Help!!! Is my tortoise okay?!

[zoe_tyler]

I need advice. I could easily be overreacting, but I just want the best for my tortoise

So the last couple of weeks I have noticed that my 7 month old leopard tortoise Moby has had some flaky skin. I was concerned until I read a post about this flaking to be normal for tortoises. The post further instructed that I should not pick off any flaking skin. I do not remember if I read that information on this forum or different one (I only became a member recently.)

Around the same time, I noticed he had faint greyish/black lines appearing on his shell. Additionally, a blotch of the same color appeared on his shell. I had read that white lines are a sign of overfeeding or fast growth in some tortoises, but I found information on new coloring like this (see pictured below.)

Lately, Moby has been sleeping more than usual throughout the day. He then suddenly becomes active around 10:30 pm. At first, I was a little concerned. I brushed it off as Moby being affected by an increase in my nighttime activities. I am on winter break, so I am staying up later and moving around.

Today, when I went to pick him up, I saw a small white thing crawl off of Moby's shell and onto my hand. I squashed it immediately. It seemed to be a bug or parasite of some kind. The creature was extremely small. I was mortified. I soaked him and waited to see if any other white things came off of him. After 20 minutes, the only thing in his soak bowl was fecal matter. Moby's poop was slightly greener than usual. Otherwise, the feces seemed okay.

Right now, the overall humidity is kept at 50% and the basking temperature is at 105, while the cooler side is at 70. I am currently working on raising the cooler side, but this task has been a struggle in the winter.

He eats mostly vegetables, and recently, I have gotten him to eat more grasses from my backyard. Moby used to eat grasses regularly from my garden during warmer months. Right now, the weather is dangerously cold, so I have picked grasses and clover for him to eat indoors. Could this white creature have come off of an outdoor plant...?

Also, is his shell okay? Overall, Moby seems drier. His new dark marks also concern me.

Thank you for your time. I really appreciate all advice and insight. I just want to make sure Moby is okay!

Pictures- the first two show him overall. The third shows a new black dot above the heart shape on Moby's shell that I am concerned about. The fourth shows an overall dryness on his shell. The fifth picture shows the new lines along the shell that also concern me.

 

[zoe_tyler]

Sorry for repeating the first two images!

 

[Tom]

Flaking of the skin is not normal. Its a sign of several potential problems, dryness being the main one.

The bug is probably a common substrate fly. These are harmless detrivores that live in the hospitable environment that is provided for your tortoise. They only way to get rid of them is to boil, bake or replace the substrate every couple of weeks or so. I just ignore them.

The colors and markings on the shell look normal to me, but the raised edges are cause for concern as this is how pyramiding begins.

105 is too hot for your basking area. This will dry out the carapace excessively and contribute to pyramiding. Likewise 70 is too low on the cool side. I know you already know this, but I bring it up because the solution for both of these problems and your humidity problem is the same: You need a closed chamber. That open top is going to make it very difficult to maintain the right humidity or temperatures.

What type of UV bulb are you using?

Here is the correct current care info:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Hope all this helps.

 

[diamondbp]

Pictures of his entire enclosure will allow us to properly give helpful advice. Until the enclosure is properly equipped you will be fighting an uphill battle with a leopard that young. Read closely @Tom thread about a proper closed enclosure for young leopards. It's been the best money I've spent for my younger leopards

 

[zoe_tyler]

I am beginning to think that humidity is the root to a lot of problems. I constantly struggle keeping the humidity at a mere 50%, and that's too low. I have gone ahead and purchased a screen cover to close the chamber. I am hoping that will help not only with the humidity but with the heat, too.

I believe the dry skin is the result of low humidity and high temperatures. Dry skin had not become a problem until I tried to raise the overall temperature of his enclosure. I am hoping that when the cover ships in, I will be able to solve this problem along with overall humidity and heat.

I am relieved to hear that the bug should be no worry. Moby's enclosure was due for new substrate this week, but I think I will go ahead and replace it today.

I am currently using a 150 watt basking bulb from All Living Things. Recently, I discovered that UVB and UVA can be provided from a single bulb. I am really interested in purchasing one and am looking at the Exo Terra Solar-Glo High Intensity Self-Ballasted Uv/Heat Mercury Vapor Lamp at 125 watts. Would you guys recommend doing that instead?

Also, I am wanting to purchase a ceramic heat emitter. I was not aware that type of product existed and would love to keep the temperatures up at night during the winter.

I really want to ensure that my tortoise does not pyramid. Is he too far gone for me to try and reverse the effects? From what I have read, once a tortoise starts pyramiding, stopping the effects are near to impossible. I just want to make my little guy healthy.

Thank you for providing correct care info. Finding reliable information on tortoises is surprisingly difficult to find. I especially appreciated the Beginner's Mistakes thread. I was surprised to read what I was and was not doing right.

 

[zoe_tyler]

Do you mind attaching a link of the post from Tom on proper enclosures for young leopards? I am would love to post a picture of my enclosure once the new top comes in.

 

[Markw84]

If's actually in the thread he referred to in his above post to you on how to raise. Here it is...
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-32333.html
I actually just made a new enclosure myself for my baby leopards using a lot of the design he shows there.

Also, a screen cover is not what you need. Over the years I tried everything in raising my leopards and sulcatas, and nothing works but and enclosed chamber. I switched to that for my babies and young 18 years ago as I found it too hard to control temps. Unfortunately then, I did not know, nor was anyone proposing high humidity - that was easy to add since I had already gone to an enclosed chamber. Since my previous chamber was built in - Ihad to build a few new ones when I moved last year and found Tom's thread the best model to follow. I encourage you to take the time to get something like that for your tortoise. And, the pyramiding once started will tend to continue, but dramatically smooth out over time, especially as small as your tortoise is.

!50 watts is why your basking area is so hot. You can raise it, but you don't need a bulb that big and save some money on electricity too! In a closed chamber you should never need more than about 60 - 75 watts. The Mercury vapor is an excellent choice, but the smallest I have seen is 75 watts. Go for the smaller sizes as you will want that in you enclosed chamber. You will also want a CHE for night time heat or the heating elements Tom uses in his post.

Good luck.

 

[Careym13]

I'll chime in and add that a closed chamber makes a world of difference...and that is probably still an understatement. Like someone else said earlier, post a photo of your current enclosure if you can.

 

[zoe_tyler]

I canceled my order on the screen I skimmed over the article on closed chambers you attached. Am I correct in reading that aluminum foil will suffice to close glass tanks? That would be an efficient fix. Later on, I want to enclose Moby's enclosure using wood or another sturdy material like in other enclosures pictured in that thread, but the aluminum foil fix would work for now if that does in fact work.

I already raised the basking lamp and have gotten the basking temperature down to about 90, plus I'm changing bulbs to the mercury vapor and getting the CHE. Humidity is up to 80%, but keeping it that way is a struggle. I really hope an enclosed chamber helps!

Attached is a basic picture of the current enclosure. The lamp with UVA is not in the picture, but I have it next to the basking lamp. I want to definitely add real plant life, possibly take out the rocks, and perhaps change the layout for him. Moby loves sleeping under those corny looking leaves in the center- he absolutely adores them! The square at the bottom in the middle of the enclosure is a tile where food is placed. Also, I have read that commercial water dishes are unsafe, but Moby has no trouble getting in and out of the dish.

Please give me any suggestions about rearranging, taking, or adding elements to the enclosure. I want the enclosure to make my tortoise healthy and happy. I have not owned him for very long, so this was my first attempt at a tortoise enclosure. He went from being housed in a small glass box with lots of other tortoises of different species being fed only fruit to a 40 gallon tank with no other tortoises being fed grasses and veggies. These conditions are definitely better than what Moby originally had but are far from perfect.

Thank you for your time!

 

[zoe_tyler]

Update: I added aluminum foil to cover the tank. A world of a difference has already been made!