3D printed shell

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

This is an interesting photo I stumbled up on on Pinterest. It shows a pyramided tortoise fitted with a prosthetic shell to somehow protect the existing one.

http://9gag.com/gag/aD3nQrK?ref=mobile | Tortoises, Herbivorous animals, Tortoise

Aug 8, 2024 - This Pin was discovered by Eva - Marie. Discover (and save!) your own Pins on Pinterest

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I have so many questions...

 

[RandyTortoise]

This is weird. It says she had holes in her existing shell and had risk for infection. Looks like an interesting solution, but pyramiding does want lead to holes and infection in the shell and she is too young to have “worn off” any of her shell from decades of use.
Looks cool, but this tortoise has a weird history not explained.
This might be a good solution to help repair a tortoise that has a damaged shell after being hit by a car or something.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

This is weird. It says she had holes in her existing shell and had risk for infection. Looks like an interesting solution, but pyramiding does want lead to holes and infection in the shell and she is too young to have “worn off” any of her shell from decades of use.
Looks cool, but this tortoise has a weird history not explained.
This might be a good solution to help repair a tortoise that has a damaged shell after being hit by a car or something.

Yeah, I thought it was weird and definitely something I haven't seen before.

 

[COmtnLady]

I was hoping it was going to be something similar to the invisible braces for teeth and he was improving the deformed shell's physical shape. It could help with the one tortoise with horrible MBD that EppsDynasty is rehabbing on a recent video... or Bubbles, at Garden State Tort Rescue, that you could see the shell flex as it breathed.

I agree, this could be good for dog-chewed, stepped on, car injuries, and other serious shell damage, to form and protect until its healed.

 

[wellington]

I don't see how that's can be healthy to cover the whole shell like that, blocking uvb. Something like that to just protect a small area would be fine, or like Randy tortoise mentioned, a hit by car and severely damaged whole shell.
If they remove it to get uvb then I guess it would be okay as long as it doesn't interfere with growth.

 

[wellington]

@Markw84 @Tom, what do you think?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I don't see how that's can be healthy to cover the whole shell like that, blocking uvb. Something like that to just protect a small area would be fine, or like Randy tortoise mentioned, a hit by car and severely damaged whole shell.
If they remove it to get uvb then I guess it would be okay as long as it doesn't interfere with growth.

On top of blocking UVB, I wonder if it hinders temperature regulation and basking.

 

[jaizei]

When a man has a hammer, every problem looks like a nail

I don't think it accomplishes anything they set out for. If the damaged shell is a "wound", the cover is not breathable. Seems like the cover would increase bacteria buildup.

I don't recall anything showing that the shell involved with vitamin d3 synthesis, and I think it's unlikely.

 

[wellington]

On top of blocking UVB, I wonder if it hinders temperature regulation and basking.

I think it hinders a lot of things.

 

[Yvonne G]

We're not seeing the total shell, but what I can see of it doesn't show the 'holes' they're talking about. Even if there are holes wouldn't it be easier and better to just figure a way to cover the holes and not the whole carapace?