new horsfield's tortoise

[tony123]

hi everyone.

i posted this on another reptile site but have came across this one

i just aquired a horsfield's tortoise today.. my friends daughter was keeping it in a shoe box under her bed.seemingly she had it for 2 days under there.my friend hasnt a clue about tortoises or reptiles and brought it to me as i kept beardies in the past.i was going to take it to a animal rescue centre but couldnt get an answer on phone now my son is attached to it...

... i have put it in a tlc4 parrot brooder at 30 degrees untill tomorrow when i will build some sort of enclosure.

i am going to try and build some sort of open type enclosue tommorow with a basking spot etc.i do have a large vivarium in attic but read open table top is best..
i know its hard to age reptiles by size as i had two beardies from same clutch and at 6 months there was a big size difference..

its shell is 7cm long and 6 cm wide and weighs 75 grams.

i have been trying to find out size at hatching etc but that info isnt really out there but can anyone put a rough age on it for me..so i know wether to hibernate it etc come winter months.plus my son wants to give it a birth date.

if it was average growth rate would it be weeks months or years old??

also im unsure if its a western or eastern..is there anyway of telling?

i have tried to attach a photo.


many thanks in advance

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: new hermann tortoise

Hi Tony123:

Welcome to the forum!!

 

[egyptiandan]

RE: new hermann tortoise

Your new tortoise looks like a Horsfields tortoise, Testudo horsfieldii, to me. If you could post a picture of the bottom shell (plastron) that would clinch it.
He/she is probably around 3 years old.

Danny

 

[tony123]

RE: new hermann tortoise

hi,
here is some more pics..if they arent clear enough i can use a better

 

[ChiKat]

RE: new hermann tortoise

Very cute!

 

[tortoisenerd]

RE: new hermann tortoise

Welcome to the group! Cute tort. My Russian tort was about 8 months old at 75 g and about that same length too. Torts really vary on growth though--you want to see smooth and steady. I weighed and measured my hatchling weekly. See russiantortoise.org Why not celebrate the birthday as the day you got it? I celebrate my tort's birthday as the whole month of August as I don't have the day, only the month. I would not hibernate it this winter since it will be new to you. Hibernating is not at all a necessity but a choice, so take the time to do the research in the next year so you can decide what you want to do. Once the tort is a few years old at least you can probably get a guess on sex.

A Rubbermaid type plastic tub is a great home for a tort this size. I would just buy the largest size tub they have, and then start to plan a tort table (open top wood box) for when it outgrows that, to give you time to plan and do it right. Mercury Vapor bulbs are the best--they are all in one heat, light, and UVB. I like the 100 Watt T-Rex bulb. Buy a deep and wide hood fixture with a ceramic socket and a lamp stand. Mount the fixture so the bulb face is parallel to the substrate. But, getting it outside for any amount of sun is ideal.

As long as it is over 75 F and you can directly supervise it, let it out into the yard if it is chemical-free, or take its enclosure outside. You should have at least a cool and a warm hide (cardboard box, half log, tupperware, fake plant, etc), a slate tile for food, a water dish with a ramp or stairs of shallow water large enough for it to soak, a temperature gradient from 75-100 F, a night temperature above 65-70 F, and substrate at least as deep as the tort is long to allow it to burrow (the deeper the better). I like to use aspen shavings for my Russian, but others like to use a substrate which they can moisten to create some humidity. Coconut coir, orchid bark, and cyprus mulch are some other good options. Do not use sand, pellets, carpet, newspaper, shredded paper, etc.

Best of luck. Don't get overwhelmed and enjoy this time while the little one is tiny--take lots of pictures.

 

[egyptiandan]

RE: new hermann tortoise

Yes he's a Horsfield's and a male.

Danny

 

[tony123]

thanks for the advise guys.the other forum i posted on say horsfield aswell

i will see how i get on.

if i knew it was a horsfield i probably wouldnt have kept it long term.but im half way through the enclosure.

ive read they sleep alot and are not as friendly or active.

i assumed it was a hermanns and read they are quite active and dont sleep as much or dig down deep..the thought of dirt flying all over my sons room with digging isnt going to please the wife.lol

originally i was keeping it in a heated brooder untill i got it to a rescue centre or keeper.but after reading hermanns are active friendly etc i thought i would make my sons day and allow him to keep it..


now ive been reading up on horsfields it seems they hibernate for a long spell and sleep alot.bury thereselves constantly etc.

but i cant go back on my word so hes here to stay as were attached to him already . my son will have to change its name from hermy to horsy.haha

thank everyone for your help.will post a pic later of my enclosure

 

[nancydrew88]

On the contrary.... I have a horsfields and she is very active and friendly. Also they don't have to hibernate. If you keep the temperatures even all year then they don't hibernate. Also she doesn't make a big mess when she digs. Just make sure when you build the walls of your enclosure they are tall enough that he can't climb out. Horsfields love climbing and are very good at it! Good luck with your tortoise!

Randee )

 

[Yvonne G]

I think someone's given you the wrong scoop. Russian tortoises are one of the more people oriented. They get downright dog-like in their interaction with their food god. You have a very young tortoise and he will become attached to you quickly. They have wonderful personalities. I'm so glad that you've decided to keep him because you are going to get quite a bit of satisfaction and enjoyment out of him.

All of my tortoises are outside, and I don't humanize them. My satisfaction comes from watching them forage as they would in the wild. But even so, when the Russians see me, they all come over to the fence and look up at me like, "What did ya bring me, huh? huh?"

 

[tony123]

hi again
that my temparary enclosure set up.he seem alot happier within 5 mins of being in there he was walking about eating etc..
i was very worried about him being in a small parrot brooder with no gradient heat etc.

so

i have decided against a tupperware plastic type tub.so this meant his permant enclosure would take a few daysas i bought wood and got it cut at store
it is 36 inches long and 20 inches wide the sides will be 12 inches high..

is this too big for him just now?

i got kids play sand and multi purpose compost for substrate but theres lots of contradiction here..some say no sand others saw wood shaven..etc etc so i read a mix of soil and sand mixed very well at 50/50 is like there natural habitiat ???

i ordered a zoomed clamp lamp and mercury spot which is coming thursday..i got a slate tile for basking spot small pebbles 2 hides etc..

it will take me two days to coat the wood and seal it and i could bare to see him in a brooder for another 2 days he just sat there..

so i took the bottom of a bird cage ..put newsapaper down..then some of my non slip mats for baby birds on top.got an ice cream tub for hide..and small spot light i use in my hut..i know its not ideal but its only for 2 days untill i coat the wood

iput him in it and icant believe its the same tortoise its the first ive seen him eat walk or do anything.cant wait to see him in his permament one.

thanks for all your help


can i ask some advise about basking spot?
i have read diferent temps for basking spot depending on website forum etc.

what should basking spot temp be?
and do i take the temps at tortoises height or on the stone surface under basking spot?

because the slate tile seems very hot

i forget all this stuff as its been a while since i had lizards.

thanks again

pics of him eating here


http://s811.photobucket.com/albums/zz36/tonygers123/

 

[tortoisenerd]

Everything sounds great! That enclosure is just the right size--in a year or two you will need a bigger one. I would not like to use any sand, but it is all a matter of preference. If you do use it, I would do less than what looks like 50-50 because 50-50 ends up being too much sand. Make sure the compost is organic. You don't want any fertilizers or pesticides in there unless it is organic like manure. You will need a lamp stand in addition to the clamp lamp because you cannot have the MVB at an angle and it needs to be very stable or else it will blow early. Also, you will need to easily adjust the height based on room temperature. Let the table with the sealant sit for at least a few days to air before you put him in. Once you got the temperature up and had a hide, I am not surprised at all you saw a very active tort. I think he will keep surprising you with how friendly he is.

My tort eats out of our hands, Looks up whenever he feels footsteps near the enclosure (they can't hear so much as feel vibrations), and "begs" for food from us, the food gods! I think the basking spot at the hottest at the substrate level should be 95 because at the tort's center it will be even hotter (closer to the light). They however will thermoregulate to their exact liking. I would not use a stone under the basking spot as it can get too hot under the tort's belly as the light bulb is different than the sun (just to be extra safe). Get an accurate thermometer like a PE1 temp gun where you aim a laser and get an instant reading ($30). Temperature is very important. Good luck! You are doing great. That makeshift enclosure isn't bad at all. I would actually use the tile to feed him (you can even break it in half), add a water dish (even a lid of something or a plant saucer, but my favorite is the Groovy Jacuzzi dish with steps sold at Petco). I would just use the newspaper, not that plastic stuff (looks like shelf liner?) in case he decides to eat it or try to suffocate himself by sticking his head through it...think of him like a baby and act accordingly, lol.

What are you feeding? A great start to a diet if you can't let him graze on a chemical-free yard is organic spring mix, no spinach and no or limited red chard. I love the Costco and Trader Joe's lettuce mixes as most of the others have mostly spinach--you ideally want about 10 ingredients and no spinach listed. From there I add stuff like 1 head a week of dandelion, collard, mustard, radish, turnip, etc greens. Butternut squash, pumpkin, and cactus pads are great treats. Mazuri Tortoise Diet and ZooMedGrassland Tortoise Food are the only commercial tort foods I would ever buy, ok in limited amounts. No fruit, tomato, cabbage or other starchy greens, cucumber, veggies, etc. Think weeds, greens, lettuces. See russiantortoise.org You can feed him a pile about the same size as he is daily and get a feel for what he can eat. The more space they have to exercise the better as they can get chubby, but since he is young you don't have to worry about that yet, as if he doesn, just cut back on food for a bit and he'll grow out of it (my tort just went through that phase and its adorable; he's almost 2 years old).

 

[goodsmeagol]

HOG WASG
I named my Russian DOG
Normally people say the opposite Ì found out it WASNT a Russian so I would not have kept it``(Most others get HUGE)

`ive read they sleep alot and are not as friendly or active`
Mine only sleeps a lot after I feed him a big meal!, pre-meal, he is an active little explorer!
Good Luck

 

[Kristina]

I agree, hog wash. I have four Russians and they are HILARIOUS. They are like Sulcatas, only in tiny packages. Very outgoing and gregarious.

 

[tony123]

hi,
i dont hink its a a mercury light i was thinking off it was either this

http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/exo-terra-solarglo-mercury-vapour-lamp_1_161371.html

or this

http://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/rep...o-terra-repti-glo-2-0-compact-lamp-47021.html

what strength of uv does he need is it 2.0?


can anyone explain to me also the difference between uva and uvb in leymans terms?

if im right does the second one the reptiglo not have uvb but the first the sloar glow does?

again thanks

 

[egyptiandan]

UVB is whats needed for your tortoise to produce his own vitamin D3.

I'd go with the Solar Glow bulb.

Danny