Kirsty123
Member
Hi all I have a baby horsefield tortoise I've had him about a month. Hes shell looks abit bumpy is this normal? 
Bumpy shell
- Thread starter Kirsty123
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Crush da Baum
Well-Known Member
It is called pyramiding. He needs to be kept in a more humid environment.
Kirsty123
Member
How I make it more humid? He is in a open top tortoise table with head lamp at one end temp is around 85-95F and cooler end is about 75-80F he seems to hide away from the heat lamp and is rarely under it.
Crush da Baum
Well-Known Member
It is very hard to make a open top enclosure humid. I would make some sort of top for it. There are many easy ways to do this.
Golden Greek Tortoise 567
Well-Known Member
Read this care sheet, and welcome to the forum!
www.tortoiseforum.org
The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise
I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...
www.tortoiseforum.org
Excessive heat from strong heat lamps does it too. Mayne too high a wattage?
Kirsty123
Member
Il try see what wattage it is, what would be ideal for this? Thank you for your reply
Only your thermometer can answer that. It should be around 36C directly under the basking bulb. Incandescent flood bulbs work best and do the least damage, but your tortoise still need damp substrate, frequent soaks, a humid hide, and higher ambient humidity if you don't want that to continue and get worse.
Its all explained in the care sheet that Golden Greek linked for you.
Kirsty123
Member
Defo dont want it getting any worse.
Thank you will get it sorted.
Thank you will get it sorted.
AgataP
Well-Known Member
I made a very simple closed box for the baby. Keeps it humid and warm. His other light is arriving today.
I making another enclosure that he will her probably next month, but this seems to works fantastic for now.
I can control the temperature in few ways.
His next enclosure will be actually automated with humidity, temperature sensors and mister connected to a computer, with sending me notifications if anything changes. Of course motion sensor camera. We are thinking about designing an arm that can flip tortoise over just in case.
I making another enclosure that he will her probably next month, but this seems to works fantastic for now.
I can control the temperature in few ways.
His next enclosure will be actually automated with humidity, temperature sensors and mister connected to a computer, with sending me notifications if anything changes. Of course motion sensor camera. We are thinking about designing an arm that can flip tortoise over just in case.
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Kirsty123
Member
Depends on what bulb is in it. The dome and fixture is fine, but don't rely on the clamp. Those always fail and many tortoises die, and many house burn to the ground. Hang the fixture from over head.
What bulb is in your fixture?
Kirsty123
Member
I have no idea it all came together as a package :-(
Show us a picture of the bulb. There is probably also factory labeling on the actual bulb showing the wattage and other info too.
Kirsty123
Member
Thank you yes it's a 220-240V 100W bulb I will change the clamp yo a over head.
Its probably a spot bulb. You want a regular incandescent flood bulb from the hardware store in there. Usually a 65 watt will do the job, but only your thermometer can tell you if its right.
Lost of good info like this in that care sheet that Golden Greek linked for you earlier in this thread.
Kirsty123
Member
Thanks for you all help. Will go through it all tomorrow and get it sorted.
Kirsty123
Member
Hi Tom you seem to know your stuff can I ask you if it's okay to spray/mist water into the soil as it's so dry to try add humidity aswell? I read someone else that Horsefield tortoises dont like it to damp? Thank you
Well first, you shouldn't use soil. Its made of composted yard waste and there is no way to know what it is made of. Its also messy and turns to gross staining mud when wet.
Once you have the right substrate, misting the surface does almost nothing. You can do it and its not harmful, but it won't accomplish your goal. What you need is about 3-4 inches of orchid bark. Dump a gallon or two of water into it and mix it all up. The lower layers will remain more damp while the upper layer remains somewhat dry-ish, as it wicks up moisture from below and that moisture evaporates into the air in the enclosure, giving you the desired humidity. You'll have to regularly dump more water into the substrate to maintain the correct level of dampness. Its all by feel. How much water to dump and how often depends on many factors and its different for each enclosure. Sometime dumping the water bowl into the substrate daily is enough, and sometimes its too much or not enough.
As your in the UK checkout swell reptiles online for misc equipment, food and substrate inc orchids bark which is popular to keep damp with a water spray and your tortoise may bury and cave in it. Komodo also do an over head light holding stand which adjusts for the right high for temperature required. Run the lamp on a thermostats set at required temp so you have control. This forum has a wealth of experience and advise so just ask and check.
