wanderlust
Member
I inherited two 5-6 year old male Horsfields about a month ago from an elderly lady who purchased them as babies from PetSmart. At least towards the end of her life, they were not taken care of properly. They were both kept in a single pad heated, 10 gallon tank, half filled with timothy hay and covered with a blanket to keep them in the dark except every third day which was feeding day. On feeding day, they were moved to a 40 gallon terrarium with two heat bulbs, a towel on the bottom, and 2 rocks for them to eat off of. They were each given 2 peas, 2 carrots, 2 pieces of corn, and 2 green beans. I don't think they got water except for an occasional bath. This lady was very much involved in tortoise society and I can't imagine that this is how they always lived. My guess is that it was just her last year or less as her mental state and health rapidly declined. I would think that they would exhibit much more pyramiding if they had been kept like this long term?
This brings us to their time under my care.
I'm really enjoying these little guys! Before, while she was seeking medical treatment, they were not active at all. They barely moved and it was a pain to get them to eat. Now they are on the move a lot and eating like little lawnmowers. Like the Sulcata I spoke of in another thread, they are spending their days outside. Most days have been in the 80's and 90's though we did have one day last week where it got to 100+ in the center of the valley but we are on a bench. They dig down into the tall cool grass and clover and dirt and hang out under their clay pots during the hottest hours (I'm in northern UT in a valley on the ID border so it's not quite as hot and dry as the SLC side of the mountains) and spend the mornings and evenings wandering and munching in their 4 x 8 enclosures. At night they have been coming inside to a 40 g terrarium (both have been in the same terrarium since they dig in and go right to sleep) with Mountain West brand topsoil and Reptibark mixed substrate. I need to find a local source for cheaper orchid bark. Both my local Lowes and Home Depot do not have it in stock according to their websites. Reading through the RT care sheet, it sounds like while this was not a good substrate choice for my sulcata, it does work well for my RTs? They have access to a clay flower pot dish for water throughout the day and access to all the weeds and grasses they want as we've been moving their enclosures around the yard. They are also getting a soak in the tub a few times a week. As soon as I brought them home their received beak and nail trims.
Currently, at approximately 5 years old, their sizes are 11.92 oz and 3.75" and the other is 13.33 oz and 4". I think their scutes look decent but I'd love some feedback. One does have some shell deformities (shell has indents along the spine) and what looks like it might be an extra scute? Does like look like deformity at birth or nutritional/environmental? Is this size small for 5 years and size-wise would they be considered sub-adults?
I'm really looking forward to your insight, Tom. I'm adding additional posts to make it obvious which images belong to which RT.
Please forgive my pictures of them together. I now know they should not be kept together.
This brings us to their time under my care.
I'm really enjoying these little guys! Before, while she was seeking medical treatment, they were not active at all. They barely moved and it was a pain to get them to eat. Now they are on the move a lot and eating like little lawnmowers. Like the Sulcata I spoke of in another thread, they are spending their days outside. Most days have been in the 80's and 90's though we did have one day last week where it got to 100+ in the center of the valley but we are on a bench. They dig down into the tall cool grass and clover and dirt and hang out under their clay pots during the hottest hours (I'm in northern UT in a valley on the ID border so it's not quite as hot and dry as the SLC side of the mountains) and spend the mornings and evenings wandering and munching in their 4 x 8 enclosures. At night they have been coming inside to a 40 g terrarium (both have been in the same terrarium since they dig in and go right to sleep) with Mountain West brand topsoil and Reptibark mixed substrate. I need to find a local source for cheaper orchid bark. Both my local Lowes and Home Depot do not have it in stock according to their websites. Reading through the RT care sheet, it sounds like while this was not a good substrate choice for my sulcata, it does work well for my RTs? They have access to a clay flower pot dish for water throughout the day and access to all the weeds and grasses they want as we've been moving their enclosures around the yard. They are also getting a soak in the tub a few times a week. As soon as I brought them home their received beak and nail trims.
Currently, at approximately 5 years old, their sizes are 11.92 oz and 3.75" and the other is 13.33 oz and 4". I think their scutes look decent but I'd love some feedback. One does have some shell deformities (shell has indents along the spine) and what looks like it might be an extra scute? Does like look like deformity at birth or nutritional/environmental? Is this size small for 5 years and size-wise would they be considered sub-adults?
I'm really looking forward to your insight, Tom. I'm adding additional posts to make it obvious which images belong to which RT.
Please forgive my pictures of them together. I now know they should not be kept together.
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