Help! What to do for my Sulcata broken shell scute?

[Jenna524]

Recently I noticed a place on top of my Sulcata’s (Toki’s) shell that looks like it got broken off. I can’t remember anything happening to him that would cause this. Is this something that will spread? What can I do to help him?

This is a picture from Jan. 16, 2023 when I first saw the broken scute.



This is a picture on Dec. 26, 2023–it is not broken.


Another picture from June 4, 2023–no broken scute.

 

[Yvonne G]

Looks like he's scraping the tops off of all those front scutes. Is he tunneling under cement or extra hard dirt? All that needs to be done is stop him from trying to squeeze into that tight space. No first aid is required.

 

[Jenna524]

Looks like he's scraping the tops off of all those front scutes. Is he tunneling under cement or extra hard dirt? All that needs to be done is stop him from trying to squeeze into that tight space. No first aid is reuired.

Thank you for your observation. I’ll go out and see what he could be bumping into. Could a rose bush cause that?

 

[Jenna524]

Recently I noticed a place on top of my Sulcata’s (Toki’s) shell that looks like it got broken off. I can’t remember anything happening to him that would cause this. Is this something that will spread? What can I do to help him?

This is a picture from Jan. 16, 2023 when I first saw the broken scute.
View attachment 366029


This is a picture on Dec. 26, 2023–it is not broken.
View attachment 366030

Another picture from June 4, 2023–no broken scute.
View attachment 366031

Edit: the date was Jan. 16, 2024

 

[wellington]

Thank you for your observation. I’ll go out and see what he could be bumping into. Could a rose bush cause that?

Most of the time when they go under a branch or something that touches their backs, they will rock forward and backward or side to side like they are trying to get it off them or like they are scratching themselves on it. So if the rose bush is pretty thick and sturdy, it's possible it could do be rubbing on it hard enough to do it.