Is my tortoise's shell ok?

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HelloBella

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I've had Bella for about two months now - love her to pieces. Before her my only other experience was with a spur-thigh. She had a lovely smooth shell and very uniform scutes, though she was much older and had lived outside all her life (I guess this might have weathered her shell smoother?). Anyway, Bells seems a bit lumpy bumpy and more higgledy-piggledy than Lulah was. She seems happy and healthy in herself, I'm not worried for her at all, I'm just curious as to whether her shell is the norm for Russians?

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/attachment.php?aid=36642
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/attachment.php?aid=36644
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/attachment.php?aid=36643


It's not too clear on the photos, but she's certainly not domed. Her sides to her rear are slightly in-dented. Not so much that it looks like an obvious deformity, but it's not domed as I've heard Russians described.
 

wellington

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I'm not real familiar with Russians. However she was probably wild caught and they may explain the ruff looking shell. The sloping in the back you mentioned could be due to the starting of some MBD or it could be a common trait of WC. Kinda just throwing some ideas here. Someone with much more knowledge of them then me should be on soon. I think she looks fine though.
 
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