Can anyone tell me why my desert tortoise's nose is so big?

[hollybawls]

I have never seen a turtle that looks like this and I wanted to know if anybody could help and tell me why it has such a large nose! I mean I love it and it gave it such a great character, I just have never seen a tortoise with a nose like that before. Also if it isn't a desert tortoise then can someone help me find the other type of tortoise it is? thank you in advance.

 

[Yvonne G]

We're pretty darned good here on the Tortoise Forum, Hollybawls, however, we're really going to have to see a picture before we can tell you anything.

 

[Tom]

Go to tinypic.com. Upload your pics. Copy/paste the IMG codes into your forum post.

If it is abnormally large, your tortoise may have an abcess and need vet care.

 

[wellington]

Please post a picture so we can help. I'm betting that it has an overgrown beak.

 

[kanalomele]

We're pretty darned good here on the Tortoise Forum, Hollybawls, however, we're really going to have to see a picture before we can tell you anything.

LOL! Thanks for the laugh!

 

[ascott]

*standing with hands on hips, toe tapping....waiting waiting waiting*

Picture please.

 

[rachael]

i am so intrigued by this

 

[ascott]

i am so intrigued by this

Seriously, right?

 

[hollybawls]

We're pretty darned good here on the Tortoise Forum, Hollybawls, however, we're really going to have to see a picture before we can tell you anything.

I thought I posted a picture. my apologies. sorry in advance for the bad quality and such a long wait. Also I'm so glad everyone is concerned this is my first turtle and I am so worried. Beardie's are so much easier to take care of. lol.

http://i.imgur.com/eygG7UE.jpg

 

[hollybawls]

We're pretty darned good here on the Tortoise Forum, Hollybawls, however, we're really going to have to see a picture before we can tell you anything.

I'm sorry they keep scanning me for spam since I am new. here's another photo I took today.

http://i.imgur.com/QNbgMJh.jpg

 

[Yvonne G]

That's a russian tortoise, and her nose isn't big, her beak is. (Wellington wins the prize) She is in bad need of a beak trim.

 

[hollybawls]

That's a russian tortoise, and her nose isn't big, her beak is. (Wellington wins the prize) She is in bad need of a beak trim.

oh goodness, you're right. it is a russian tortoise. I just figured it was a desert tortoise because it was found at my dad's work. he works at a factory. we took it in because it's poor tail got cut off so I have been putting some antibiotic ointment onto it. thank you so much you guys are awesome.

 

[ascott]

we took it in because it's poor tail got cut off

Oh no,....is the tort a male? May we see a peek see of the underside please?

 

[hollybawls]

we took it in because it's poor tail got cut off

Oh no,....is the tort a male? May we see a peek see of the underside please?

Sure. Sorry for late reply. The tortoise and I were fast asleep
Here is the underside: http://i.imgur.com/qfwMq8y.jpg
and here is it's poor tail http://i.imgur.com/cuUinei.jpg
My mother and I plan to take it into the vet to get it's tail looked at and a beak trim on Wednesday. So he will make it through!

 

[ascott]

Oh my, how did that happen....ouch---I hope the "goodies" made it alright.....

From these pics though, I wonder if you actually have a female??? I hope some of the other russian caregivers will pop in and give their opinion...I mean with the damage (not knowing what it looked like im tact) it is kinda hard to say for certain....

How are you housing the tort now, especially due to the injured area?

 

[hollybawls]

Oh my, how did that happen....ouch---I hope the "goodies" made it alright.....

From these pics though, I wonder if you actually have a female??? I hope some of the other russian caregivers will pop in and give their opinion...I mean with the damage (not knowing what it looked like im tact) it is kinda hard to say for certain....

How are you housing the tort now, especially due to the injured area?

Well, not too well. we're keeping it in that case you can see in the pictures temporally and feeding it the greens we give our bunnies and my bearded dragon. We also have a desert tortoise so we are giving it the dandelion's she eats as well and letting it wonder around the backyard. When my dad found it we were planning on building my beardie a new cage, so I figured we could make two for the tortoise since they have similar requirements as my beardie. I have to be honest the reason why I went along and assumed it was a desert tortoise is because we found it by a desert type area in my dad's factory and we live in SoCal so they are the only type we really find out in the wild around here. It's so bizarre that a Russian Tortoise was around here XD I only see them in pet stores nearby.

---

Oh my, how did that happen....ouch---I hope the "goodies" made it alright.....

I forgot to include that. My dad's coworker was digging and had no idea that a tortoise was underneath him....then he shoveled into it's tail It makes me sad thinking about it. I think that it was hibernating in there and that's why it's beak was so long.

 

[Eloise's mommy]

The shoveling story is sad but it was also an accident so I'm sure not as sad as the fact that A russian out loose in the wild with the long of a beak was probably someone's pet at one time or another and either A) let him go and didn't care what happened to him or B) he's an escape artist and ran away!! Poor guy hope the vet has some good news for you!!

 

[hollybawls]

Also, here are some more images I took today.
Unfortunately, from the research I've done, I think it might've got the goodies...http://i.imgur.com/5dvUcee.jpg
Here's another photo of the tail, I've been putting antibiotic ointment on it to prevent infection but I think it might've already got an infection so I've been pretty stressed out: http://i.imgur.com/i9nXR4y.jpg
Despite all it's been through he's still extremely sweet and not that skittish I just want to keep him healthy. http://i.imgur.com/Em6PuBm.jpg

---

The shoveling story is sad but it was also an accident so I'm sure not as sad as the fact that A russian out loose in the wild with the long of a beak was probably someone's pet at one time or another and either A) let him go and didn't care what happened to him or B) he's an escape artist and ran away!! Poor guy hope the vet has some good news for you!!

I know how could somebody let him/her go like that? it's so cute! I guess people don't have a soft spot for animals like we do lol!

 

[ascott]

You would be surprised at where you will find a Russian....they are a highly skilled climber (up chain link fences and wood lattices--like they need a tights outfit with a big R on it, the spider man of the tort world...lol)

The tort may have escaped someones yard or someone let it lose as is so commonly done in desert areas....

It is good that you came across it....in this case picking up the tort that you thought was a desert tort proved beneficial to the russian---

May I make a suggestion for a more beneficial enclosure for your new tort until you have a permanent set up? Get one of the largest rubbermaid totes that you can (lowes/home depot have the 50 gallon size ones for like 20 bucks) is the tail area icky and gooey or is it already dry and healing up?....if gooey, then I would line the bottom of the tote with paper towels or white copy paper.....and would also provide a place for the tort to climb under/into to hide away from its now scary changing world....I would provide a heat lamp that provides a temp of 80-85 degrees in the enclosure ---increased temps kick up a torts immune system into a more active state----I would place the temp enclosure in a private quiet area that does not get ALOT of foot traffic....also be sure to wash your hands really well between handling the russian and the desert tort

I would prepare a warm water bath and place the tort in that bath for awhile to offer hydration as well as a bit of water to help clean the tail area---if your tort gets freaked out some by the water don't be surprised....and then I would at least once a day warm water flush the tail area ....

However, if the tail area is already drying up and healing, then I would instead of the paper towels/white paper---use peat moss as the substrate and make sure it is 5 to 6 inches keep along with the hiding spots and lighting....I don't know if you have a uva/uvb source for indoors that you can also provide or better some outside sun time in a supervised setting---

---

Ouch.....from the angle in that new pic, it does look more male than female....ouch....

The beak of a tort wouldn't grow like that while brumating --- it likely was a result of poor husbandry from prior person who cared improperly for him....

I would do warm water flushes of the area (gently of course) I would also use bactine spray on the area a couple of times per day(and spray gently) and use a spray antibiotic (the less you make contact with it the better---less contact lessens the chance of germs passing to the tort).

Once your little one comes round---then you can work on that long beak.....just be patient and he will come round....

 

[hollybawls]

You would be surprised at where you will find a Russian....they are a highly skilled climber (up chain link fences and wood lattices--like they need a tights outfit with a big R on it, the spider man of the tort world...lol)

The tort may have escaped someones yard or someone let it lose as is so commonly done in desert areas....

It is good that you came across it....in this case picking up the tort that you thought was a desert tort proved beneficial to the russian---

May I make a suggestion for a more beneficial enclosure for your new tort until you have a permanent set up? Get one of the largest rubbermaid totes that you can (lowes/home depot have the 50 gallon size ones for like 20 bucks) is the tail area icky and gooey or is it already dry and healing up?....if gooey, then I would line the bottom of the tote with paper towels or white copy paper.....and would also provide a place for the tort to climb under/into to hide away from its now scary changing world....I would provide a heat lamp that provides a temp of 80-85 degrees in the enclosure ---increased temps kick up a torts immune system into a more active state----I would place the temp enclosure in a private quiet area that does not get ALOT of foot traffic....also be sure to wash your hands really well between handling the russian and the desert tort

I would prepare a warm water bath and place the tort in that bath for awhile to offer hydration as well as a bit of water to help clean the tail area---if your tort gets freaked out some by the water don't be surprised....and then I would at least once a day warm water flush the tail area ....

However, if the tail area is already drying up and healing, then I would instead of the paper towels/white paper---use peat moss as the substrate and make sure it is 5 to 6 inches keep along with the hiding spots and lighting....I don't know if you have a uva/uvb source for indoors that you can also provide or better some outside sun time in a supervised setting---

This is so helpful! thank you so much. we've been keeping it outside so it's been getting the uvb it needs. plus in SoCal it's been hot lately. however when it starts to cool I will be getting it a basking lamp and a uvb lamp. Also if I made the cage out of some wood and plexiglass, what kind of bedding would be recommended? and what kind of background would make it feel more at home? I'm planning to basically make this for my beardie and the tortoise, http://i.imgur.com/5Wk8HmJ.jpg because it would be good on room and I could set up a basking area easily. I would also plan to make a lot of holes in there so they don't suffocate.