What happens if a tortoise's shell cracks?
The shell of a tortoise is similar to the human rib cage. To be precise, the human rib cage has spaces between them which seperates 1 rib from the other. For a tortoise the ribs are merged together forming a conch aka shell. Hence if you ever tap hard on the shell of a tortoise a few times, you will see immediate movement in the form of the tortoise trying to run away from you. Hence if the shell of the Tortoise breaks it results in immediate death of the tortoise . Hence one should never try and remove the shell of the tortoise. Incase the shell cracks , immediately take your tortoise to a pet doc. Also bandage the crack like you would to a human wound. Ensure that the bandage is firm so as to hold the shell together.