russian tortoise shell growth

Question
our russian tortoise has had a recent growth spurt. his shell has expanded about 3/4 - 1", but it is lighter in color. I keep thinking it will darken up to look like the rest, but it hasn't done sao yet. Is this ok?

Answer
New growth is often lighter than old stuff and will often darken, but very gradually.

Growth spurts SOMETIMES are bad news- when tortoises grow too fast it can be a sign of overfeeding and can stress the tortoise's joints, skeleton, and organs.

However, a spurt can also mean that things are going very well after a not-so-hot period.

A great sight for Russians is http://www.russiantortoise.org

Good luck!