There is a lot of responsibility that comes with raising turtles and maintaining the animal’s health and well-being is one of them, so, if you see a crack in the shell of these animals you’ll understandably be worried
This article looks into why your turtle’s shell looks cracked
Why does my turtle’s shell look cracked?
Shell issues are common worry for turtle keepers, a lot can go wrong with the shell, and addressing these issues is a must
Here is why your turtle’s shell looks cracked
Injury:
Injuries may be the cause of your turtle’s cracked shell, injuries can be caused by predators biting the turtle’s shell, accidents like the turtle being clumsy falling from a height and cracking the shell, the turtle getting into fights with other turtles and a crack can develop if the animal gets run over by a car
These cracked shells can be as painful for a turtle as a broken bone for a human. The shell is a part of the animal’s skeleton and is made up of living bone, these animals can feel their shells just as you can feel the top of your head.
What to do:
You can treat the animal’s cracked shell at home or you could get the animal to the vet and have it treated here
If you decide to treat the animal at home, if the crack is small, then start by passing a q tip saturated with 3% hydrogen peroxide on the area, this will cause the area to bubble and foam and sanitize the area.
Swabbing the hydrogen peroxide, and not providing it into the wound, will prevent the liquid from entering the animal’s body cavity.
You can push the shell pieces together, so they lock into each other and then use epoxy to hold them together.
The shell pieces will fuse and the epoxy can be peeled and flaked off once dried. If you don’t have a good understanding of how to do this process then take your pet to the vet
Dry environment:
Another reason why your turtle shell may be cracked may be because of its environment.
These animals need certain environmental conditions to stay healthy and happy. They are known to live in drier areas but if the environment is too dry then this can cause the turtle to become dehydrated and this can cause the shell to crack and break.
This cracking can be dangerous as the open crack is a gateway for bacteria to enter the animal’s body cavity.
By the time you realize that the animal has an infection, it may be too late.
What to do:
Changing the conditions that your pet is living in should help maintain a healthy shell. This entails using a substrate that is appropriate for your type of turtle, and making sure that the humidity, temperature, and furnishings in the animal’s enclosure are appropriate for the turtle.
Avoid leaving the animal in an environment that is too humid and this can lead to health issues as well
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Is My Turtle’s Shell Turning Blue?, Why Is My Turtle’s Shell Breaking?, Why Is My Turtle’s Shell Shiny?, Why Is My Turtle’s Shell Turning Green?, Why Is My Turtle’s Shell Squishy?, Why Is My Turtle’s Shell Dented?, Why Is My Turtle’s Shell Getting Darker, Why Is My Turtles Shell Caving In?, Why Is My Baby Turtle Not Growing?