Extra scute

[bikerchicspain]

My female russian Pumpkin has an extra vertebral scute, Has anyone else got a tort with an extra scute.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Supposedly this happens due to excessively high incubation temperatures in the eggs - not hot enough to kill the embryo, but hot enough cause minor developmental problems. I did see one other picture here on TFO recently of a redfoot with an extra carapacial scute as well.

 

[Kristina]

I've seen clutches that were hatched out naturally, in the ground, where one individual in the entire clutch would have a split scute but none of the others.

Cherryhead with extra scute

Greek with extra scutes

 

[stells]

I've got some with extra... and one with not enough...

Can be to high incubation... but apparently can also be genetic...

 

[68merc]

My female has a extra/split scute.

 

[dmarcus]

I have only seen it in pics..

 

[Tortoise]

Hi
I may be getting 2 baby Hermanns and I would love to sex them somehow-a friend says she can do it by counting tail scales , however the breeder said that one of the babies available has an extra scute and should probably be female-is this a common occurrance for a female?
I don't expect it is detrimental to the tortoise in any way other than a cosmetic flaw?

Any comments appreciated
Thanks
Louise

 

[68merc]

Im not the expert but I've read many times that split scutes happen more with females than males. And its cosmetic, some people even look for the defect!

 

[bikerchicspain]

It is more common in female, but no way should you rely upon that for sexing..

 

[Fernando]

oh I totally missed this thread. Interesting!

 

[Tortoise]

I think I'll use it for sexing the babies in hope for a female purely because I have no other way to do it. There are no guarantees but I will take me chances on the extra scute baby.
I'll let you know if she turns out to be a girl (in the future)
It looks like the majority at least are female in many species.

I don't mind different as long as it is a healthy different
Thanks

 

[Nay]

Here is my little Nougat, currently residing with Exoticsdr.
She was sexed as female....

 

[goodsmeagol]

I have a female Russian with a very small extra scute on her rear center.