Angel pineda
New Member
Hello everyone! I am a new mommy tortoise and I really need help with identifying what kind of tortoise I have. I also have a backstory that I want to explain because since my tortoise was basically abandonedI have so many questions that worry me.... ANY AND EVERY ANSWER HELPS A LOT AND IS APPRECIATED!!
INTRODUCTION
(Long story short my sister would go days without feeding him and gave him no sunlight or warmth at all so i took over and started to care for it)
I basically took custody of my younger sister's pet tortoise... She has had him for 3 years and she never really took great care of it. She never bothered to give him and sunlight or gave him the chance to bask. As years past she slowly started to show little to no interest in him or her at all.(not sure what gender it is yet,but we always assumed it was a boy) Before I took over, I would always have to ask her if she fed him yet and she would tell me she hasn't fed him in 5 days which really angered me so I told her I would take over and that he would be MY pet tortoise and not hers anymore. Even though my sister didn't care for her tortoise very well he still has a good appetite and seems to be alert so that is a plus! I am glad I took over before his condition got worse!
WHAT KIND OF TORTOISE DO I HAVE?
My sister got her tortoise from a friend and her friend said that he was a Sulcata tortoise. Now that I did a little research I do not think he is a Sulcata tortoise because he is pretty tiny for being 3 years of age(maybe he's under developed because he did not get the uvb/uva that he needed...) and his shell is not 'dome like' and is much flatter than what I've seen in pictures I've looked up. Here are some pictures of when my sister first got him, mid photos are from a year ago, and current pictures are now. Looking at his shell makes me sad because I can tell it is under developed.
QUESTIONS THAT CONCERN ME
Since he got very little to no sunlight at all for his shell to develop correctly, if I start consistently leaving the uvb/uva and basking lamp on everyday will his shell be able to recover and grow properly? I just bought a uvb/uva light bulb and also have a basking lamp. I can't really put him outside since it is winter time and it is always cloudy in Las Vegas and when it is sunny I'm at work!
When i leave the uvb/uva lamp on should I take away any shade inside his enclosure so he's able to get the uvb that he needs? I want to leave the uvb lamp on almost all day but he likes to go in the shade and sleep, but since he hasnt been getting any sunlight almost all his life I want to give him as much uvb as I can from this day forward!!!
Is his shell too flat for a tortoise? I've seen so many pictures of tortoises and videos on youtube and their tortoises's shells are almost all dome like and I feel like him not getting any sunlight had something to do with it...
OVERALL I am so glad I took over with the care of this tortoise! His name is Nibbler. It has been about 3 days when I took him in and he does not seem sick at all. I hope to improve his health, let him live a happier more comfortable life and help him grow and improve that beautiful shell!!! Thank you everyone
INTRODUCTION
(Long story short my sister would go days without feeding him and gave him no sunlight or warmth at all so i took over and started to care for it)
I basically took custody of my younger sister's pet tortoise... She has had him for 3 years and she never really took great care of it. She never bothered to give him and sunlight or gave him the chance to bask. As years past she slowly started to show little to no interest in him or her at all.(not sure what gender it is yet,but we always assumed it was a boy) Before I took over, I would always have to ask her if she fed him yet and she would tell me she hasn't fed him in 5 days which really angered me so I told her I would take over and that he would be MY pet tortoise and not hers anymore. Even though my sister didn't care for her tortoise very well he still has a good appetite and seems to be alert so that is a plus! I am glad I took over before his condition got worse!
WHAT KIND OF TORTOISE DO I HAVE?
My sister got her tortoise from a friend and her friend said that he was a Sulcata tortoise. Now that I did a little research I do not think he is a Sulcata tortoise because he is pretty tiny for being 3 years of age(maybe he's under developed because he did not get the uvb/uva that he needed...) and his shell is not 'dome like' and is much flatter than what I've seen in pictures I've looked up. Here are some pictures of when my sister first got him, mid photos are from a year ago, and current pictures are now. Looking at his shell makes me sad because I can tell it is under developed.
QUESTIONS THAT CONCERN ME
Since he got very little to no sunlight at all for his shell to develop correctly, if I start consistently leaving the uvb/uva and basking lamp on everyday will his shell be able to recover and grow properly? I just bought a uvb/uva light bulb and also have a basking lamp. I can't really put him outside since it is winter time and it is always cloudy in Las Vegas and when it is sunny I'm at work!
When i leave the uvb/uva lamp on should I take away any shade inside his enclosure so he's able to get the uvb that he needs? I want to leave the uvb lamp on almost all day but he likes to go in the shade and sleep, but since he hasnt been getting any sunlight almost all his life I want to give him as much uvb as I can from this day forward!!!
Is his shell too flat for a tortoise? I've seen so many pictures of tortoises and videos on youtube and their tortoises's shells are almost all dome like and I feel like him not getting any sunlight had something to do with it...
OVERALL I am so glad I took over with the care of this tortoise! His name is Nibbler. It has been about 3 days when I took him in and he does not seem sick at all. I hope to improve his health, let him live a happier more comfortable life and help him grow and improve that beautiful shell!!! Thank you everyone