Does anyone happen to have a scute on hand? One that has fallen off, whether from damage or taken from a dead tortoise. I’m interested in seeing how the growth looks from the bottom where we don’t usually get to see it, and the thickness of it. Is it the same thickness all the way through, or is it thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges, where the newer growth is? I expect it wouldn’t look all that different from the top we usually see, but it would be cool to see regardless.
It would also be cool to see scutes from multiple species, like a Russian vs a sulcata.
Also, has anyone seen detached scutes from a moderately to severely pyramided tortoise, or the remaining bone underneath? It’s like every detached scute I see is from a completely smooth tortoise. I’m curious about how each would look. I know that in @Markw84’s post, “The CAUSE of Pyramiding,” Yvonne posted images of tortoise X-rays that show the bone of the shell morphed and a thin layer of keratin on top with the same profile, so I can definitely imagine what it would look like, but it would be really interesting to see with more dimension than an X-ray shows.
Thanks!
It would also be cool to see scutes from multiple species, like a Russian vs a sulcata.
Also, has anyone seen detached scutes from a moderately to severely pyramided tortoise, or the remaining bone underneath? It’s like every detached scute I see is from a completely smooth tortoise. I’m curious about how each would look. I know that in @Markw84’s post, “The CAUSE of Pyramiding,” Yvonne posted images of tortoise X-rays that show the bone of the shell morphed and a thin layer of keratin on top with the same profile, so I can definitely imagine what it would look like, but it would be really interesting to see with more dimension than an X-ray shows.
Thanks!
