General Care Discussion :: hatchling shell

[Wildcoyote]

Do hatchlings have a bit soft shell when thei are about 3monts old?

[missibsu]

Yes, your hatchling could have a softer shell for quite awhile. It doesn't hurt to go ahead and start offering cuttlebone though, it will help build calcium.

As long as the shell looks normal and doesn't have any odor, a slight bendiness to it is fine.

[Cayte923]

On the shell around the tail will be a little pliable on a hatchling for a few months. That's perfectly normal. But it should never be mushy.

Do you have a UVB? That will do wonders to help it's shell mature. Along with many other health benefits.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Yes they do initially but that should harden up as they grow. What is your set up like?

[marisa]

It's not unusual for hatchlings' marginal scutes above the tail to have a little give to them. With a good diet and habitat, their shells harden up at around a year of age.

[Wildcoyote]

that helped thanks