Shell harden

yay14

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Hi my 1 year one month hermann tortoise shell still has some slight give to it. Is this normal or should it have hardened by now? His carpace is almost completely hard maybe some minimal give and the plastron has some give in the middle and a little on the edges.
 

bonsai tortoise

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Hi my 1 year one month hermann tortoise shell still has some slight give to it. Is this normal or should it have hardened by now? His carpace is almost completely hard maybe some minimal give and the plastron has some give in the middle and a little on the edges.
It’s hard to describe how hard it should feel on a forum but at that size it should be relatively firm. It might have a little give but should not push in like a hatchling’s would. It won’t be “hard” like an adult but it should be really firm. Hope that makes sense LOL! Just make sure he/she is getting the right heat, UVB, variety of foods, humidity, etc. and you should be good. If it’s making you feel uncomfortable and think you’re providing the right care you should consider contacting a good vet for a health check. Or at the least take it to someone in your area that has a lot of experience growing them from hatchling to adult to get an informed opinion.
 

yay14

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It’s hard to describe how hard it should feel on a forum but at that size it should be relatively firm. It might have a little give but should not push in like a hatchling’s would. It won’t be “hard” like an adult but it should be really firm. Hope that makes sense LOL! Just make sure he/she is getting the right heat, UVB, variety of foods, humidity, etc. and you should be good. If it’s making you feel uncomfortable and think you’re providing the right care you should consider contacting a good vet for a health check. Or at the least take it to someone in your area that has a lot of experience growing them from hatchling to adult to get an informed opinion.
Ok i was going to get a routine check soon anyway, but the only place whare i feel like you can actually push it in a little is whare the yolc sac was so the middle of the plastron
 

yay14

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It’s hard to describe how hard it should feel on a forum but at that size it should be relatively firm. It might have a little give but should not push in like a hatchling’s would. It won’t be “hard” like an adult but it should be really firm. Hope that makes sense LOL! Just make sure he/she is getting the right heat, UVB, variety of foods, humidity, etc. and you should be good. If it’s making you feel uncomfortable and think you’re providing the right care you should consider contacting a good vet for a health check. Or at the least take it to someone in your area that has a lot of experience growing them from hatchling to adult to get an informed opinion.
Do you think the reason it still has some give is becuse he might have hatcling failure syndrome becuse it used to be to dry in his enclousre among with some other problems like not being soaked and lighting poorly setup at first. Altough i heard Hatchling failure syndrom makes the shell softer and from what i can tell his shell has not gotten any softer only harder.
 

bonsai tortoise

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It’s possible. If it was kept improperly as you describe then yes but hard to diagnose without seeing it or a vet taking a look. However you said it’s getting harder so it seems you’re doing something better than the previous owner. It depends how worried you are about it. If you’re very concerned definitely take it to a vet and don’t wait. If it’s getting better but you are trying to just make sure you do your due diligence then it may be okay. It’s always a good idea to have a vet on speed dial and check ups are never a bad thing.
 

yay14

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It’s possible. If it was kept improperly as you describe then yes but hard to diagnose without seeing it or a vet taking a look. However you said it’s getting harder so it seems you’re doing something better than the previous owner. It depends how worried you are about it. If you’re very concerned definitely take it to a vet and don’t wait. If it’s getting better but you are trying to just make sure you do your due diligence then it may be okay. It’s always a good idea to have a vet on speed dial and check ups are never a bad thing.
I talked to a another member on the forum and they i described the conditions to them and they said as long as hes acting healthy and being kept properly theres nothing to worry about and the tort being a bit flexible right now is not a problem.
 

yay14

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Joined
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Messages
255
Location (City and/or State)
stockholm
It’s possible. If it was kept improperly as you describe then yes but hard to diagnose without seeing it or a vet taking a look. However you said it’s getting harder so it seems you’re doing something better than the previous owner. It depends how worried you are about it. If you’re very concerned definitely take it to a vet and don’t wait. If it’s getting better but you are trying to just make sure you do your due diligence then it may be okay. It’s always a good idea to have a vet on speed dial and check ups are never a bad thing.
A couple of months ago in novrmber i took him to the vet and he was perfectly healthy so i don't think he has any problems aven tho his shell is still a bit flexible i have done my reading and it still being flexible at this age is not a health concern from what i saw.
 

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