My tortoise’s lowepart is moving

Hello everyone, today as i was checking on my female tortoise I noticed that this part of her lower shell (sorry I don’t know what it’s called) moving

This is not my tortoise, but it’s the same part.
By moving i mean that when I press on it, it goes down a bit?
The rest of her shell is okay and not soft or anything, it’s just this part.
is it Normal to move like this?

Not sure why but are you using calcium in the diet? This is important for shell strength and welfare.

When you press on the plastron at the marked area, how does the shell feel?

Is it like a lid on a Tupperware container? It just gently goes up and down?
Or is it mushy soft, like a sponge?

Sarah2020 said:

Not sure why but are you using calcium in the diet? This is important for shell strength and welfare.

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i thought its because of calcium too.
Yes im using it once every three days or so.
I hope it's not dangerous

KarenSoCal said:

When you press on the plastron at the marked area, how does the shell feel?

Is it like a lid on a Tupperware container? It just gently goes up and down?
Or is it mushy soft, like a sponge?

Click to expand...

Thank you for the feedback
The shell feels hard and it's not mushy at all
It goes up and down softly
I tried to press my other tortoise too, it is the same.

Also after i touched, She got very angry and peed all over me and now she won't even look me in the eye.

It sounds fine to me. How old are the tortoises? If they're still young, the plastron doesn't harden for a while. I don't know what age/size that usually takes place.

Im sorry i don't how old she is. my family bought her around 6 months ago, she is a greek and she is an adult. She is dehydrated and im working on that, aside from this her shell is hard

Potato_king said:

Also after i touched, She got very angry and peed all over me and now she won't even look me in the eye.

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Does the area look normal? No weird places or deviations from the usual?

Maybe when you pressed you put pressure on the bladder?

Or she's embarrassed that she peed on you? ? ?

KarenSoCal said:

It sounds fine to me. How old are the tortoises? If they're still young, the plastron doesn't harden for a while. I don't know what age/size that usually takes place.

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Also thank for reassuring me, i was very worried about her ?

KarenSoCal said:

Does the area look normal? No weird places or deviations from the usual?

Maybe when you pressed you put pressure on the bladder?

Or she's embarrassed that she peed on you? ? ?

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???
Nope, every thing looks normal. Aside from few old cracks, the old owners fault.
She hates me very much, i know this. I gathered some flowers for her to eat. She ate them and she tried to bite me afterwards ??

Potato_king said:

???
Nope, every thing looks normal. Aside from few old cracks, the old owners fault.
She hates me very much, i know this. I gathered some flowers for her to eat. She ate them and she tried to bite me afterwards ??

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We have a member in South Florida who keeps redfoot torts. He says they hate him as well, or at least wouldn't care if they never saw him again! As long as somebody brought the food!
@ZEROPILOT

KarenSoCal said:

We have a member in South Florida who keeps redfoot torts. He says they hate him as well, or at least wouldn't care if they never saw him again! As long as somebody brought the food!
@ZEROPILOT

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I feel sorry for him, i know exactly how he feels ?

KarenSoCal said:

We have a member in South Florida who keeps redfoot torts. He says they hate him as well, or at least wouldn't care if they never saw him again! As long as somebody brought the food!
@ZEROPILOT

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Yes
I take great care of my RF group. But I spend no time trying to be friends.
I'm just the guy that brings the food...and occasionally drags one of them to the vet.

ZEROPILOT said:

Yes
I take great care of my RF group. But I spend no time trying to be friends.
I'm just the guy that brings the food...and occasionally drags one of them to the vet.

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Hello, ???
That makes two of us, but i spend hours every day trying to make them love me but somehow i get the opposite results. The female pees on me on monthly basis and bites me every day, the male ignores me and act like i don't Exist but ocacionaly he chargs at me and start ramming my feet.

Potato_king said:

Hello, ???
That makes two of us, but i spend hours every day trying to make them love me but somehow i get the opposite results. The female pees on me on monthly basis and bites me every day, the male ignores me and act like i don't Exist but ocacionaly he chargs at me and start ramming my feet.

Click to expand...

Hello @Potato_king
Female tortoises sometimes exhibit slightly movable posterior lobes of their plastra shortly before and after they lay eggs. Is there a chance your tortoise may have laid any eggs in the past couple of weeks? If not, she may be getting ready to lay some in the near future.

This mobility is caused by hormonal changes which make the seams between certain scutes more flexible and is designed to make it easier for them to pass their eggs. In some of the Spider Tortoises, the area in between the seams actually oozes blood as the tortoises lay their eggs.

If egg laying is not the cause of your tortoise's plastral flexibility, I am not sure what may be causing it.

zovick said:

Hello @Potato_king
Female tortoises sometimes exhibit slightly movable posterior lobes of their plastra shortly before and after they lay eggs. Is there a chance your tortoise may have laid any eggs in the past couple of weeks? If not, she may be getting ready to lay some in the near future.

This mobility is caused by hormonal changes which make the seams between certain scutes more flexible and is designed to make it easier for them to pass their eggs. In some of the Spider Tortoises, the area in between the seams actually oozes blood as the tortoises lay their eggs.

If egg laying is not the cause of your tortoise's plastral flexibility, I am not sure what may be causing it.

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Fascinating! Thanks for sharing

zovick said:

Hello @Potato_king
Female tortoises sometimes exhibit slightly movable posterior lobes of their plastra shortly before and after they lay eggs. Is there a chance your tortoise may have laid any eggs in the past couple of weeks? If not, she may be getting ready to lay some in the near future.

This mobility is caused by hormonal changes which make the seams between certain scutes more flexible and is designed to make it easier for them to pass their eggs. In some of the Spider Tortoises, the area in between the seams actually oozes blood as the tortoises lay their eggs.

If egg laying is not the cause of your tortoise's plastral flexibility, I am not sure what may be causing it.

Click to expand...

Wow this is absolutely amazing! Alot of great new information.
Im sure she didn't lay any eggs yet,i know where she hides and where she burys herself in and i clean it every day. I didn't see any eggs. But she could be pregnant. Lately she is hiding alot and she is being more aggressive to me.

Wow. I also thought it may have to do with egg laying. Keep a watch on her! Can we see some pictures of her and her setup?

Potato_king said:

Hello, ???
That makes two of us, but i spend hours every day trying to make them love me but somehow i get the opposite results. The female pees on me on monthly basis and bites me every day, the male ignores me and act like i don't Exist but ocacionaly he chargs at me and start ramming my feet.

Click to expand...

My Alpha female chases and bites me.
The others ignore me altogether