Hi everyone! This is my first post
Something very curious is happening on my tortoise's shell. There are little, very tiny, dark brown spots appearing all over. I cannot scratch them off (I was worried they were bug eggs). Anyone know what they are?
Some information I believe may be relevant to the situation:
He resides in Southern California and I would say the weather right now is ideal, though it's getting dry and everyone's lawns are dying. Some changes I have recently made to his outdoor enclosure are:
These new additions to his livelihood are recent, within the last 2 months, which is why I suspect one of them to be the possible culprit. Earlier I stated that I thought they were bug eggs, this is because the water and his dog house are cool spots for bugs, and his new cow patties attract flies.
Besides the tiny brown spots though, he is showing no other signs of health deterioration. In fact, I would say his situation is the best it's ever been with the new installments and his poop (except the flies, I hate them!). He is 12 years old.
He has already retired, but I snuck of photo
I don't know why, but now I feel like I've seen them before, which means they go away. But I'm not certain. They are spread out all over, so I am a bit alarmed.
Something very curious is happening on my tortoise's shell. There are little, very tiny, dark brown spots appearing all over. I cannot scratch them off (I was worried they were bug eggs). Anyone know what they are?
Some information I believe may be relevant to the situation:
He resides in Southern California and I would say the weather right now is ideal, though it's getting dry and everyone's lawns are dying. Some changes I have recently made to his outdoor enclosure are:
heating lamp in dog house - If it dropped below 60 degrees, we used to bring him indoors. Now we let him stay out. The weather is getting a lot hotter now though, so I might take it away. I bring this up because maybe he is too hot at night? We do not have a thermometer, but at the same setting indoors, he is fine.
a place to soak - Usually I was giving him a bath once every week to week in a half. Now I refill a floor tray that came with his dog house everyday with fresh water. I know he soaks in it (I caught him once, for all those out there that think their tortoise doesn't appreciate water in their pen ) and extra proof is his droppings have improved dramatically in frequency and consistency. I'm actually pretty proud of this, though it could also be...
new weeds - Okay, here is where I'm a bad caretaker now that I have to evaluate the situation and type it out. There are two weeds I've never seen before growing on everyone's lawns (the neighbors let me pull all their weeds) that I have added to his diet. I base what I pick on research and what my tortoise goes back to eat again and again when I walk him, but these two I haven't tried to hard to find on the internet yet until Just Now. I usually take a bite out of what he eats too, but these two are based on trial and that they have a milky inside (though now I know not to rely on that....)
a place to soak - Usually I was giving him a bath once every week to week in a half. Now I refill a floor tray that came with his dog house everyday with fresh water. I know he soaks in it (I caught him once, for all those out there that think their tortoise doesn't appreciate water in their pen ) and extra proof is his droppings have improved dramatically in frequency and consistency. I'm actually pretty proud of this, though it could also be...
new weeds - Okay, here is where I'm a bad caretaker now that I have to evaluate the situation and type it out. There are two weeds I've never seen before growing on everyone's lawns (the neighbors let me pull all their weeds) that I have added to his diet. I base what I pick on research and what my tortoise goes back to eat again and again when I walk him, but these two I haven't tried to hard to find on the internet yet until Just Now. I usually take a bite out of what he eats too, but these two are based on trial and that they have a milky inside (though now I know not to rely on that....)
Weed 1: This weed grows upward and has changed it's appearance drastically since February. They used to be like light salad greens. Now they have spikes on the main stem and running up the spine of the leaves. I don't really pick them anymore out of uncertainty. I'd argue they've become an entirely different plant, if they aren't.
Weed 2: This one spreads out and is dying as summer heat is rolling around. The flowers are yellow but I haven't seen them open for a week now, even in the morning. I think it is strictly a spring weed that needs a damp environment. This is the one for the past two weeks that I have pulled and placed in his pen, a replacement for lack of those "salad greens". He does not eat it as much, but I don't know if this is because he really doesn't like it (as in maybe it's non-tortoise-edible) or he is just sick of it--which happens a lot because he's a spoiled brat. Please tell me it is not buttercup!! When I look up it's descriptions, buttercup seems to be the closest though the leaves and flowers are different.
Sorry for the blur in this one, it's just to show how it grows and I was losing the sun.
Weed 2: This one spreads out and is dying as summer heat is rolling around. The flowers are yellow but I haven't seen them open for a week now, even in the morning. I think it is strictly a spring weed that needs a damp environment. This is the one for the past two weeks that I have pulled and placed in his pen, a replacement for lack of those "salad greens". He does not eat it as much, but I don't know if this is because he really doesn't like it (as in maybe it's non-tortoise-edible) or he is just sick of it--which happens a lot because he's a spoiled brat. Please tell me it is not buttercup!! When I look up it's descriptions, buttercup seems to be the closest though the leaves and flowers are different.
Sorry for the blur in this one, it's just to show how it grows and I was losing the sun.
These new additions to his livelihood are recent, within the last 2 months, which is why I suspect one of them to be the possible culprit. Earlier I stated that I thought they were bug eggs, this is because the water and his dog house are cool spots for bugs, and his new cow patties attract flies.
Besides the tiny brown spots though, he is showing no other signs of health deterioration. In fact, I would say his situation is the best it's ever been with the new installments and his poop (except the flies, I hate them!). He is 12 years old.
He has already retired, but I snuck of photo
I don't know why, but now I feel like I've seen them before, which means they go away. But I'm not certain. They are spread out all over, so I am a bit alarmed.
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