Do shells grow back after predator attack?!

[Cityhermanns]

After years, a predator was unfortunately able to wreak havoc, and attacked and ate both my baby elongateds. One is alive for sure, but the other hasn’t come out of its shell yet. But they both have excessive bite marks on shells; will this grow back as they grow? Or will they be as is as adults?

It’s a terrible day here in my tortoise haven….

 

[RandyTortoise]

After years, a predator was unfortunately able to wreak havoc, and attacked and ate both my baby elongateds. One is alive for sure, but the other hasn’t come out of its shell yet. But they both have excessive bite marks on shells; will this grow back as they grow? Or will they be as is as adults?

It’s a terrible day here in my tortoise haven….

I would try putting them in a warm soak with no more than an inch of water. The one in his shell may emerge this way so you can see if he is ok

 

[Yvonne G]

No, it will always be scarred, however it heals over and won't be raw.

 

[zovick]

After years, a predator was unfortunately able to wreak havoc, and attacked and ate both my baby elongateds. One is alive for sure, but the other hasn’t come out of its shell yet. But they both have excessive bite marks on shells; will this grow back as they grow? Or will they be as is as adults?

It’s a terrible day here in my tortoise haven….

That is really unfortunate. As Yvonne said, the shells can heal, but will not grow back to their original size and shape, o you will always be able to tell something bad happened to the animals.

What do you think did the damages? Do you have rats around you? That is what it looks like to me. A larger predator would most likely have caused even more damage.

Check out this Box Turtle also just recently injured. I think this damage was probably done by something larger, such as a dog: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/hurt-turtle-help.227717/#post-2195212

 

[Cityhermanns]

Not entirely sure, either large rats or a raccoon. But the enclosure had a small lock on it and covered, and is elevated from the ground so idk how a rat can open it while elevated. I had them in one of those avituvin enclosures with legs from Amazon….And the soil was all disturbed heavily.

 

[zovick]

Not entirely sure, either large rats or a raccoon. But the enclosure had a small lock on it and covered, and is elevated from the ground so idk how a rat can open it while elevated. I had them in one of those avituvin enclosures with legs from Amazon….And the soil was all disturbed heavily.

Was the lock still in place? I don't fully understand how anything got into the enclosure if it was locked. Raccoons could undo some types of locks but obviously would not put them back.

 

[COmtnLady]

At this point, what are you doing to protect against infection? There look to be quite a few puncture wounds, and you want to put something on them after a good soak to keep them from sealing up and trapping infection inside.

Are there sharp points on the chewed parts near any skin (especially neck area where the tort might lift its head and rub against the sharp spots)? Take a nail file/emery board and file off the edges that would rub/irritate the soft tissues.


Please post a pic of the enclosure (Avituvin make a lot of different models and it would be good to see your actual set-up - maybe we can figure out how it was breached).