Shell abnormality

[Picbush]

Hi,
I have had my RT for 6mos now and when I got her she was all dry and lethargic. She now is eating great, lots of clover,dandolion,kale and some sedum. She gets a soak once a week but her shell has some ridges I would say near her rear. Can this be reversed as she grows? Is it a sign of injury? Thanks in advance

 

[wellington]

If you are talking About the light ring that is growing around her, that's new growth. If that's not what your talking about and it's the other ridges I kinda think you might be talking about, it may be just some shedding of the dryer layer she had going on.

 

[Picbush]

The bottom scute has a raised pointy part. Maybe it will shed off. Doesnt seem to bother her. I was curiou

 

[Picbush]

It is just above her tail

 

[Pearly]

Does she spend a lot of time basking? How high are your lamps hanging from the top of her shell?

 

[Picbush]

As we are in 8ndiana she is only outside when temps allow. She has a 150 uvb light but when I got her she was in an aquarium with nothing!

 

[Pearly]

The reason I asked was the first impression I got by looking at the pictures. I very well maybe wrong but to my eye it looks like a carapace synched by the lamp. How long have you kept her under this 150 uvb lamp? And when you say 150 do you mean 150 watts?

 

[Picbush]

Yes maybe watts. It is a Repti sun with uvb. She is in a toroise table 4 x 8 so she can move closer or away. None of the shell issues are new. Just some places are almost a 3 D build up or scab. Some places are indented. I hope to give her the best. Once the temps are consistantly over 70 she will move to an 8 x 8 outdoor pen.

 

[Yvonne G]

What I'm seeing is old, dry areas where she hadn't been taken care of as well as she is now. Nothing to worry about.

 

[Pearly]

What I'm seeing is old, dry areas where she hadn't been taken care of as well as she is now. Nothing to worry about.

I think so too bcs the new growth looks nice and healthy.

 

[Markw84]

It does look like the carapace has been desiccated by too much direct IR exposure perhaps? The new growth coming in looks much better, but the older parts of the scutes have the keratin looking damaged by heat and probably dehydration. Not much you can do about the old damage. As @Yvonne G says, nothing really bad to worry about. If it were mine, I would actually use a Cold Pressed Coconut Oil and apply on the shell just to help rehydrate and recondition the damaged keratin. Most people seem to think it is purely cosmetic, but I am coming to believe there is value in helping keratin retain moisture. It certainly won't hurt!

Also, if you've had the Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) for 6 months now, even it you bought it new, and didn't inherit it with the tortoise, it could well be putting out less UVB now than necessary. No way to tell without a UV meter, but normally they need to be replaced in 6-9 months. MVB's put out a lot of UVB when new, as well as a lot of heat, and IR. That is what I don't like about them. Even without the overheating of an enclosed chamber, I feel they just put out too much near-IR (that is the infrared light that we feel as heat, but is very close in wavelength to visible red light. It is much more damaging close up than longer wavelength IR that a CHE emits) So your MVB may no longer be putting out adequate UVB, but still putting out plenty of visible light and even more near-IR.

If you need to replace, I like the combination of a fluorescent tube UVB light with a smaller wattage incandescent flood bulb for the basking area. The lower wattage of the incandescent will allow less overall near-IR.

 

[Picbush]

It does look like the carapace has been desiccated by too much direct IR exposure perhaps? The new growth coming in looks much better, but the older parts of the scutes have the keratin looking damaged by heat and probably dehydration. Not much you can do about the old damage. As @Yvonne G says, nothing really bad to worry about. If it were mine, I would actually use a Cold Pressed Coconut Oil and apply on the shell just to help rehydrate and recondition the damaged keratin. Most people seem to think it is purely cosmetic, but I am coming to believe there is value in helping keratin retain moisture. It certainly won't hurt!

Also, if you've had the Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) for 6 months now, even it you bought it new, and didn't inherit it with the tortoise, it could well be putting out less UVB now than necessary. No way to tell without a UV meter, but normally they need to be replaced in 6-9 months. MVB's put out a lot of UVB when new, as well as a lot of heat, and IR. That is what I don't like about them. Even without the overheating of an enclosed chamber, I feel they just put out too much near-IR (that is the infrared light that we feel as heat, but is very close in wavelength to visible red light. It is much more damaging close up than longer wavelength IR that a CHE emits) So your MVB may no longer be putting out adequate UVB, but still putting out plenty of visible light and even more near-IR.

If you need to replace, I like the combination of a fluorescent tube UVB light with a smaller wattage incandescent flood bulb for the basking area. The lower wattage of the incandescent will allow less overall near-IR.

 

[Picbush]

Thank you so much. That makes sense on the lighting. I got the bigger one since it is open air and I didnt want her to ne too cold. This is her second bulb and I hope to move her outside permantly soon but when I bring her back in I will try that set up. I also will try the coconut oil.

 

[WithLisa]

Whatever caused the damage, the scutes are growing extremely unsymmetrically now.
In this case I would also try the coconut oil, can't get any worse.

 

[Pearly]

Whatever caused the damage, the scutes are growing extremely unsymmetrically now.
In this case I would also try the coconut oil, can't get any worse.

It's bcs it's a living growing tissue and once scarred, just as soft flesh scars, it pulls in, shrinking, losing elasticity. I LOVE the coconut Oil!!!! I use it on mine every once a week after a bath or whenever i see their shells or scales or skin beginning to look dry. I just gently rub it in and over time the torts learn to enjoy it, stop freaking out and just chill. This also gives me a chance to thoroughly examine every inch of their body, check for injuries, insect bites, parasites or infections. With your tortie I'd dry her off right after soaking and liberally apply coco oil starting from the carapace, and rub the whole thing down in circular motion (small circles) to get as much oil as possible in those cracks and crevices. There have been discussions of possible interference with UVB absorption.... but I don't think I'd worry about it at this point. Again, mine is a completely amateur opinion