Is this shell rot or a fungal infection?

donatd

New Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2020
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Cleveland, OH
I previously made a post regarding a redfoot tortoise I found in my backyard a couple days ago and am now taking care of. I noticed some white areas on his shell when I first saw him and recently tried to scrub it off with a toothbrush which did not help. I also tried white vinegar on the spots which didn't fizz meaning that it is not due to hard water deposits. I'm trying to figure out what treatments to do on him in order to help fix this but I am unsure if it is shell rot or a fungal infection. It very slightly disappears when his shell is wet but comes back when he is dry. I'm not really sure if it has been worsening or spreading, but I think it may have.

If anyone has any idea what this may be, please let me know. I would like to buy the correct things in order to get him better. Thank you!20200808_164618.jpg
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
It's not fungal.
It looks like a scrape or some sort of a superficial transfer of some sort.
My first thought is that he must've crawled under something.
Or something dripped down on him from above.
Bird poop? Paint?
Whatever it is....It's NOT anything to be worried about.
He's nice looking.
 
Last edited:

zovick

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
3,388
I previously made a post regarding a redfoot tortoise I found in my backyard a couple days ago and am now taking care of. I noticed some white areas on his shell when I first saw him and recently tried to scrub it off with a toothbrush which did not help. I also tried white vinegar on the spots which didn't fizz meaning that it is not due to hard water deposits. I'm trying to figure out what treatments to do on him in order to help fix this but I am unsure if it is shell rot or a fungal infection. It very slightly disappears when his shell is wet but comes back when he is dry. I'm not really sure if it has been worsening or spreading, but I think it may have.

If anyone has any idea what this may be, please let me know. I would like to buy the correct things in order to get him better. Thank you!View attachment 302779
As others have said above, these spots are definitely not shell rot or any other type of fungal infection. To me it almost looks like paint or some other foreign substance got on the shell somehow. In cases like this, I have sometimes been able to very carefully remove the spots by scraping them off with the sharp end of a sewing needle or the tip of a pen knife blade. You can also get a wire bristle brush the size of a toothbrush and work on those areas very gently with that. If you do any of the above, though, be very careful not to get into the seams between the scutes where the new growth occurs as you might cause them to bleed.
 

donatd

New Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2020
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Cleveland, OH
It's not fungal.
It looks like a scrape or some sort of a superficial transfer of some sort.
My first thought is that he must've crawled under something.
Or something dripped down on him from above.
Bird poop? Paint?
Whatever it is....It's NOT anything to be worried about.
He's nice looking.
Ah that definitely makes me feel a lot better, thank you very much!!
 

donatd

New Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2020
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Cleveland, OH
As others have said above, these spots are definitely not shell rot or any other type of fungal infection. To me it almost looks like paint or some other foreign substance got on the shell somehow. In cases like this, I have sometimes been able to very carefully remove the spots by scraping them off with the sharp end of a sewing needle or the tip of a pen knife blade. You can also get a wire bristle brush the size of a toothbrush and work on those areas very gently with that. If you do any of the above, though, be very careful not to get into the seams between the scutes where the new growth occurs as you might cause them to bleed.
I'll be sure to try that thank you so much for the help! Do you possibly know how to differentiate a fungal infection and shell rot? I would like to be prepared in the future if anything occurs with this little guy.
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
Think of shell rot as a very advanced case of shell fungus.
Shell fungus is treated with an anti fungal cream. Most of us use simple ATHLETES foot cream. Fungus represents as a few light colored spots or areas on the plastron with the consistency of a pencil eraser or wax.
Actual shell rot involves crumbling shell, missing areas, stinky smells and liquid leaking. This must be treated with antibiotics and a trip to the veterinarian for removal of the dead material.
Shell fungus is not shell rot.
 

donatd

New Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2020
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Cleveland, OH
Think of shell rot as a very advanced case of shell fungus.
Shell fungus is treated with an anti fungal cream. Most of us use simple ATHLETES foot cream. Fungus represents as a few light colored spots or areas on the plastron with the consistency of a pencil eraser or wax.
Actual shell rot involves crumbling shell, missing areas, stinky smells and liquid leaking. This must be treated with antibiotics and a trip to the veterinarian for removal of the dead material.
Shell fungus is not shell rot.
While gently scraping some of the white stuff on his shell off, I noticed some sticky, "wax consistency" stuff as well! I will be getting Athletes foot cream today for those areas. Thank you very much!!
 

Toddrickfl1

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
7,103
Location (City and/or State)
Ga
It actually kind of looks like paint, or even some kind of dried caulk. Maybe the tortoise walked thru a construction site before you found it ?
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
While gently scraping some of the white stuff on his shell off, I noticed some sticky, "wax consistency" stuff as well! I will be getting Athletes foot cream today for those areas. Thank you very much!!
Athletes foot cream does no harm if it's applied to an area it isn't needed.
So, when in doubt, use it.
However, fungus as we know it seldom grows on the carapace of the shell like that.
I feel 100% confident that it's something else
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I'm going a different way from previous suggestions - that is the remnants of where someone painted something, his name? You can definitely see the remnants of a 'P'.
I've been 'into' turtles and tortoises for over fifty years and I don't remember ever seeing shell rot or fungus on the carapace. It's from sitting in wet or urine and feces soaked substrate, so you see it on the plastron, not the carapace.
 
Top