shell but it is purely cosmetic. Something must have happened to him where the keratin was scraped off, and this has happened to tortoises that for example were chewed on by a dog or caught in a fire being burnt, but again it does not affect the tortoise other than aesthetically. It is just exposed bone below where keratin layers used to be.
Hello!
Thanks for taking care of him!
Here is great starting point on tortoise care (in case you haven't seen it yet): https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/
Also at the bottom of that post you will find the care sheet for temperate species with more details on Russian tortoises. That's a lot of info to digest but definitely worth the efforts. Please ask questions and check your "tortoises shopping list" with us (don't rely on advice from pet stores).
Hi, good luck with your new tortoise! Russians are the best. Your tortoise just has some permanent physical damage/wear to its shell but it is purely cosmetic. Something must have happened to him where the keratin was scraped off, and this has happened to tortoises that for example were chewed on by a dog or caught in a fire being burnt, but again it does not affect the tortoise other than aesthetically. It is just exposed bone below where keratin layers used to be.
Hi, good question as sometimes it can look similar. One way I kind of tell is that with abrasion damage you can kind of see the flakiness of the scutes and you could almost peel some off. It does not generally look fungal, is completely dry and it is not spreading. Shell rot begins on the keratin and spreads, towards the bone, and starts in places that may be in contact with something moist, like the bottom with moist soil.
