CDT Tortoise Behavior Question (plus a re-asking of a plastron question)

[the_newzie]

Okay, so here's the latest question that's keeping me up at night:

Is it normal for a tortoise to change behavior patterns upon being moved inside for the winter? I ask because I've noticed Steve being less active since moving him inside. Now, granted, his indoor setup is far less exciting than his outdoor setup was and (upon reading a bunch of threads) I don't think I have enough sight barriers in his indoor space. He's eating well and when I take him outside on warm weekend days for some real sun, he runs laps like a marathoner. So I'm not too worried, but I wanted to check to see if his behavior change is something to be expected. Pertinent data = young (hatchling/yearling?) CDT, newbie owner, light is MVB, CHE for nighttime temp, coconut substrate, approx 3'x3' indoor habitat for winter only.
Okay, part 2, and I have asked this before and been told it's not abnormal for his age/size but I was looking at him again yesterday and it still worries me. I'm sorry if this is coming off as needy or hand-holdy or whatever, but I love this little guy and want to make doubly sure he's doing fine. His plastron is soft and has what I see as abnormalities. To be safe, I recently started sprinkling Rep-Cal (with D3) so here are some pictures of his plastron and I did some close ups of the areas causing me to worry. Please take a look and let me know. Pertinent info - This is what he looked like since he came to me in late May of this year (not a new development), woefully deficient knowledge of his conditions before I took ownership (no clue what his actual age/diet/sun access/anything was like before he was mine) his overall behavior patterns are encouraging (aside from concern described in part 1), I've already been told once not to worry by trusted sources on this forum, I worry too much a lot. Thanks for all the help (pretty sure Steve and I wouldn't have made it this far without you guys/gals)!!

 

[ascott]

1st; Yes, it is normal for a tort to change behavior when their primary location changes (inside housing vs the great outdoors)...

2nd; The tort shell looks normal, there are a couple spots that appear to be healing areas (from some type of ding--no way for certain to know his life adventures prior to you, right?)...

How often do you soak this little one?

 

[the_newzie]

Good to know about the behavior change and thanks for reassuring me about his plastron. I've upped his soaking schedule to 20 min a day. It used to be a few times a week but some members suggested upping it so I did. Also, I've started dampening the bottom layers of his substrate and tried to make sure he has some humidity in his burrow. I'm hoping the addition of the Rep Cal will be the final tweak I need to make to get him a solid routine. I put in a sight barrier and a little hill (for lack of a better word) so he has a little bit more to do in his inside set up. Have tomorrow off so I'll get him some good outside time in the sun too. Thanks again for the reply! 5 months of tortoise ownership down, only like 955 more to go

 

[Ciri]

I worry a lot also, so I get why you need to ask a lot of questions. I used to go to my reptile specialist veterinarian, and ask all kinds of questions. Sometimes it took longer for me to get all my questions answered than it did for him to do a thorough exam of my animals. But he's been very patient.

It definitely is normal for his behavior to change when you bring him indoors. The fact that he's very active when you take him back outside again, sounds like he's healthy.

As for his shell, is it barely soft, or quite soft? It will take a while for his shell to harden. The odd looking spots on his shell could be a sign of nutritional deficiencies or simply scarring to his shell. I suppose it could also be a fungus. I haven't had this issue, and if I did I would want to take the tortoise to a reptile specialist veterinarian if it didn't clear up.

Here's some dietary information from Arizona game and Fish for desert tortoise hatchlings:

The same types of foods offered to adults should be available to young tortoises; however, in different amounts. The diet should contain about twice the protein and half the fiber content of the adult diet until the third year. Course, dry, alfalfa hay should be avoided. It is best to offer mulberry and grape leaves, clover, alfalfa, dichondra, filaree, spurge, rose petals, petunias, verbena, and native plants such as globe mallow. Hatchlings eat frequently and must have food provided to them several times a day. In an outdoor enclosure, several of these plants must be established in the enclosure to allow frequent browsing. If the hatchlings are housed inside, a grazing box is recommended. A plastic sweater or shoe box can be planted with a mixture of alfalfa and clover. After the plants are established, the tortoises should be placed in the box several times a day and allowed to graze. Shade must be available in the container at all times and avoid the hot part of the day in the summer. For inside and outside enclosures, to prevent overgrazing, fourteen days of plant growth is recommended before allowing the tortoises access to the plants. If supplementary foods are offered, remove uneaten portions from the enclosure at the end of the day to avoid attracting insects. Insecticides, pesticides or other toxic chemicals should never be used near the hatchlings, as hatchlings are especially susceptible to these compounds.
Hatchlings require shallow puddles of water for drinking and soaking. As mentioned above, shallow saucers can be used for this but should be allowed to dry in between waterings. The shell of a hatchling is relatively soft but will harden over time if the tortoise has access to an appropriate diet and sunlight (or an acceptable substitute.)

The above paragraphs are from The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum - it has excellent info compiled by reptile specialist veterinarian who has cared for the museum's desert tortoises for 35 years:
http://www.desertmuseum.org/programs/tap_tortcare.php

The above care sheet also has information on substrate. I know that some others on this list like using the coconut substrate, but my reptile specialist who takes care of a lot of desert tortoises has recommended against it. I have instead taken some of the soil from the backyard and baked it. 350° for 20 minutes or so should kill any bacteria. That way it is a very natural substrate. I of course, never use soil which is had pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers put on it for at least a few years.

I also don't moisten the substrate, but instead have a clean water dish, sanitized daily, available for the little one to drink from. They're really pretty good when they're young about going in and out of water dishes, drinking as they need to. This is a good habit for them to get into. I use porcelain or glazed ceramic dishes, and just put them in the dishwasher making sure the heated drying cycle is on. Or you can sanitize them with the bleach and water solution which is thoroughly rinsed off afterwards. Sanitizing is really important – pee and poop are great mediums for growing bacteria. I used to get my dishes from pet stores, but I found that the prices and selection were better at Crate & Barrel so that's where I buy them now.

This is a brochure listing lots of really healthy native foods for desert tortoises:
http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/tortoise/documents/NativePlantsforDesertTortoises_2008.pdf

Hope this is helpful.

 

[the_newzie]

Everything is helpful! I have a vet who raises torts and a variety of other reptiles. I took Steve in months ago and he said his plastron was on the soft side but wasn't a cause for worry. I try not to take him in for every little thing, especially when I get such good info here. Guess I had just hoped the hardening phase would be a quicker process. The one thing I think I've been getting right was his diet (except I neglected the rep cal sprinkles for the first 4 months ) . I did a lot of research and planted a variety of natural foods (different grasses, prickly pear, hibiscus) in fact this afternoon I had to go buy an additional hibiscus and prickly pear because I'm afraid the ones I have aren't regrowing fast enough to keep up with Steve's insatiable appetite. Lol. At least today he had a good afternoon outside watching me toil away in the nv heat removing some non-optimal landscape from his outdoor place and adding in some additional organic planting mix and his new food sources. He keeps me from getting bored, that's for sure!