Grade my Tortoise's Condition

[tortoise-kid]

Can you please take a look at these pictures and tell me what condition my tortoise is in. If its bad tell me why and how I could change it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47804112@N07/4840345954/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47804112@N07/4840345940/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47804112@N07/4839733553/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47804112@N07/4840345908/

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Tortoise Kid:

Your tortoise doesn't look too bad. He's a little bumpy, but nothing serious. There's nothing you can do to make the bumps go away, but you can change the way you keep him to make sure they don't get worse.

I don't keep redfoot tortoises, so I can't give you any pointers, except to say that they need quite a bit of humidity. Do you have him in a well-planted habitat?

Take a look through our redfoot section and see if you can find some information that will help you.

 

[tortoise-kid]

He is living in a aquarium right now,but its only temporary in till I finish building his tortoise table.

 

[spikethebest]

can you take a picture of his current setup and describe how his new tort table will be?

 

[chadk]

There are many idicators we can't judge just by pics. Does it feel heavy \ solid in your hand or kinds light and hollow? Does the shell feel hard or thin and soft or fragile? Is it active and eating well? Is the poo and pee normal (frequency, consistency, smell, etc)?

 

[tortoise-kid]

can you take a picture of his current setup and describe how his new tort table will be?

Here are some pics of his current setup:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47804112@N07/4842133762/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47804112@N07/4842133738/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47804112@N07/4842133682/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47804112@N07/4841517487/

Answers to Chadk:
1. heavy \ solid
2. the shell feels hard
3.he walks around his habitat a lot and he walks around in my backyard a lot when I put him out there
4. he eats when I give him food which is every day
5. He goes to the bathroom frequently

 

[Madkins007]

S/he's a little bumpy, so was being kept wrong at some point in the past- but that was then and this is now, as they say.

If it is curious, eating well (and the right stuff), urinating and defecating OK, feels solid and heavy, has clear (non-tearing) eyes and nose, etc. then it is doing OK.

Rather than grade the tort, I would rather hear more about the cares, diet, and environment you offer.

 

[tortoise-kid]

S/he's a little bumpy, so was being kept wrong at some point in the past- but that was then and this is now, as they say.

If it is curious, eating well (and the right stuff), urinating and defecating OK, feels solid and heavy, has clear (non-tearing) eyes and nose, etc. then it is doing OK.

Rather than grade the tort, I would rather hear more about the cares, diet, and environment you offer.

Heres a list of food I feed him:
Romaine lettuce
Red and green leaf lettuce
Endive
Escarole
Chicory
Radicchio
Turnip greens
Mustard greens
Kale
Collards
Yellow squash
Zucchini
Winter squash
Pumpkin
Strawberries
Blackberries
Cactus fruit
Tomatoes
Dandelion

 

[Madkins007]

Good food list. If you can find arugula/rocket, it is a nice addition as are cactus pads.

Tomatoes are OK, better as an occasional snack (some say to avoid them, but they have good nutrients and moisture, even if they cause loose bowels in some torts). You can also toss in some banana with the skin attached as another kind of occasional treat.

This part is MY OPINION and a very debated discussion. I include spinach, cabbage, and plain lettuce in my greens rotation (although my guys are not big on red cabbage, mustard and kale). I know there are concerns with them, but they also offer helpful nutrients and variety. I minimize any risk by using them in conjunction with a better green, and then not using them again for a while.

I also use bagged lettuce mixes, looking for the mixes with the widest possible variety of colors and textures, then add a big pinch of calcium when I open the bag and shake it all up. I do not avoid mixes with spinach or carrots in them. Again, I am looking for variety, cost effectiveness, and convenience here.

Oh- no mushrooms? Not only do Red-foots love them, they are also one of the few dietary sources of vitamin D (actually, D2, the 'weaker' version). I try to offer 'shrooms every couple weeks. Other things to try would be black plums, bell peppers (mine like the red ones), melon, PAPAYA (The Red-foot KING fruit, along with figs), mango, kiwifruit, etc.

(All comments are being made in reference to Red-foots only, and reflect my beliefs based on research and limited experience.)

 

[PeanutbuttER]

Just to second what Madkins has said about kiwi fruit. Mine loves them (that's why her name is Kiwi) and they're a great fruit when you've only got one redfoot because they're small enough that they can eat most of the fruit in one sitting. I feel like when I feed larger fruits that I end up throwing away half the fruit before she can finish it (like you might if you tried to give them a large melon for instance). Kiwi is one of my staple fruits.

 

[tortoise-kid]

Good food list. If you can find arugula/rocket, it is a nice addition as are cactus pads.

Tomatoes are OK, better as an occasional snack (some say to avoid them, but they have good nutrients and moisture, even if they cause loose bowels in some torts). You can also toss in some banana with the skin attached as another kind of occasional treat.

This part is MY OPINION and a very debated discussion. I include spinach, cabbage, and plain lettuce in my greens rotation (although my guys are not big on red cabbage, mustard and kale). I know there are concerns with them, but they also offer helpful nutrients and variety. I minimize any risk by using them in conjunction with a better green, and then not using them again for a while.

I also use bagged lettuce mixes, looking for the mixes with the widest possible variety of colors and textures, then add a big pinch of calcium when I open the bag and shake it all up. I do not avoid mixes with spinach or carrots in them. Again, I am looking for variety, cost effectiveness, and convenience here.

Oh- no mushrooms? Not only do Red-foots love them, they are also one of the few dietary sources of vitamin D (actually, D2, the 'weaker' version). I try to offer 'shrooms every couple weeks. Other things to try would be black plums, bell peppers (mine like the red ones), melon, PAPAYA (The Red-foot KING fruit, along with figs), mango, kiwifruit, etc.

(All comments are being made in reference to Red-foots only, and reflect my beliefs based on research and limited experience.)

Can you recommend me a calcium powder brand?

 

[ChiKat]

I use the "NOW" brand of calcium carbonate. I purchased it from a health food store.

 

[tortoise-kid]

I use the "NOW" brand of calcium carbonate. I purchased it from a health food store.

Thanks for all the help everybody.

 

[DoctorCosmonaut]

Looks a lot like my oldest girl that I got from someone who kept their Reds in the wrong conditions. But she is happy, healthy, and active Just keep doing the right stuff!

 

[pebbles]

I would stop giving the tortoise lettuce and stuff like green veggies and save it for "special ocassions" have you thought about putting a fake plant or a rock to lay on in your enclosure? I have a set up just like yours. Except it has a water dish, and 2 fake plants. lol one is a palm tree. I have a dish for the food & then the hut just like you, for him to hide in.

is your light up to 85 degrees? other than that I think you're in the right path. I think the best thing you can do for your tort is keep educating yourself and asking questions. I came into these forums clueless about a few things & realized I was doing a couple of things wrong. But I started researching online and I bought a tortoise book from amazon.com. It really helps! =]

 

[tortoise-kid]

I would stop giving the tortoise lettuce and stuff like green veggies and save it for "special ocassions" have you thought about putting a fake plant or a rock to lay on in your enclosure? I have a set up just like yours. Except it has a water dish, and 2 fake plants. lol one is a palm tree. I have a dish for the food & then the hut just like you, for him to hide in.

is your light up to 85 degrees? other than that I think you're in the right path. I think the best thing you can do for your tort is keep educating yourself and asking questions. I came into these forums clueless about a few things & realized I was doing a couple of things wrong. But I started researching online and I bought a tortoise book from amazon.com. It really helps! =]

Why would you want to stop giving him greens? Aren't they a core essential in there diet?

 

[tortoisenerd]

I think the healthy greens should be a big part of the diet, although weeds are a better choice if you can get chemical free ones. I'd minimize the lettuces if you can, but they are a great part of the diet because they are low in oxalic acid (most of the weeds and collard/mustard/radish/etc greens are high in oxalic acid). For the greens part of my tort's diet, I try do do half lettuces like spring mix and half a rotation of other greens & weeds.