Hello there, this is my first post on this forum.
My situation with the female Russian tortoise I’m posting about is kind of unusual. She’s not actually mine; she’s part of the reptile collection where I work, where she’s used as an educational animal to teach kids about tortoises and reptile care. IIRC she came to my workplace in 2012, way before I worked there, as a rescue of unknown age and origin; she reportedly had MBD and shell rot, and at one point her shell was so soft it could be deformed by touching it. That is healed now, and other than some scarring and deformation her shell is healthy.
I was recently given charge of the reptile collection; though I love reptiles and consider myself relatively knowledgeable, most of my experience is with snakes and lizards. So I’ve been frantically researching to see what her care requirements truly are and what needed to be changed. I’ve read every care sheet I could find, including the one on this forum. Most of the collection came home with me for the covid-19 quarantine, so I have time to mess with things for the first time in a while.
The tort in question, walking around to dry off after a soak.
A list of things I have changed since I took over:
1. started soaking her much more regularly, trying for 2-3 times a week. She wasn’t being regularly soaked before.
2. upgraded her just yesterday from a 40 gallon breeder tank to one that’s 4’ by a little less than 2’. I know this tank isn’t ideal, not big enough and not the best material; however, where she is housed we literally do not have another option at the moment. We do not have outdoor space and our indoor space is extremely limited. The tanks are not on display, so we aren’t advertising too small housing to the public, but the absolute instant I have another option I will move her.
Old tank: (right)
new tank: (ignore Marty the corn snake being nosy)
3. Increased her basking temps and changed style of UVB light. The new basking spot runs about 93-98 F, and the UVB changed from the cfl style to the tube style. I will get a replacement tube as soon as this craziness is over, I don’t know how old the one in it is now. (It’s also a 5.0 UVB, and I think it needs to be a 10.0? Opinions welcomed)
4. Adjusting her diet; historically she’s been fed primarily kale with reptical tortoise pellets and calcium supplement daily. I’ve ordered the tetsudo seed mix and will start feeding her that once it grows, and trying to add some Timothy hay on advice of our vet. (I live in an apartment complex that definitely treats with pesticides and herbicides, I don’t trust anything growing outside here.) Her appetite has been very poor recently, I’m hoping the increased temps and hydration will bring her around.
I came here to start checking in with knowledgeable people with more tortoise experience; I want to know if there’s anything else I can do to make her life better, other than getting her a bigger enclosure.
one more request... could we try to keep things civil regarding the people who had charge of the collection before me? They were doing their absolute best with nearly no resources or support, and what’s done is done now. I’d just like to see what I can improve on going forward.
Thanks for your time and advice! I really appreciate y’all helping me care for miss Tesla properly.
My situation with the female Russian tortoise I’m posting about is kind of unusual. She’s not actually mine; she’s part of the reptile collection where I work, where she’s used as an educational animal to teach kids about tortoises and reptile care. IIRC she came to my workplace in 2012, way before I worked there, as a rescue of unknown age and origin; she reportedly had MBD and shell rot, and at one point her shell was so soft it could be deformed by touching it. That is healed now, and other than some scarring and deformation her shell is healthy.
I was recently given charge of the reptile collection; though I love reptiles and consider myself relatively knowledgeable, most of my experience is with snakes and lizards. So I’ve been frantically researching to see what her care requirements truly are and what needed to be changed. I’ve read every care sheet I could find, including the one on this forum. Most of the collection came home with me for the covid-19 quarantine, so I have time to mess with things for the first time in a while.
The tort in question, walking around to dry off after a soak.
A list of things I have changed since I took over:
1. started soaking her much more regularly, trying for 2-3 times a week. She wasn’t being regularly soaked before.
2. upgraded her just yesterday from a 40 gallon breeder tank to one that’s 4’ by a little less than 2’. I know this tank isn’t ideal, not big enough and not the best material; however, where she is housed we literally do not have another option at the moment. We do not have outdoor space and our indoor space is extremely limited. The tanks are not on display, so we aren’t advertising too small housing to the public, but the absolute instant I have another option I will move her.
Old tank: (right)
new tank: (ignore Marty the corn snake being nosy)
3. Increased her basking temps and changed style of UVB light. The new basking spot runs about 93-98 F, and the UVB changed from the cfl style to the tube style. I will get a replacement tube as soon as this craziness is over, I don’t know how old the one in it is now. (It’s also a 5.0 UVB, and I think it needs to be a 10.0? Opinions welcomed)
4. Adjusting her diet; historically she’s been fed primarily kale with reptical tortoise pellets and calcium supplement daily. I’ve ordered the tetsudo seed mix and will start feeding her that once it grows, and trying to add some Timothy hay on advice of our vet. (I live in an apartment complex that definitely treats with pesticides and herbicides, I don’t trust anything growing outside here.) Her appetite has been very poor recently, I’m hoping the increased temps and hydration will bring her around.
I came here to start checking in with knowledgeable people with more tortoise experience; I want to know if there’s anything else I can do to make her life better, other than getting her a bigger enclosure.
one more request... could we try to keep things civil regarding the people who had charge of the collection before me? They were doing their absolute best with nearly no resources or support, and what’s done is done now. I’d just like to see what I can improve on going forward.
Thanks for your time and advice! I really appreciate y’all helping me care for miss Tesla properly.