zoe_tyler
New Member
I need advice. I could easily be overreacting, but I just want the best for my tortoise
So the last couple of weeks I have noticed that my 7 month old leopard tortoise Moby has had some flaky skin. I was concerned until I read a post about this flaking to be normal for tortoises. The post further instructed that I should not pick off any flaking skin. I do not remember if I read that information on this forum or different one (I only became a member recently.)
Around the same time, I noticed he had faint greyish/black lines appearing on his shell. Additionally, a blotch of the same color appeared on his shell. I had read that white lines are a sign of overfeeding or fast growth in some tortoises, but I found information on new coloring like this (see pictured below.)
Lately, Moby has been sleeping more than usual throughout the day. He then suddenly becomes active around 10:30 pm. At first, I was a little concerned. I brushed it off as Moby being affected by an increase in my nighttime activities. I am on winter break, so I am staying up later and moving around.
Today, when I went to pick him up, I saw a small white thing crawl off of Moby's shell and onto my hand. I squashed it immediately. It seemed to be a bug or parasite of some kind. The creature was extremely small. I was mortified. I soaked him and waited to see if any other white things came off of him. After 20 minutes, the only thing in his soak bowl was fecal matter. Moby's poop was slightly greener than usual. Otherwise, the feces seemed okay.
Right now, the overall humidity is kept at 50% and the basking temperature is at 105, while the cooler side is at 70. I am currently working on raising the cooler side, but this task has been a struggle in the winter.
He eats mostly vegetables, and recently, I have gotten him to eat more grasses from my backyard. Moby used to eat grasses regularly from my garden during warmer months. Right now, the weather is dangerously cold, so I have picked grasses and clover for him to eat indoors. Could this white creature have come off of an outdoor plant...?
Also, is his shell okay? Overall, Moby seems drier. His new dark marks also concern me.
Thank you for your time. I really appreciate all advice and insight. I just want to make sure Moby is okay!
Pictures- the first two show him overall. The third shows a new black dot above the heart shape on Moby's shell that I am concerned about. The fourth shows an overall dryness on his shell. The fifth picture shows the new lines along the shell that also concern me.
So the last couple of weeks I have noticed that my 7 month old leopard tortoise Moby has had some flaky skin. I was concerned until I read a post about this flaking to be normal for tortoises. The post further instructed that I should not pick off any flaking skin. I do not remember if I read that information on this forum or different one (I only became a member recently.)
Around the same time, I noticed he had faint greyish/black lines appearing on his shell. Additionally, a blotch of the same color appeared on his shell. I had read that white lines are a sign of overfeeding or fast growth in some tortoises, but I found information on new coloring like this (see pictured below.)
Lately, Moby has been sleeping more than usual throughout the day. He then suddenly becomes active around 10:30 pm. At first, I was a little concerned. I brushed it off as Moby being affected by an increase in my nighttime activities. I am on winter break, so I am staying up later and moving around.
Today, when I went to pick him up, I saw a small white thing crawl off of Moby's shell and onto my hand. I squashed it immediately. It seemed to be a bug or parasite of some kind. The creature was extremely small. I was mortified. I soaked him and waited to see if any other white things came off of him. After 20 minutes, the only thing in his soak bowl was fecal matter. Moby's poop was slightly greener than usual. Otherwise, the feces seemed okay.
Right now, the overall humidity is kept at 50% and the basking temperature is at 105, while the cooler side is at 70. I am currently working on raising the cooler side, but this task has been a struggle in the winter.
He eats mostly vegetables, and recently, I have gotten him to eat more grasses from my backyard. Moby used to eat grasses regularly from my garden during warmer months. Right now, the weather is dangerously cold, so I have picked grasses and clover for him to eat indoors. Could this white creature have come off of an outdoor plant...?
Also, is his shell okay? Overall, Moby seems drier. His new dark marks also concern me.
Thank you for your time. I really appreciate all advice and insight. I just want to make sure Moby is okay!
Pictures- the first two show him overall. The third shows a new black dot above the heart shape on Moby's shell that I am concerned about. The fourth shows an overall dryness on his shell. The fifth picture shows the new lines along the shell that also concern me.