Are you seeing white lines on your sulcata tortoise’s shell? If you are seeing white lines on sulcata shell, don’t be alarmed. These lines are growth lines.
The growth lines appear in-between the scutes. Sometimes the growth lines can be a dark brown, light yellow or a tan color. These lines are a good sign that your tortoise is growing!
The white lines can be thin or thick. This is no determination of health. Some tortoises just grow faster, or slower, than others. The thinner the line the less growth, and vice versa, the thicker the line the more growth.
The new growth is generally a different color than the old growth, which is why it stands out. Over time, this new growth will darken, or lighten, depending on your tortoise, and it will match the existing coloring.
The new NEW growth will start to form lines, and you’ll seen new white lines on your tortoise shell.
Can I Count the Growth Rings to Determine How Old My Tortoise is?
Nope…
It’s a big misconception that you can count the growth rings to determine how old a tortoise is. Because sulcata tortoises grow at different rates, they could have one growth spurt a year, or they could have multiple growth spurts. So, each growth ring is not always attributed to a year of growth.
