Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was told that applying mineral oil to torts shells helps them to stay healthy and in good condition. Is this true, and if so how should you apply it and how often? Thanks a lot!

don't use mineral oil on their tortoises.

Will it harm the tortoise???? Probably not but there is no accepted reason among long time tortoise keepers to do this.

Ed

>>I was told that applying mineral oil to torts shells helps them to stay healthy and in good condition. Is this true, and if so how should you apply it and how often? Thanks a lot!
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

At best, it may shine the shell (easily accomplished with water), but I see know way it would help, assuming your animal is kept under the appropriate environmental conditions.

Could it hurt? Maybe. The shell is metabolic bone. What effect does preventing air and mositure contact with the shell have? I'm not sure. And since it's not a common practice, I'm not sure I'd trust a few anecdotes with my torts....

I always thought the outer layer of the shell in nothing but dead tissue. It does not grow or breath. It offers protection of the shell which is bone.

I dont't think the oil would do any harm and it might have the potential of actually doing some good where the scutes grow by providing moisture at the contact zone.

One intriguing idea that was proposed to me by a friend was that it was the drying out of this contact zone that is the actual cause of pyramiding which makes a great deal of sense.

>>At best, it may shine the shell (easily accomplished with water), but I see know way it would help, assuming your animal is kept under the appropriate environmental conditions.
>>
>>Could it hurt? Maybe. The shell is metabolic bone. What effect does preventing air and mositure contact with the shell have? I'm not sure. And since it's not a common practice, I'm not sure I'd trust a few anecdotes with my torts....
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

My understanding is that the outermost layer of a tortoise's shell (which is on the order of tenths or hundredths of an inch) is some keratin complex. Like fingernails. Not a whole lot of protection if you think about it.

As far as the potential benefit as it relates to preventing pyramiding--I have heard the (reasonable) claim that build-up of dirt and old tissue as well as overly-dried conditions at scute borders is a cause or the cause of shell deformation in some cases. This seems possible to me.

Oil, though, being hydrophobic, might actually help dehydrate those areas. (For the same reason you can't moisturize your skin with oil). Depending on what type of animal you might have (read: not desert-dwellers), this could be problematic.

Finally, the shell of many of these animals has adapted evolutionarily to preform disparate functions, like thermoregulation. How does adding a layer of oil to the shell of a tortoise who uses its shell design to shed excess heat affect its ability to do so?

Don't do it.

It may look nice, but it could act like baby oil on a sunbather and cook your tortoise if he is under a heat lamp or hot sun.

We used to do this to 1the box turtles at a pet store I used to work at to make them look good. It is like how they wax apples in the grocery store...it makes them look nice, but does not make them taste better.

The shell of a chelonian is keratinized tissue, it's living tissue. Similar to fingernails & horses hooves. They can feel your touch through the shell the same way you'd feel it if someone touched your fingernail.
The shell does "breathe" & oil would clog it up. To clean it, a soft brush or cloth with water should help. If it doesn't you could use a little salt or baking soda in the water to clean it then rinse well but generally if they're fed the right foods, hydrated enough the shell doesn't need anything done to it other than maybe a rinse with water now & then.

I've had the unique experience of caring for a badly pyramided sulcata with bullet holes in her shell, 3 entry wounds, 3 exit wounds, for a total of 6 holes in her shell. Those were treated by a vet, they've been "bandaged" with acryllic & as the acryllic wears off I can see where her shell has healed.. that's living tissue repairing itself slowly over time.
We don't put anything on her shell, she bathes & loves to be showered with water & over time she's looking a whole lot better..but not normal.

Here she is on the day we got her, & then 3 years later:

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PHRatz