1 y/o cherry head shell flaking

Khanmahn

New Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2020
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Honolulu
Hi Tortoise Tribe,

Does anyone have some advice on how I can improve the health of my tort, Double T? I got a 1 y/o cherry head tortoise almost a month ago and it was evident that the previous caretaker did a poor job raising the little guy. Double T had pyramiding, weak legs, dry skin, and a diet of solely pellet food. In the last month I’ve seen Double T’s health improve but i noticed today one of his scoots flake (pictures attached). I’ve been feeding him calcium, hibiscus, and mealworms for the most part, his enclosure is quite humid, and i give him baths almost everyday. Is there anything else I can do so his shell gets more healthy? Also what is the flaking?

Thanks Team
-K
 

Attachments

  • CE12F530-02B6-466D-AC01-1688537E9CFC.jpeg
    CE12F530-02B6-466D-AC01-1688537E9CFC.jpeg
    1.7 MB · Views: 29
  • 8CDE94B0-9B0B-4CBB-AD16-443CC05DD8C8.jpeg
    8CDE94B0-9B0B-4CBB-AD16-443CC05DD8C8.jpeg
    602.6 KB · Views: 30
  • 647CC8B0-ABA3-402E-833E-D0EB0AB3B319.jpeg
    647CC8B0-ABA3-402E-833E-D0EB0AB3B319.jpeg
    312.6 KB · Views: 28

Khanmahn

New Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2020
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Honolulu
Also, the right side of the middle rear scoot is very close to the adjacent scoot. Any ideas on what that is about?
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,750
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
@Toddrickfl1
@ZEROPILOT

These 2 members, along with others, will help you.

Also, here is our redfoot care sheet.

 
Last edited:

Khanmahn

New Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2020
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Honolulu
@Toddrickfl1
@ZEROPILOT

These 2 members, along with others, will help you.

Also, here is our redfoot care sheet.



Thank you @KarenSoCal
 

Toddrickfl1

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
7,103
Location (City and/or State)
Ga
Keep up the humidity and soaks for this guy it will help the future growth smooth out. You want to aim for 80%+ humidity at all times. Also expand the diet. Redfoots can eat so many different things. Also you only need to do calcium once a week and if you feed a good varied diet you could even go to once a month.

Some of the greens I feed are dandelion, clover, kale, mustard, turnip, collard, escarole, arugula, romaine, plantain weed, mulberry leaf, hibiscus leaf and flowers, raspberry leaf, endive

Some of the fruits and veggies I feed are mango, papaya, kiwi, melon, cantaloupe, strawberry, blueberry, apricot, pineapple, pear, banana, grapes, carrots, cucumber, squash, peppers, zucchini, and sweet potato.

Some of the things I use for protein are chicken, shrimp, tuna, sardines, scrambled and hard boiled egg, Earthworms, Mealworms, and sometimes low fat cat food. You want to feed protein about once a week.
 

Khanmahn

New Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2020
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Honolulu
Keep up the humidity and soaks for this guy it will help the future growth smooth out. You want to aim for 80%+ humidity at all times. Also expand the diet. Redfoots can eat so many different things. Also you only need to do calcium once a week and if you feed a good varied diet you could even go to once a month.

Some of the greens I feed are dandelion, clover, kale, mustard, turnip, collard, escarole, arugula, romaine, plantain weed, mulberry leaf, hibiscus leaf and flowers, raspberry leaf, endive

Some of the fruits and veggies I feed are mango, papaya, kiwi, melon, cantaloupe, strawberry, blueberry, apricot, pineapple, pear, banana, grapes, carrots, cucumber, squash, peppers, zucchini, and sweet potato.

Some of the things I use for protein are chicken, shrimp, tuna, sardines, scrambled and hard boiled egg, Earthworms, Mealworms, and sometimes low fat cat food. You want to feed protein about once a week.


Thanks @Toddrickfl1

I appreciate the support fam and I know Double T does too!

Much love
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
I'm curious.
What type of lighting and heat are you using?
Super bright, desicating types can cause pyramiding and burning.
I'd like to rule out that this area is burned. And explore if the lighting is contributing to the pyramiding.
Can you take a few more photos of the lights and the heat source?
 

Khanmahn

New Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2020
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Honolulu
I'm curious.
What type of lighting and heat are you using?
Super bright, desicating types can cause pyramiding and burning.
I'd like to rule out that this area is burned. And explore if the lighting is contributing to the pyramiding.
Can you take a few more photos of the lights and the heat source?


Thank you for the curiosity @ZEROPILOT , you legend. Also to the rest of the Tortoise Tribe on this thread.

Lighting is all natural. Heat is from an electronic heat emitter.

Daily routine is:
-Double T wake up at indoor enclosure
-Double T bath
-Double T outdoor adventure time of 15-30 mins (while this is happening I clean up enclosure and let it bask in sun with open lid.)
-I then spray down enclosure and put lid on to ramp up humidity (outside)
-I then bring enclosure back inside and gauge temperature
-now adventure time is over and double T goes in refreshed enclosure with lunch
-At night i put heat emitter on top of enclosure and cover with towels to keep temp at about 83F


NOTE** this enclosure is temporary.. I’m currently building a 5‘x1’x1’ enclosure for a custom tortoise table known as Double T’s Double T but routine principles will stay intact



Cheers & mahalo!
 

Attachments

  • DDD5D316-6ED0-41AA-8842-ED13825EC5E5.jpeg
    DDD5D316-6ED0-41AA-8842-ED13825EC5E5.jpeg
    1.7 MB · Views: 12
  • 0AC3BFA6-074B-43A0-A539-78491E1C2C58.jpeg
    0AC3BFA6-074B-43A0-A539-78491E1C2C58.jpeg
    2.1 MB · Views: 12
  • 682AAF51-C7A2-446E-933A-131971AE7930.jpeg
    682AAF51-C7A2-446E-933A-131971AE7930.jpeg
    1.6 MB · Views: 12
  • 3F92F684-DA19-4286-85B2-D0F9B301CB8F.jpeg
    3F92F684-DA19-4286-85B2-D0F9B301CB8F.jpeg
    1 MB · Views: 10

Golden Greek Tortoise 567

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2019
Messages
1,756
Location (City and/or State)
Colorado Springs,CO
Thank you for the curiosity @ZEROPILOT , you legend. Also to the rest of the Tortoise Tribe on this thread.

Lighting is all natural. Heat is from an electronic heat emitter.

Daily routine is:
-Double T wake up at indoor enclosure
-Double T bath
-Double T outdoor adventure time of 15-30 mins (while this is happening I clean up enclosure and let it bask in sun with open lid.)
-I then spray down enclosure and put lid on to ramp up humidity (outside)
-I then bring enclosure back inside and gauge temperature
-now adventure time is over and double T goes in refreshed enclosure with lunch
-At night i put heat emitter on top of enclosure and cover with towels to keep temp at about 83F


NOTE** this enclosure is temporary.. I’m currently building a 5‘x1’x1’ enclosure for a custom tortoise table known as Double T’s Double T but routine principles will stay intact



Cheers & mahalo!
Tortoises do need heat in the day, he’ll need something bigger then 5by 1by 1. Keep his humidity up really high to prevent his pyramiding from getting worse. Don’t let it drop below 85%. Read this care sheet...
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
Thank you for the curiosity @ZEROPILOT , you legend. Also to the rest of the Tortoise Tribe on this thread.

Lighting is all natural. Heat is from an electronic heat emitter.

Daily routine is:
-Double T wake up at indoor enclosure
-Double T bath
-Double T outdoor adventure time of 15-30 mins (while this is happening I clean up enclosure and let it bask in sun with open lid.)
-I then spray down enclosure and put lid on to ramp up humidity (outside)
-I then bring enclosure back inside and gauge temperature
-now adventure time is over and double T goes in refreshed enclosure with lunch
-At night i put heat emitter on top of enclosure and cover with towels to keep temp at about 83F


NOTE** this enclosure is temporary.. I’m currently building a 5‘x1’x1’ enclosure for a custom tortoise table known as Double T’s Double T but routine principles will stay intact



Cheers & mahalo!
No problem
I just wanted to make sure we hadn't overlooked something
 

Golden Greek Tortoise 567

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2019
Messages
1,756
Location (City and/or State)
Colorado Springs,CO
Thank you for the curiosity @ZEROPILOT , you legend. Also to the rest of the Tortoise Tribe on this thread.

Lighting is all natural. Heat is from an electronic heat emitter.

Daily routine is:
-Double T wake up at indoor enclosure
-Double T bath
-Double T outdoor adventure time of 15-30 mins (while this is happening I clean up enclosure and let it bask in sun with open lid.)
-I then spray down enclosure and put lid on to ramp up humidity (outside)
-I then bring enclosure back inside and gauge temperature
-now adventure time is over and double T goes in refreshed enclosure with lunch
-At night i put heat emitter on top of enclosure and cover with towels to keep temp at about 83F


NOTE** this enclosure is temporary.. I’m currently building a 5‘x1’x1’ enclosure for a custom tortoise table known as Double T’s Double T but routine principles will stay intact



Cheers & mahalo!
I think I read it a little wrong, just forget the part in my post about the heat. ?
 

Khanmahn

New Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2020
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Honolulu
Tortoises do need heat in the day, he’ll need something bigger then 5by 1by 1. Keep his humidity up really high to prevent his pyramiding from getting worse. Don’t let it drop below 85%. Read this care sheet...


Thank you for the insight @Golden Greek Tortoise 567

the new enclosure I’m building is actually going to be 5’x2’x1’... Sorry for the confusion—but even then I plan for that enclosure to last a year or two then Double T can be mostly outdoors. What would you suggest for optimal size enclosure throughout the maturing process of Double T?
 

Golden Greek Tortoise 567

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2019
Messages
1,756
Location (City and/or State)
Colorado Springs,CO
Thank you for the insight @Golden Greek Tortoise 567

the new enclosure I’m building is actually going to be 5’x2’x1’... Sorry for the confusion—but even then I plan for that enclosure to last a year or two then Double T can be mostly outdoors. What would you suggest for optimal size enclosure throughout the maturing process of Double T?
As he get’s bigger, he’ll need bigger and bigger enclosures. You can either build a big enough one now, or get bigger and bigger and bigger. For the optimal size, just go as big as you can, for tortoise enclosures the bigger the better. What I did for my torts was do 2 sizes. 5’x2’x1’ will last him for a year or two as you have guessed, then just build the biggest one possible.
 
Top