Scales come off?

[zachary_]

Hi, I'm still very new at owning a tortoise. I checked on him this morning and noticed his front leg has a section where the scales look like they have been ripped off. I'm very worried, do I need to take him to a vet?

 

[Shakudo]

Hi, I'm still very new at owning a tortoise. I checked on him this morning and noticed his front leg has a section where the scales look like they have been ripped off. I'm very worried, do I need to take him to a vet?

Hi,

No problem there is always room
to learn here. Try posting a picture. That will make it more easier for tort experts to see what it might be.
Without its hard to tell.

Joey

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Zachary, and welcome to the Forum!!

Is your tortoise in the same habitat with another tortoise? If so, that that's what happened to your tortoise's leg scales. They don't get along and fighting usually ends up with scales missing (among other injuries).

Another way a tortoise loses leg scales is having a rodent chew on his front legs. The tortoise pulls his legs in tight to protect himself and the mouse/rat chews on the legs.

While missing leg scales is not life threatening, you still have to try to learn how this happened, because the "why" just MIGHT be life threatening.