Can experienced owners have a look at my new tort photos please

markbigears · 01-11-2015, 08:56 PM

Hi all, hope you all survived Halloween ok!
As you may, or may not have read on here, my wife bought a hermanns tort for our son for Christmas a few weeks ago. (From possibly the worst pet shop in Kent as I've since read on a reptileforums.co.uk) Having now read up as much as I could and signing up to this fantastic site, I now have another more pressing question.
"Munster" is still at the pet shop, and will be until Christams Eve. Having visited him today and taken a few shots of him, I can see something is not quite right with shell scute. (The back one, looks very small)
Would you tortoise experts have a look at the photos and give me your opinion.
I'm a bit stressed out at the moment, I hope you can help. Mark

alley cat · 02-11-2015, 12:07 AM

In my opinion there is nothing wrong with his shell, some torts have slight oddities such as this in fact some people really like them, it should not affect the health of the tort at all in fact that torts shell looks nicely grown

Gordon · 02-11-2015, 07:22 AM

Nothing to worry about just a scute that has grown a bit smaller than the others some call it a split scute.
I'm sure he will be glad to get off the wood chips and onto something like soil or coco coir he will be able to walk better then.

sandy · 02-11-2015, 09:13 AM

Its just an extra scute or a split one.
Make sure you get paperwork with this tortoise, as its illegal to sell without:0)
And if you dont get the paperwork it makes it much harder if you want to eventually breed or sell on.

CherryBrandy · 02-11-2015, 12:12 PM

MarkBE - Munster is looking good ! what a lovely present - lifetime pressie too ! CB

markbigears · 02-11-2015, 12:21 PM

Thank you so much alley cat, Gordon, Sandy and CherryBrandy for replying. Really appreciate your expert advice and put my mind at rest. I just got worried that it might be a health / environment problem. Sandy, Pet shop owner says he has papers, I just havent seen them yet, says he would be in trouble selling without them. He's a great character, on the move the whole time and when i put my finger to the glass he runs over like a dog. He may be my sons, but i'm in love with the little guy! Just can't wait to get him home.

Gordon · 02-11-2015, 01:50 PM

So it's going to be like all the other animals we buy for our kids they think it's for them but really its not.

markbigears · 02-11-2015, 03:04 PM

too true Gordon!

01-11-2015, 08:56 PM	#1
markbigears Member Incubating Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Kent Posts: 222	Can experienced owners have a look at my new tort photos please Hi all, hope you all survived Halloween ok! As you may, or may not have read on here, my wife bought a hermanns tort for our son for Christmas a few weeks ago. (From possibly the worst pet shop in Kent as I've since read on a reptileforums.co.uk) Having now read up as much as I could and signing up to this fantastic site, I now have another more pressing question. "Munster" is still at the pet shop, and will be until Christams Eve. Having visited him today and taken a few shots of him, I can see something is not quite right with shell scute. (The back one, looks very small) Would you tortoise experts have a look at the photos and give me your opinion. I'm a bit stressed out at the moment, I hope you can help. Mark Last edited by markbigears; 01-11-2015 at 11:39 PM.

02-11-2015, 09:13 AM	#4
sandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 12,146	Its just an extra scute or a split one. Make sure you get paperwork with this tortoise, as its illegal to sell without:0) And if you dont get the paperwork it makes it much harder if you want to eventually breed or sell on. __________________ < > 60+, keeping ibera, graeca and box turtles \0/ /_\ http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/tortoisefriends

02-11-2015, 12:12 PM	#5
CherryBrandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SE England Posts: 4,262	MarkBE - Munster is looking good ! what a lovely present - lifetime pressie too ! CB __________________ Horsfields, Spur Thighed, & Marginata

02-11-2015, 12:21 PM	#6
markbigears Member Incubating Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Kent Posts: 222	Thank you so much alley cat, Gordon, Sandy and CherryBrandy for replying. Really appreciate your expert advice and put my mind at rest. I just got worried that it might be a health / environment problem. Sandy, Pet shop owner says he has papers, I just havent seen them yet, says he would be in trouble selling without them. He's a great character, on the move the whole time and when i put my finger to the glass he runs over like a dog. He may be my sons, but i'm in love with the little guy! Just can't wait to get him home. Last edited by markbigears; 02-11-2015 at 12:26 PM.

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02-11-2015, 12:07 AM	#2
alley cat Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Somerset Posts: 3,150	In my opinion there is nothing wrong with his shell, some torts have slight oddities such as this in fact some people really like them, it should not affect the health of the tort at all in fact that torts shell looks nicely grown

02-11-2015, 07:22 AM	#3
Gordon Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 5,674	Nothing to worry about just a scute that has grown a bit smaller than the others some call it a split scute. I'm sure he will be glad to get off the wood chips and onto something like soil or coco coir he will be able to walk better then.

02-11-2015, 01:50 PM	#7
Gordon Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 5,674	So it's going to be like all the other animals we buy for our kids they think it's for them but really its not.

02-11-2015, 03:04 PM	#8
markbigears Member Incubating Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Kent Posts: 222	too true Gordon!

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