New Tort owner-Greek :) Any tips from experts appreciated!

[wderfler5]

Hi!

Our family recently brought home a Greek Tortoise. At least that's what we were told he was, his exact type, Im not sure (see attached photo). I bought him from a reputable reptile store in the area. They thought he was around 7 months old, but not exactly sure. His name is Artichoke. How often do you all change the substrate and give your young torts a soak? I have been told many different things and am not sure which to follow? I was bathing him weekly and then told he is old enough to soak on his own (which I never see him soak). I spot clean daily and do partial substrate cleans (such as the areas he spends the most time in), but haven't changed his entire enclosure since bringing him home (3 months ago). I was told a whole enclosure cleaning every 3-4 months and spot cleaning in between would be fine. His enclosure looks "clean" to me, but I'd like to know what some long-time tortoise owners do. I'm a meticulous pet owner in that I am always checking, cleaning out leftover food/poop/pee, and always checking his skin and shell daily. He is growing well and seems happy even though he spends a lot of time sleeping, which I heard is normal for a young growing tort. I feed him 3-4 times a week and 2 of those feedings include the pellet/mush balls sprinkled with vitamins (which he loves). Any other tips? I'd love to hear them! Thanks so much and looking forward to reading more about others on here as well!

attached is a picture of Artichoke <3

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome,
This is the up to date caresheet you need to give him/her the correct living conditions, temps and diet etc.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Torts should be fed fresh food everyday. Think of the shell as an upturned bowl and feed that amount to start with, but if they eat it all offer more. They are grazing creatures and will often leave some until later.

Pet shops often give incorrect care information and sell unsuitable and unsafe equipment, so if you post a picture if his enclosure and the lamps you are using we can help you make sure it's as safe as possible

 

[ArmadilloPup]

Welcome! I love Artichoke! I hope we get to see more of him around here.

He's still young enough to benefit from soaking. My cut off is 2 years, but that is probably excessive. The enclosure's ambient humidity is going to be more important in the long run.

For cleaning, I'm the same as you. Spot clean and then maybe a partial substrate change in several months.

Veggies help keep a tortoise hydrated, so those should preferably be daily. The mushed pellets once or twice a week are fine.

Sleeping a lot is definitely normal. Mine have always been most active in the morning (chow time!), usually tuckered out by the time I'm home from work, and occasionally have a burst of energy before bed time. While growing they will have spurts where their behavior is a little more erratic for a few days, but then they settle down again.

Additional tips: You seem like the type of owner that might enjoy waxing your tortoise! 😆 After a soak, you can dab on a tiny bit of coconut oil and rub it into their shell and legs. It's not necessary, but it could be helpful to seal in moisture, and makes them shiny too ✨

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

 

[wderfler5]

Welcome! I love Artichoke! I hope we get to see more of him around here.

He's still young enough to benefit from soaking. My cut off is 2 years, but that is probably excessive. The enclosure's ambient humidity is going to be more important in the long run.

For cleaning, I'm the same as you. Spot clean and then maybe a partial substrate change in several months.

Veggies help keep a tortoise hydrated, so those should preferably be daily. The mushed pellets once or twice a week are fine.

Sleeping a lot is definitely normal. Mine have always been most active in the morning (chow time!), usually tuckered out by the time I'm home from work, and occasionally have a burst of energy before bed time. While growing they will have spurts where their behavior is a little more erratic for a few days, but then they settle down again.

Additional tips: You seem like the type of owner that might enjoy waxing your tortoise! 😆 After a soak, you can dab on a tiny bit of coconut oil and rub it into their shell and legs. It's not necessary, but it could be helpful to seal in moisture, and makes them shiny too ✨

Waxing a tortoise?! Never heard of that but if it helps lock in moisture id be willing to do that weekly! Thanks for the tips! A quick question about their pee. When we first brought Artichoke home he had more "white" or urates visible when he peed. Now I notice a tiny bit, but for the most part, it is mostly clear. This is another topic on here that I haven't had a clear answer to. It has been like this for the past 2/3 months. I'd say his quality of food and soakings/making sure his enclosure is the right temps and moisture levels correct are the only changes (when we brought him home), which from my understanding a tortoise that is well-hydrated won't have a lot of the white in their pee? I don't know if this is correct or not? Anyway, he is active, eating, pooping, and looks healthy so I figure all is well! Thanks again!

 

[Tom]

Waxing a tortoise?! Never heard of that but if it helps lock in moisture id be willing to do that weekly! Thanks for the tips! A quick question about their pee. When we first brought Artichoke home he had more "white" or urates visible when he peed. Now I notice a tiny bit, but for the most part, it is mostly clear. This is another topic on here that I haven't had a clear answer to. It has been like this for the past 2/3 months. I'd say his quality of food and soakings/making sure his enclosure is the right temps and moisture levels correct are the only changes (when we brought him home), which from my understanding a tortoise that is well-hydrated won't have a lot of the white in their pee? I don't know if this is correct or not? Anyway, he is active, eating, pooping, and looks healthy so I figure all is well! Thanks again!

You've got it correct. You understand the concept completely. Urates are a by-product of protein digestion. A well hydrated tortoise flushes these by-prodcuts and you see less or no urates. A less hydrated tortoise will produce more visible urates. A dehydrated tortoise will sometimes form bladder stones over the long term which can require surgery and are often fatal.

It is not bad if you see occasion urates from your tortoise. Ideally, it will be somewhat creamy in texture. If it is gritty or gravelly, a person's hydration routine might need improvement.