Has anyone here ever seen a redfoot shell colored like this?

[jackrat]

This redfoot was hatched approximatly one month agne of the other clutchmates has some of this tan color,but not to this extent.The other two are normal.It was colored like this when he came out of the shell.I've studied it in depth,and it's simply the shell pigment.They are healthy and eating well,nothing else odd about them.Was just wondering if anyone else has seen this.

 

[Fernando]

I wouldn't have any clue.

But I think that would have looked cool if it covered the whole shell.

 

[terryo]

I would e-mail Carl. If anyone would know it would be him, or maybe Allegra.

 

[allegraf]

This is the same thing just on a larger scale as this previous post.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Normal-Shell-Color#axzz1I6u2lWpf

Here was cdmay's explanation:

The white stuff on the scutes could be one of two things:
A) Residual fluid from the egg that has dried on the shell and this happens all the time. It will wash off in time.
or, B) Sometimes the hatchling pips the egg a little prematurely and air gets to the hatchling before the shell has completely hardened off. What then happens is that portions of the shell dry out and shrivels a tiny bit leaving those white areas. But all of the new growth that the tortoise lays down in the future will be normal looking. The affected places will look that way until the tortoise eventually wears it down. In NO WAY does it harm the animal and by the time the little guy in the photo is half grown you will not even be able to see these places.

Hope that helps.

Allegra

 

[cdmay]

Jackrat...that is a classic example of what I was trying to describe in the thread about the 'normal colored redfoot'. Here is what I wrote there---

RE: Normal Shell Color
Perfectly normal shell color.
The white stuff on the scutes could be one of two things:
A) Residual fluid from the egg that has dried on the shell and this happens all the time. It will wash off in time.
or, B) Sometimes the hatchling pips the egg a little prematurely and air gets to the hatchling before the shell has completely hardened off. What then happens is that portions of the shell dry out and shrivels a tiny bit leaving those white areas. But all of the new growth that the tortoise lays down in the future will be normal looking. The affected places will look that way until the tortoise eventually wears it down. In NO WAY does it harm the animal and by the time the little guy in the photo is half grown you will not even be able to see these places.
It is possible that it is some form of shell fungus but I doubt it.

As you can see from your photos, all of the new growth that has been produced after hatching is completely normal and will continue that way.

 

[jackrat]

They pipped at 105 days in about 97% humidity.I've taken swabs and looked under the microscope.No fungus that I could find.Of the 3 that pipped together,one has a little of this color and the other is normal.Thanks Carl.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

He looks good.

 

[matt41gb]

The first thing that screamed at me is a fungal infection. I supposed it could just be drying of the shell, or residual fluid like Carl said, but I'd keep a close eye on it Jeff. That's really interesting looking. You can always have it cultured in a dermatophyte test medium (DTM). It wouldn't hurt to have that going while you try to figure out exactly what it is. It will take a couple of weeks to grow on the medium. We do a lot of that at work on dogs and cats. Also if you have a black light, some fungi actually will flouresce under a black light.

-Matt