Dry skin on Taco.

tacotaco

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I’ve noticed that Taco has dry skin and tiny bits of dead dry skin hanging from his legs. I soak him 15+ mins twice a day. I feed him fresh mixed greens with calcium power every other day and a mixture of mazuri/marion zoological red tortoise sticks/ grassland tortoise pellets that I soak and roll into a tortoise “meatball” he loves it! Taco spends most of the time sleeping under his heat lamp. I’m wondering if he is getting too warm and or dehydrated because of it? Is dry skin normal or am I doing something wrong?



Thanks.
 

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katieandiggy

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Also, have you checked your temperatures? Are you sure your cool end is not too cool? May be why he is always under the lamp?
 

tacotaco

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Yes, his temperatures are 100 degrees Fahrenheit under in his basking spot and 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the rest of the enclosure. I guess that I should clarify what I previously said, he doesn’t spend all day under his heat lamp, but he spends the majority of his time near his basking spot. I have a hide for him, but he never goes into it. He likes to crawl behind it and go to sleep.
 

katieandiggy

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Mine was exactly the same. He never spent much time near his hide or even in the cool end, and my temps were good too. I had a rearrange of my vivarium And I got a new hide, a terracotta flower pot which was much smaller than the wooden one I had before, now he spends all night asleep in it. How big is your hide? Tortoises like small spaces to get in and hide, it makes them feel safer.
 

tacotaco

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Mine was exactly the same. He never spent much time near his hide or even in the cool end, and my temps were good too. I had a rearrange of my vivarium And I got a new hide, a terracotta flower pot which was much smaller than the wooden one I had before, now he spends all night asleep in it. How big is your hide? Tortoises like small spaces to get in and hide, it makes them feel safer.

I use a pretty small plastic Tupperware, really just big enough for him to walk into. But I’ll give the terracotta pot a try though. Thanks.
 

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