I've noticed some of my bale have four claws and some have five some have four on the left and five on the right...anybody know why, or is this just natural variation?
Front Claws
- Thread starter Raymo2477
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- Aug 22, 2013
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There should be five claws showing on the front legs, and four on the hind legs. But yeah, there's quite a bit of variation. About one third of my tortoises has only four claws on one of the front legs. There are also a few with only four claws on both front legs, but that appears to be much rarer. And finally, some Hermann's tortoises have five claws on the hind legs, which is rarer still.
The claw that is missing on the front legs is normally the "thumb". Sometimes it appears to be missing on hatchlings but grows out later.
Here's a photo I took of a hatchling's limb that has a normal configuration:
Anyway, just my observations, I don't know why it happens either.
The claw that is missing on the front legs is normally the "thumb". Sometimes it appears to be missing on hatchlings but grows out later.
Here's a photo I took of a hatchling's limb that has a normal configuration:
Anyway, just my observations, I don't know why it happens either.
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