does it affect red-foots a lot

I know this is an older thread, but that's got to be the best thread I have ever seen, so informative and a very in-depth and educational piece.

Thank you, I have always wondered about the under shell and forming and you just taught me a little more, thank you

Help needed with pyramided shell damage
 

Hi, I am so pleased you posted these pictures - I recognised my adult female has that honeycomb look on the broken part of her shell. I have only recently adopted her and she is looking a lot better in general (bleeding sores repaired) but I am still having trouble with this area of broken shell. There is no smell, it's dry but the top surface still keeps flaking away in tiny tiny pieces just around the break. It looks just like your picture does with the rough edge. Any suggestions on how to stop this flaking or will it improve by itself. Many thanks for any help.
Jem

Danny, On the new male horsfield i rehomed, i have notived dark zig- zaggy lines just like this showing through the shell, and remebered back to reading this tread. He doesnt have the best shell in the world, and i was wondering if you have ever seen the lines through the outer shell before and know if its a bad thing or not??

Thanks
Jemma

Not bad per se, it just means the scute is very thin if the bone sutures are showing through.

Danny

Oh, thanks dan.. as long as its not bad! here is a pic, not very clear, but shows you the idea! Its right in the middle where it shows the most.

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...9/IMG_4532.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/...IMG_4533-1.jpg

I see :D With some sun time the scute will darken up and be dark yellow as opposed to almost white. Than you won't be able to see the seams.

Danny

ah okay.. never knew that! Thanks Dan :)

So could a hide have spagnum moss in it dampend down to help stop the pyramiding in hatchlings and juveniles???

Mike

Ages ago i read an article in the BCG journal Testudo, if memory serves me correctly they said it was due to over feeding or maybe too much protien causeing a buildup of keratin? Probably talking out my cloaca , but for what its worth all my young Tortoises about 20 years back had it to some extent, ive noticed females often arnt that smooth in wild caught specimens or maybe its a secondary sex characteristic?

My babies had a vitamin mineral suppliment and were fed on lettice tomatoes etc and of course i know now thats wrong , but info at the time was sparce, they lived in an old fish tank which again is wrong , best they had for UV was a growlux bulb and a incandescent bulb for light and heat ..its amazing they ever lived TBH .

This time i want to do it better and right as the knowledge is out there, well here actualy.Thanks to all of you. I dont get the humidity thing , mine were not in high humidity.


Maybe i should have read the article first..i see where the guy is comming from....Hmmmm as i read it havign a damp high humidity night time bed does the trick and dry outside enviroment? Hmmm might give that a go, mine were not bad but certainly not normal..