Help! Something wrong with shell?

[JoshGoldberg]

my Russian tortoise has been living outside for the past couple of weeks, he has a burrow and food and every couple of days I will soak him, but his shell seems very dry?! Is that what it is or is it something else?

 

[JoshGoldberg]

I know he is very dry as of recently and I will be soaking him every day from now on but what is wrong with his shell?

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

Do you mean the peeling of the shell?

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Do you mean the peeling of the shell?

Yes

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Do you mean the peeling of the shell?

His shell has never peeled before, his neck peels but I've never noticed his shell

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

looks like injuries from something. Could be something that bumped or scratched his shell. whats in the outdoor enclosure?
Maybe @Yvonne G will have some thoughts on this.
My russians are wild caught and one of them has little scratches and "peeled" off parts on his shell also. me & the vet are thinking small injuries from living in the wild.

 

[Tom]

This sort of thing is common in wild caught tortoises. Nothing to do about it. In time it usually heals from the inside out. Is the tortoise burrowing in rocky soil, or is his burrow made of something hard or abrasive like bricks?

 

[JoshGoldberg]

This sort of thing is common in wild caught tortoises. Nothing to do about it. In time it usually heals from the inside out. Is the tortoise burrowing in rocky soil, or is his burrow made of something hard or abrasive like bricks?

Umm, the soil ain't too rocky, howver his burrow is held up by bricks

 

[Tom]

Umm, the soil ain't too rocky, howver his burrow is held up by bricks

Check to make sure his shell isn't rubbing on the bricks.

 

[CharlesDarwin2.0]

I have nothing to add to this thread other than mentioning the fact that OP and I have our Russians doing almost the same pose in our avatars

 

[GingerLove]

Tortoises shells don't usually peel. It looks like he bashed his shell against something. Could be the bricks you mentioned?