plastron on a baby

[Mrturtle527]

How long will this area stay soft on a hatchling? Mine is about a month old and pretty flexible/soft. How much ad how often should I be giving it calcium supplements and should it be with or without d3? I want to ensure I am taking the best possible care of my little guy and this really concerns me.

 

[JoesMum]

I have no experience of hatchlings, but I gather it takes several months for the plastron to straighten and harden properly.

Please understand that no amount of calcium supplement will be effective without proper UVB. Your tort uses UVB to make vitamin D3, just like humans do, and it is vitamin D3 that is essential for it to use the calcium to make its bones and shell strong.

 

[Mrturtle527]

I have a UVB tube light on for 12 hours a day and do take him outside for an hour or so most days of the week. So should this be sufficient you think?

 

[ascott]

Yes

 

[kanalomele]

Yes that should be sufficient amounts of UV. The plastron can be "flexable" for a few months. Keep in mind that it should not be "squishy" but a bit of flex is normal. They are growing so fast in the first few months that they need to maintain some of that flexability. If they get to hard to quickly it would interfere with their growth pattern. Brittle shell tissue is not growing evenly. It also takes awhile for the outer layers of shell to fully cornify. The outer layer of shell is cornified Keratin. This process of (cornification) hardening will take a few months. Suppliment with a non vitamin D3 calcium and keep getting it outside in the sun. It will have everything it needs to grow healthy and strong.

 

[Mrturtle527]

Great thanks! I guess it is sort of like the soft spots on a baby then yes????

 

[JoesMum]

Great thanks! I guess it is sort of like the soft spots on a baby then yes????

Sort of. A baby tort is curled up in the egg. When it hatches, it has to be soft to uncurl and then hardens off once it is straight.

A baby's head is soft and quite pliable to fit through Mum's pelvis.

 

[Mrturtle527]

Yes same concept different births . Thanks all!!!


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