DonnyP0815

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Joined
Aug 19, 2021
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2
Location (City and/or State)
Columbus
Hey all new to this site. I got a Russian tortoise from a reptile store. Unfortunately it wasn’t the best environment and he/she looks like it’s shell was damaged. But wanted to see if anyone on here would know how it grew like this or how to fix, with time of course. Any ideas image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg
 

zovick

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10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
3,388
Hey all new to this site. I got a Russian tortoise from a reptile store. Unfortunately it wasn’t the best environment and he/she looks like it’s shell was damaged. But wanted to see if anyone on here would know how it grew like this or how to fix, with time of course. Any ideas View attachment 331241View attachment 331240View attachment 331242
The shell looks very normal for a small Russian Tortoise. The only thing I see wrong is that it is dry. Soak the tortoise daily for 15-20 minutes in lukewarm water to keep it hydrated. This will help. Also do not use a mercury vapor bulb as it will tend to dry the shell more than it already is.

You could put the tortoise in a container with shallow lukewarm water (about 1" deep) and brush the shell off to clean it with a wet toothbrush. Then rinse the tortoise with clean lukewarm water. After it has dried, you can put a light coat of mineral oil or glycerin on the shell to make it look better and keep it from drying out as much. Note that this is an optional step.
 

DonnyP0815

New Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2021
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Columbus
The shell looks very normal for a small Russian Tortoise. The only thing I see wrong is that it is dry. Soak the tortoise daily for 15-20 minutes in lukewarm water to keep it hydrated. This will help. Also do not use a mercury vapor bulb as it will tend to dry the shell more than it already is.

You could put the tortoise in a container with shallow lukewarm water (about 1" deep) and brush the shell off to clean it with a wet toothbrush. Then rinse the tortoise with clean lukewarm water. After it has dried, you can put a light coat of mineral oil or glycerin on the shell to make it look better and keep it from drying out as much. Note that this is an optional step.
Thank you!
 

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