Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

Is this kind of colouration normal in cherryheads? I saw this tortoise as a hatchling (it's a friend of a friend's) and it was normal, indistinguishable from its siblings with a dark shell. As it's grown, it has developed this really pale shell. It's a normal tortoise - eats well, healthy, etc, comparable to its sibs except in shell colouration. I'm told it's starting to develop dark pigmentation with continued growth again. Has anyone seen this phasic pigmentation pattern before?

Alex

Yes, I have seen this before but I am not exactly sure why it occurs. I do have me beliefs though.
I think that it often occurs when the tortoise is growing very quickly and the black pigment cannot 'keep up' with the growth. It also seems to be more common in animals that do not have access to direct sunlight.
Two hatchlings that I produced last year grew to resemble this individual a great deal.

This is one of my hatchlings from last year. It continued to get more and more white after this photo was taken so that most of the new growth was entirely white.

did you guys notice the white cherries in the fruits market are catching on also (LOL)