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Sulcata tortoise shell hardness?

A

ApexJake

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I have been into reptiles for some time now but i recently acquired a sulcata who is about 1". Never had a tortoise but was wondering about how hard their shell should be. I do not know the diet prior to me owning it but i was thinking it could be a calcium or mineral deficiency. It feels general sort not that i could scratch it with my nail but its like reinforced leather. I feel like i could split it if i tried and i can see if flex when pressed and not very hard at that.

i attached a picture
 
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If it's that small, it could be because it is very young, but I would still be concerned about the hardness. I would buy some calcium supplements to spray or sprinkle on its food and buy several cuttlefish bones to put in its enclosure. You can also break up the cuttlefish bone and mix it with its food to encourage calcium consumption, but usually if an animal needs something like this it will gravitate towards the source on its own. When i first got my juvenile sulcata it devoured parts of the cuttlefish bone like it was going out of style.
You also need to ensure that it has a proper light source, because that is directly related to their Vitamin D and calcium production. Make sure it is in a dry environment too. Shell rot occurs frequently in sulcatas if they are not kept in a dry hot environment.
 
i did buy flukers calcium:phosphorus 2:1 that i plan to sprinkle on the foods. also learned that foods commonly given like broccoli naturally inhibit calcium absorption. Couldnt find a cuttlefish bone yet i will try that, thank you
 
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