Extra scute deformity

Anyfoot

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5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
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6,309
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UK Sheffield
Hi all.
I have 3 juvenile redfoots. All at approx 21 months old.
I gave them their monthly weigh in today.
Victor = 490g/17.3oz,
Peaches= 376g/13.3oz
Littlefoot= 225g/7.9oz.
Victor and peaches seem to be growing smooth.
Littlefoot has an extra scute. I wouldn't say she is pyramiding, but there are definitely ripples in the carapace and you can see she is way behind with size. Has anyone ever grown a smooth extra scutey tort.
I was wondering if no matter what or how an extra scutey is raised would it always have imperfections in the carapace shape.
What is the opinion why we get extra scutes, as far as I am aware, to current date we think it's from excessive incubation temps, thus extra scuteys are female. Is this true? Does anyone have a male with an extra scute?

Finally if an extra scute Tortoise is always going to show imperfections on the carapace and this is an obvious visual for us humans due to the extra scute, could this be why we sometimes, no matter what we do, get torts that are grown together but at varying smoothness, do the not so smooth torts boarder on an extra scute but not quite there, so we don't get a visual.
Hope that last one made sense. :D

Thank you
 
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