Meet Rex - is he healthy?

[rexsmumrowan]

Hi all - we got Rex a little over a month ago and I am super paranoid that his shell is pyramiding and other health problems he may have (total new tortoise parent here!).

The place we got him from was useless and didn't even know how old he was - they said he was under 1 though. There were 4 in a tiny tank and there was poo everywhere - poor things.

I feed him weeds and leaves and he has a cuttle fish which he chomps on. He has the occasional strawberry and cucumber slice as a treat - maybe once a week?

Dandelions are his favourite

His sleeping pattern is amazing. He goes to bed at 8pm every night - half an hour before his light goes off and he wakes up when he hears the light click on in the morning at 8am.

He HATES baths but I give him about 3-4 a week.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Yes, he is starting to pyramid. Take out the alfalfa pellets and add a layer of coco coir to that soil substrate. Keep it moist and partially cover the tort table to help keep the warm, moist air inside. Pyramiding is caused by keeping a baby tortoise too dry.

Your new little captive-bred baby looks like he may be about a year old, but not older than 2.

 

[wellington]

He is already pyramided. Give him a secured, top and bottom outdoor enclosure for the summer months. i would guess he is much older then a year. Hard to tell an age of a tortoise though. If from a pet store, he most likely is wild caught and at least 5 years if not older. Hard to tell the size of him in the pics though..

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum. You've come to the right place for help.

Good luck to you and your tort.

 

[rexsmumrowan]

Thanks for the advice so far guys - he does have the coco coir - it is a soil mix. I was told to not allow him to get moist as it can lead to shell rot - is that wrong? I thought horsefields were sensitive to humidity.

I have soaked him 3-4 times a week since we got him - the place we got him from said they bathed them once a week if that and they weren't soaked, so that probably is what did it

His light is on for 12 hours a day and he sits under it for probably less than half of that.

He has a part of the table enclosed. It is where he sleeps

And outdoors (in the UK) is probably too cold for him (at the moment anyway) as it hasn't got higher than 20 degrees c yet and probably won't.

What is your advice to stop this getting any worse? I believe I feed him a great diet and I keep him well bathed. I am so worried about him!

His shell was like this the day we got him and hasn't got worse - but he is getting bigger

All advice and knowledge welcome I don't want my baby getting poorly!

 

[rexsmumrowan]

And for size - here he is eating from my partners hand

 

[Gillian M]

Don't give your tort too much of anything with a lot of sugar, such as fruits. A treat every now and again would be more than enough.

Please keep the cute little tort inside if temperarure is that low back there.

Good luck.

 

[rexsmumrowan]

Of course - a strawberry once a week (normally only half because I eat half first!)

I have taken him outside once for about 5 minutes in the direct sun but I was too worried about the temperature to allow him more than 5 minutes

Thanks for all the advice guys - keep it coming!

 

[dmmj]

You eat your tortoise's strawberry? What a meanie ;(

 

[dmmj]

Russians usually hate baths.

 

[rexsmumrowan]

Hahah I am a mean mummy he hates his baths! But I am persistent

 

[Tom]

These will have the info you need. I wouldn't feed any strawberries at all. Fruit is not "good" for them. All the other stuff you are feeding sounds good.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[rexsmumrowan]

Thanks Tom I'll bookmark them

 

[JoesMum]

I will let those more experienced in the care of young torts give that advice. I do know that the youngsters need to be kept quite humid for best health.

However, the British weather is certainly warm enough for your little chap to experience some supervised outdoor time. A sheltered spot in the sunshine can achieve temperatures way above the "air temperature" advertised. Natural UV is the best source, so do take him out for short periods if you can.

Do watch the outdoor enclosure though as he is small enough to attract the interest of possible predators. Also Russians are great climbers, diggers and escapers ... Another reason to be warey!

 

[rexsmumrowan]

Thank you! I will sit out there with him the next time we get sun for an hour or so

 

[JoesMum]

Thank you! I will sit out there with him the next time we get sun for an hour or so

They move fast when they're warm, so have an enclosure outdoors for safety. And don't forget your own sunscreen. You will burn before your tort does

 

[rexsmumrowan]

Thanks! I'll remember sun cream

Another question - this picture is of Rex with his apparent 'sibling' - do you think the place we got him mixed his tank with different litters?

 

[dmmj]

Possible, but no real way to tell.

 

[axeman25]

Thanks! I'll remember sun cream

Another question - this picture is of Rex with his apparent 'sibling' - do you think the place we got him mixed his tank with different litters? View attachment 134536

I would be very surprised if two hatchlings were able to stay together in a pet store setting to reach the age they are. Most of them that size or larger sold around her are WC and usually shipped in crates in horrible conditions and crowding. But follow these guys advise, make those care sheets your new bible, and it sounds like you need to get the humidity up in his enclosure.

I just scrolled up a looked at the picture of Rex and his cell mate. Has he been confirmed a male? I'm just asking because in that picture it looks like he's got a stubby little tail (or it could be a piece of one of the pellets) which would make him a her. Can anyone else weigh in on this? Maybe can we get some clear photos of Rex's tail?

 

[rexsmumrowan]

I would be very surprised if two hatchlings were able to stay together in a pet store setting to reach the age they are. Most of them that size or larger sold around her are WC and usually shipped in crates in horrible conditions and crowding. But follow these guys advise, make those care sheets your new bible, and it sounds like you need to get the humidity up in his enclosure.

I just scrolled up a looked at the picture of Rex and his cell mate. Has he been confirmed a male? I'm just asking because in that picture it looks like he's got a stubby little tail (or it could be a piece of one of the pellets) which would make him a her. Can anyone else weigh in on this? Maybe can we get some clear photos of Rex's tail?

Hi Axeman - he is too young to be identified as boy or girl as he is apparently under 1 - I just decided that for now he can be a boy and also there were 5 of them in the same tank that was about the size of a shoe box - apparently all from the same mum and all been together since they hatched. None gendered.

I am pretty sure that in the UK there are breeding laws that have to be upheld - but obviously the place we got him was a hovel!

Also - I have definitely researched and been told that humidity is dangerous for Horsefield tortoises - does anyone know for sure?

Thanks for the help