New Horsefield

[lejames1594]

Hi,
I've had my 1 year old horsefield for about 6 months now, I read up on how to care for him properly but was just looking for some tips on how to make sure I'm giving him the best possible care.
For example until recently I had him on wood chips but I read that this could cause impaction so I moved him on to Pro rep tortoise life. Is this correct? Or is there a better substrate to use?
I put calcium on his food and feed him twice a day... he loves sprouts and kale but is there anything else I should be feeding him?
I put a cuttle fish bone in there with him but he doesn't seem very interested. Is there any other way of allowing him to sharpen his beak as I know this is important.
As I live in Britain I have only recently begun taking him outside for walks and he seems to like these but doesn't want to graze..
He used to enjoy bathing but recently won't wash himself or drink while in the bath like he used to, his skin is peeling which I read is normal and so I make sure I bathe him for at least 15 minutes in warm water once a week. He doesn't seem to touch his water bowl and so I feel maybe I should bath him more regularly?
Any hints, tips or advice would be very welcome as I just want to look after him in the best possible way.

 

[ascott]

http://www.tortsmad.com/russians.htm

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

For example until recently I had him on wood chips but I read that this could cause impaction so I moved him on to Pro rep tortoise life. Is this correct? Or is there a better substrate to use?

Well, I'm glad you're providing a moisture-holding substrate, and that you are concerned about gut impaction. Here's the website for the Pro Rep Tortoise Life product you're using:

http://www.pro-rep.co.uk/substrates/tortoise-life

It's a 50/50 mix of top soil and play sand, with some limestone grit thrown in as an incidental calcium supplement. This would not be the substrate I'd choose. The small calcium component is okay, although as long as the tortoise has powdered supplementation and a cuttlebone, it's not necessary. The soil part is okay, although I've found that soil as a substrate can promote pests. However, it's the sand part I wouldn't want. Sure, in the wild Russians and other tortoises spend a lot of time on sand. However, the plants they eat are alive and erect, standing up and pointing away from the ground. Therefore, in the wild they ingest little to no sand. In captivity, we offer tortoises plants laying flat on their sides atop a platter. Although this platter does help keep the plants clean, they usually get kicked off during feeding, so it's inevitable that they will accumulate some debris. Therefore, we have to make sure that this debris contains no sand. A little sand on one day is okay, but day in and day out sand can lead to gut impaction.

My favorite substrate is coconut coir. It holds moisture like soil, and it has a texture like soil, too, so tortoises can dig in it. However, unlike soil, it doesn't contain many nutrients, so it resists infestation by fungi and insects. I highly recommend it.

I put calcium on his food and feed him twice a day... he loves sprouts and kale but is there anything else I should be feeding him?

Here's a thread on what Russian tortoises eat in the wild: "Article: steppe tortoise diet in the wild." As you can see, wild Russians basically eat asters (sunflower family), brassicas (mustard family), buttercups, and poppies. You can mimic this diet in captivity by offering cultivated asters like Romaine lettuce, chicory, endive, escarole, and radicchio, as well as wild asters like prickly lettuce and dandelion. For cultivated brassicas, you can use arugula, kale, collard greens, turnip greens, and mustard greens. Grape leaves are unrelated, but are a nice, edible plant, and Mediterranean tortoises, including Russians, tend to like them. You can also offer quality commercial foods. I don't know if these are available in the UK, but in the US, I recommend Mazuri Tortoise Diet and ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food. As an occasional treat (no more than once a month), you can offer fruits like cucumber, tomato, strawberry, raspberry, and grape. The important thing is to keep the diet varied, both for proper nutrition, and to prevent boredom and fasting.

I put a cuttle fish bone in there with him but he doesn't seem very interested. Is there any other way of allowing him to sharpen his beak as I know this is important.

I've found that tortoises who get enough calcium from powdered supplementation tend to gnaw on cuttlebones or calcium blocks less, while those who really need the calcium tend to use them more. So, you could cut back on the supplement if you want him to use the cuttlebone. The problem indoors, though, is that it's good to use a calcium + vitamin D3 supplement (in addition to a good UVA/UVB light source), since without real sunshine, tortoises don't make as much vitamin D3 in their skin. So, I wouldn't eliminate the powder, because then your guy might not get enough vitamin D3. Keep the cuttlebone in there, but when you offer plants, offer the whole leaf, including the thick, fibrous part at the base. In my experience, tortoises love these, and they like to gnaw on that part, too. Almost like a dog with a bone.

As I live in Britain I have only recently begun taking him outside for walks and he seems to like these but doesn't want to graze..

I presume by "grazing," you mean eating grass. Bear in mind, the only tortoises that graze a lot are the larger ones, like sulcatas, leopard tortoises, star tortoises, radiated tortoise, and Gopherus species. Grass is hard to digest, so it takes a big body with a long gut to retain it long enough for the symbiotic bacteria to break it down. In contrast, small tortoises, like the Testudo species don't graze very much. They may eat some grass here and there, but it's a small component of their diet, and it doesn't get broken down very much. The vast majority of the diet in Testudo species, including Russians, is forbs, i.e. leafy greens and weeds.

He used to enjoy bathing but recently won't wash himself or drink while in the bath like he used to, his skin is peeling which I read is normal and so I make sure I bathe him for at least 15 minutes in warm water once a week. He doesn't seem to touch his water bowl and so I feel maybe I should bath him more regularly?Any hints, tips or advice would be very welcome as I just want to look after him in the best possible way.

In my opinion, a healthy tortoise does not need to be bathed more than once per week. If they are constipated due to dehydration, you can increase that two twice or three times per week. Only ill tortoises need daily bathing. Don't worry if you're not seeing your guy bathe and drink regularly. That's a good sign; it means he's well hydrated. It's important to leave his shallow dish of water in his pen at all times, so he can bathe and drink whenever he wants or needs to. But tortoises do get a lot of moisture from good food, so you might not see him do that very often.

 

[lynnedit]

Beautiful summary, as usual.

 

[lejames1594]

For example until recently I had him on wood chips but I read that this could cause impaction so I moved him on to Pro rep tortoise life. Is this correct? Or is there a better substrate to use?

Well, I'm glad you're providing a moisture-holding substrate, and that you are concerned about gut impaction. Here's the website for the Pro Rep Tortoise Life product you're using:

http://www.pro-rep.co.uk/substrates/tortoise-life

It's a 50/50 mix of top soil and play sand, with some limestone grit thrown in as an incidental calcium supplement. This would not be the substrate I'd choose. The small calcium component is okay, although as long as the tortoise has powdered supplementation and a cuttlebone, it's not necessary. The soil part is okay, although I've found that soil as a substrate can promote pests. However, it's the sand part I wouldn't want. Sure, in the wild Russians and other tortoises spend a lot of time on sand. However, the plants they eat are alive and erect, standing up and pointing away from the ground. Therefore, in the wild they ingest little to no sand. In captivity, we offer tortoises plants laying flat on their sides atop a platter. Although this platter does help keep the plants clean, they usually get kicked off during feeding, so it's inevitable that they will accumulate some debris. Therefore, we have to make sure that this debris contains no sand. A little sand on one day is okay, but day in and day out sand can lead to gut impaction.

My favorite substrate is coconut coir. It holds moisture like soil, and it has a texture like soil, too, so tortoises can dig in it. However, unlike soil, it doesn't contain many nutrients, so it resists infestation by fungi and insects. I highly recommend it.

I put calcium on his food and feed him twice a day... he loves sprouts and kale but is there anything else I should be feeding him?

Here's a thread on what Russian tortoises eat in the wild: "Article: steppe tortoise diet in the wild." As you can see, wild Russians basically eat asters (sunflower family), brassicas (mustard family), buttercups, and poppies. You can mimic this diet in captivity by offering cultivated asters like Romaine lettuce, chicory, endive, escarole, and radicchio, as well as wild asters like prickly lettuce and dandelion. For cultivated brassicas, you can use arugula, kale, collard greens, turnip greens, and mustard greens. Grape leaves are unrelated, but are a nice, edible plant, and Mediterranean tortoises, including Russians, tend to like them. You can also offer quality commercial foods. I don't know if these are available in the UK, but in the US, I recommend Mazuri Tortoise Diet and ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food. As an occasional treat (no more than once a month), you can offer fruits like cucumber, tomato, strawberry, raspberry, and grape. The important thing is to keep the diet varied, both for proper nutrition, and to prevent boredom and fasting.

I put a cuttle fish bone in there with him but he doesn't seem very interested. Is there any other way of allowing him to sharpen his beak as I know this is important.

I've found that tortoises who get enough calcium from powdered supplementation tend to gnaw on cuttlebones or calcium blocks less, while those who really need the calcium tend to use them more. So, you could cut back on the supplement if you want him to use the cuttlebone. The problem indoors, though, is that it's good to use a calcium + vitamin D3 supplement (in addition to a good UVA/UVB light source), since without real sunshine, tortoises don't make as much vitamin D3 in their skin. So, I wouldn't eliminate the powder, because then your guy might not get enough vitamin D3. Keep the cuttlebone in there, but when you offer plants, offer the whole leaf, including the thick, fibrous part at the base. In my experience, tortoises love these, and they like to gnaw on that part, too. Almost like a dog with a bone.

As I live in Britain I have only recently begun taking him outside for walks and he seems to like these but doesn't want to graze..

I presume by "grazing," you mean eating grass. Bear in mind, the only tortoises that graze a lot are the larger ones, like sulcatas, leopard tortoises, star tortoises, radiated tortoise, and Gopherus species. Grass is hard to digest, so it takes a big body with a long gut to retain it long enough for the symbiotic bacteria to break it down. In contrast, small tortoises, like the Testudo species don't graze very much. They may eat some grass here and there, but it's a small component of their diet, and it doesn't get broken down very much. The vast majority of the diet in Testudo species, including Russians, is forbs, i.e. leafy greens and weeds.

He used to enjoy bathing but recently won't wash himself or drink while in the bath like he used to, his skin is peeling which I read is normal and so I make sure I bathe him for at least 15 minutes in warm water once a week. He doesn't seem to touch his water bowl and so I feel maybe I should bath him more regularly?Any hints, tips or advice would be very welcome as I just want to look after him in the best possible way.

In my opinion, a healthy tortoise does not need to be bathed more than once per week. If they are constipated due to dehydration, you can increase that two twice or three times per week. Only ill tortoises need daily bathing. Don't worry if you're not seeing your guy bathe and drink regularly. That's a good sign; it means he's well hydrated. It's important to leave his shallow dish of water in his pen at all times, so he can bathe and drink whenever he wants or needs to. But tortoises do get a lot of moisture from good food, so you might not see him do that very often.

Wow thanks, that's loads of help

 

[Tom]

Here's my take on all of your questions:
1. I would not use any substrate with sand in it. It poses a serious impaction risk and can be a skin and eye irritant too. Especially one that is half sand. I prefer plain soil with no additives, coco coir, cypress mulch, or orchid bark. Regular old yard dirt works too if your is of the right composition.
2. Twice a day feeding are fine, but his diet needs a lot more variety. GTT hit on some good stuff there already.
3. He only needs a tiny pinch of calcium twice a week. Daily is not good as it interferes with the absorption of other essential elements and nutrients.
4. He shouldn't go "outside for walks". I can promise you will lose him this way eventually. He needs a purpose built large enclosure of some sort that is escape proof. They NEED outside time, so this is essential in my opinion.
5. If he's not touching his water bowl, its because it doesn't suit him. Because of the high level of calcium you've been giving him, I would soak every other day for a couple of weeks and then cut it back to two or three times a week for a while. Good hydration will help him expel excess calcium. Try using a terra cotta plant saucer as a water bowl. Most tortoises seem to like the low sides, shallow water and good traction that these offer. Sink it into your substrate so the rim is level with the surface. If he starts using his water bowl on his own, you can cut way back on the soaks in a few weeks.


What are you using for heating and lighting? What are your four temps? Warm side, cool side, basking spot and night? What size is his enclosure? What size is he? They all grow at different rates, depending on a wide variety of factors, so his age doesn't tell us his size.

 

[lejames1594]

Here's my take on all of your questions:
1. I would not use any substrate with sand in it. It poses a serious impaction risk and can be a skin and eye irritant too. Especially one that is half sand. I prefer plain soil with no additives, coco coir, cypress mulch, or orchid bark. Regular old yard dirt works too if your is of the right composition.
2. Twice a day feeding are fine, but his diet needs a lot more variety. GTT hit on some good stuff there already.
3. He only needs a tiny pinch of calcium twice a week. Daily is not good as it interferes with the absorption of other essential elements and nutrients.
4. He shouldn't go "outside for walks". I can promise you will lose him this way eventually. He needs a purpose built large enclosure of some sort that is escape proof. They NEED outside time, so this is essential in my opinion.
5. If he's not touching his water bowl, its because it doesn't suit him. Because of the high level of calcium you've been giving him, I would soak every other day for a couple of weeks and then cut it back to two or three times a week for a while. Good hydration will help him expel excess calcium. Try using a terra cotta plant saucer as a water bowl. Most tortoises seem to like the low sides, shallow water and good traction that these offer. Sink it into your substrate so the rim is level with the surface. If he starts using his water bowl on his own, you can cut way back on the soaks in a few weeks.


What are you using for heating and lighting? What are your four temps? Warm side, cool side, basking spot and night? What size is his enclosure? What size is he? They all grow at different rates, depending on a wide variety of factors, so his age doesn't tell us his size.

Hi sorry I took so long,

I'm using a UVB bulb its around 16" and covers the open area of the indoor enclosure it is on 12 hours a day on a set timer. I also have an infra red bulb which is set on a thermostat at 30 celcius for his basking. The open area is around 25 celcius depending on the heating. My cool area is around 20 celcius but that differs depending on the heating in my house again. At night the UVB bulb goes off and the infra red lamp is set to alternate every 45 minutes. His enclosure is around 1mx1/2m including his night spot which is basically a little box with a lid on the end. He is around 12cm including legs and head.
I read that I should make some sort of cave for him instead of just a box with a lid? My dad made the indoor enclosure so its easily adjustable. He is also making an outdoor one as well after reading the posts.
Thanks for your help.