Bells hingeback rescuer, becoming helicopter mom

Status
Not open for further replies.

BeevMom

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2012
Messages
21
Hello all, I've been using this forum for tips for the past couple of months and just decided to join in. I have a 20ish year old bells hingeback that my sister gave me on Christmas of last year. He's been in our family for the past 15 or so years. My dad got him for her for a school science project, thinking it would be easy to take care of him afterwards. I love my sister but she had no interest in a commitment to this animal, and so he's spent the past 15 years either in a 10 gallon aquarium on a hot rock (which burned his carapace so badly on the bottom that in 2001 I took him to an exotic vet to keep his insides from coming out). He healed from that, but then she left him to roam the house with no UVB ever, no humidity ever, no protein or calcium, etc etc. I have even come over during the winter to find him outside on the back porch in 40 degree weather.

How he has survived all this is beyond me, but I recently took him back to the vet for a full workup, and besides a badly needed beak trim and some off blood test results that I'm following up with in 4 weeks, he's ok. Now that I have him in my care, I am determined to get him in the perfect set up. My problems now are based on the fact that he ate only tomatoes for a long time, he's very picky now, and he's used to having a whole house in which to roam. I got him in two zoo med tort houses (I know they're expensive but I can't build anything in my apt), a 160 watt UVB lamp and an infrared at night, a temp and humidity gauge, a mister to keep it humid, and coconut/play sand mix for substrate (I need to get some sphagnum moss or something to keep it humid...right now the ground is very damp but the air is still only at 30% humidity). I'd like to get some good leaf litter for him but I can't really find any, and there's something about paying for leaves that I can't stomach haha! But I don't have any good trees around and they're probably sprayed.

All this is to say that I've been searching for really good advice for substrate and setup, but the Internet is so full of conflicting advice, and I'm so worried about screwing him up even more and wondering if all of these habitat and dietary changes are going to freak him out.

So, if anybody has some good bells advice, what works for you and what doesn't, I would really appreciate it! I'm planning to move to a house this summer and will set up something outside, but for now, he can only be indoors. Thanks guys!
 

jkingler

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2012
Messages
433
What rugged survivalists torts can be! So sorry to hear that your Bells has had such a rough go of it, and I hope that you find amazing advice soon (as we have Hingeback lovers, for sure) and that your tort's new life is much, much better (as I am sure it will be, since you're here and eager to learn)!
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,658
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Welcome. Glad you decide to join. You will get very good info on here. Good luck and
Jacqui of  unhinged over hingedbacks-has hinged back tortoises. If you don't hear from her soon, send her a pm.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,389
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Hi BeevMom:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like us to call you? and may we know appx. where in the world you are?

We have several hingeback keepers here on the forum and I'm sure they'll be very glad to help you. I don't know anything about the hingebacks, I just wanted to welcome you and tell you I'm so happy the little guy is finally with someone who cares about him. It may take some time for him to become accustomed to his new home, and settle down. Don't be impatient.
 

TORTOISEMAN1

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
1,199
Location (City and/or State)
FL
I don't know much about Hingebacks:( but I can say Welcome to the forum!!:)
 

BeevMom

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2012
Messages
21
jkingler said:
What rugged survivalists torts can be! So sorry to hear that your Bells has had such a rough go of it, and I hope that you find amazing advice soon (as we have Hingeback lovers, for sure) and that your tort's new life is much, much better (as I am sure it will be, since you're here and eager to learn)!

Thanks, jkingler! Beevis (I didn't name him that but it's too late to change it) is a cool little guy, and I am looking forward to learning more from all of you!
 

BeevMom

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2012
Messages
21
wellington said:
Welcome. Glad you decide to join. You will get very good info on here. Good luck and
Jacqui of  unhinged over hingedbacks-has hinged back tortoises. If you don't hear from her soon, send her a pm.

Thanks, wellington, for the welcome and the info! I'll make sure to get in touch with her :)
 

BeevMom

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2012
Messages
21
emysemys said:
Hi BeevMom:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like us to call you? and may we know appx. where in the world you are?

We have several hingeback keepers here on the forum and I'm sure they'll be very glad to help you. I don't know anything about the hingebacks, I just wanted to welcome you and tell you I'm so happy the little guy is finally with someone who cares about him. It may take some time for him to become accustomed to his new home, and settle down. Don't be impatient.

Hi there! My name is Diana and I'm in middle Georgia, USA. My tort's name is Beevis. Thanks for the welcome and the advice - I have to keep reminding myself that it might be a while before he's 100%. I'm just glad he's basking in some UVB! :)
 

BeevMom

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2012
Messages
21
TORTOISEMAN1 said:
I don't know much about Hingebacks:( but I can say Welcome to the forum!!:)

Thanks for the welcome, Tortoiseman! It's still cool to read about other types of torts on this forum :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

New Posts

Top