Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is probably an extremely stupid question, and I'm pretty sure I know the answer....but I'm going to ask it just in case.

My young Redfoot (I think we decided about 6 months old, 3.5-4" long) has a soft-ish plastron. Not mushy-soft, but if I gently press it, it will flex (much more than I remember from the mature torts I've always had before). I assume that's normal and that it will get harder as (s)he gets older - is that a valid assumption?

Also, can someone provide a time-line for hatchlings to adults? I'm curious to know about how much they grow a year, when they will reach adult coloring, when their shells will start to become bumpier, etc. I've only had adults before so this is a first for me.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v693/largirl/Turtle/

Thanks!
Lara

the shell will have a little bit of flex to it as a baby. As long as the calcium intake is good, you most likely have nothing to worry about. You have to imagine, the shell itself is a lot thinner than an adult's, and therefore it's going to be able to flex a bit more under pressure.