New tortoise is she warm enough?

Abbieleigh

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Out little tortoise arrived this morning ? 11 months old and the just cutest I popped in a little bridge and she seems to love it!

When she first arrived the breeder told us to bath her straight away so we bathed her in water at 36c as that’s what he said dried her off and popped her back in the bulb is combo and the breeder said it’s all the righ temperature for her she seems happy but when I touch her she is cool to touch I may sound like an idiot but is that normal I was expecting her to feel warm ? she’s happy and walking about had a little bit of her plants but haven’t seen her drink as of yet





Also I think shes the fastest tortoise I’ve ever seen!! ?

Moscow ?A090B5A3-E13F-4F99-943B-6B3C98A2A6AA.jpeg
 

wellington

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What are her temps? Basking temp, cool temp, over night temp?
She is quite pyramided which is not easy to do on a Russian. She has been kept too hot and dry. She needs a humidity of 80% in a closed chamber for about two more years to help her nee growth come in smoother. The breeder raises them the old bad way.
Read our care threads for her and make changes asap.
 

Abbieleigh

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What are her temps? Basking temp, cool temp, over night temp?
She is quite pyramided which is not easy to do on a Russian. She has been kept too hot and dry. She needs a humidity of 80% in a closed chamber for about two more years to help her nee growth come in smoother. The breeder raises them the old bad way.
Read our care threads for her and make changes asap.
Hey thanks for replying I can’t say what her previous enclosur temps or overnight temps where because I’ve only had her in my care for 4 and half hours. She has a combo bulb at one side and the other side is cold, damp soil .. I did think her shell was pointy but I’m a complete newbie! I understand what your saying about her being kept to hot and dry and don’t want to make this mistake but she is still quite cool to touch any ideas on what to do? It doesn’t seem to be bothering her she’s exploring walking about and eating she’s had a wee too so she seems okay just concerned at her temp
 

Ink

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Too cute!
 

Abbieleigh

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Thank you! She’s probably sick of seeing my face I’ve only had her 4 hours and I can’t stop going over and checking on her ? feeling if she’s warmed up if she ate/drank and of course taking pics!
 

ZenHerper

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Welcome - how exciting!

Tortoises are reptiles. They do not generate their own body heat. Their metabolism does not make heat, it depends on heat from the sun in order to function.

When they hatch, their native environments are in a rainy, flooding season. The ground is very wet and lush. There are many plants and high humidity.

The high humidity keeps their rapidly growing back shell (carapace) from hardening too fast in the hot sun. If conditions are very dry, then the carapace hardens too quickly and the individual sections (scutes) start to bump up. If this continues, it can prevent natural growth of the skeleton, and cause some problems.

In captivity, you must know what the temperatures are all through the habitat on the ground, where your pet is living. This cannot be ignored. Your pet will always feel "cool" to the touch because it is a reptile. If the temperature is too low, your pet's bodily systems cannot function well, or at all. If it is too hot, your pet will cook inside its shell (it cannot sweat or pant off heat).

You need very good thermometers to read the temperatures all through the habitat - you cannot guess, or just use bulbs a breeder or store recommended.

Your pet looks very dehydrated. It needs moist substrate and warm water soaking daily 30-40 minutes).

The dual hood lamps are used with uvb radiation bulbs that are coiled...this coiling concentrates the radiation in a narrow beam (like a laser) and will damage your tortoise's corneas in time. She may be showing some eye stress now.

Torts are crazy-active when they first move home because they are trying to get back to somewhere familiar. This activity is normal, but stressful. Limit handling over the next few weeks until you are both in an established routine. Babies sleep a lot -- if your tortoise is not settling down to rest after a meal, then there are things about the habitat that are not right for her. An overly-active youngster is trying to find a safe place or proper living conditions.

This is a link to a care sheet that will help you correct and optimize her living conditions:

Post any follow-up questions you have...
 

wellington

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We can't help without knowing actual temps. We need thr numbers.
You need an area that is 95-100F for basking. The rest of the enclosure should vary from 80 to 75 then night temps can drop into the sixties. A uvb bulb is needed and 80%humidity throughtout the enclosure. If the enclosure is too small these temps needed will be very hard to get. Also if it is open top it will be hard to hold the temps and the humidity.
 

Abbieleigh

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We can't help without knowing actual temps. We need thr numbers.
You need an area that is 95-100F for basking. The rest of the enclosure should vary from 80 to 75 then night temps can drop into the sixties. A uvb bulb is needed and 80%humidity throughtout the enclosure. If the enclosure is too small these temps needed will be very hard to get. Also if it is open top it will be hard to hold the temps and the humidity.
Under her lamp it is 94F at the other end now at 8pm at night it’s 64.8F .. how are these temps? And what do you mean by open top the table is a open top but I was told vivs are a no as they get too hot?
 

wellington

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Under her lamp it is 94F at the other end now at 8pm at night it’s 64.8F .. how are these temps? And what do you mean by open top the table is a open top but I was told vivs are a no as they get too hot?
Forget what you were told unless you seen it here. A viv/closed chamber does not get too hot if done right.
The temps you listed are fine. Now though what about all over day temps and humidity? Your tortoise already got a bad start and that's why its pyramiding/lumpy. Humidity is needed to grow smooth from this point. It's not easy to get a Russian pyrqmided so it had to be pretty poor conditions of hot and very dry.
Read the caresheet.
 

Abbieleigh

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Forget what you were told unless you seen it here. A viv/closed chamber does not get too hot if done right.
The temps you listed are fine. Now though what about all over day temps and humidity? Your tortoise already got a bad start and that's why its pyramiding/lumpy. Humidity is needed to grow smooth from this point. It's not easy to get a Russian pyrqmided so it had to be pretty poor conditions of hot and very dry.
Read the caresheet.
Yeh I obviously have read the care sheet I’m not an idiot I don’t buy animals and not look after them ? and for your information I did read here about the vivs

tortoise has been seen by a local vet reptile who said she isn’t pyramiding or dry and actually pretty healthy so I appreciate your concerns but no thanks
 

TheTattooedTortoise

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Hey Abbie, welcome to the forum!
Please don't feel attacked or offended by people trying to help.

There is masses of bad info online and in pet shops and even 'reptile specialists',
I promise that people here only want the best for your little Russian.

Keeping accurate track of your enclosure temps is vital,
Without correct conditions and setup the potential for illness is elevated massively.

You need- FOR EXAMPLE*
1.A basking spot (32-35 degrees c)
2.Warm end temp (29-30 degrees c)
3.Cool end temp ( 23-24 degrees c)
4.Night temps ( 16-18 degrees c)

HUMIDITY is also vital for healthy growth, pyramiding (bumpy shell) is a tell tale sign that humidity has been lacking!
I'm using a table setup too so we have to work even harder and pay more attention to our enclosures to make sure the temps and humidity is right.

Also
- Warm & Damp/humid = healthy
- Cold & damp/humid = respiratory illness

So keep that in mind as far as your own setup!

Unfortunately those 2 in 1 uv/heat lamp bulbs aren't much good imo, they burn too hot, bright and you have no real clue how much actual uv output your getting which could potentially be dangerous.

I personally use
t5 UV tube light for UVB
&
Arcadia solar floodlight bulb (100w)for basking area.


Its right to an extent what you've read about vivs can get too hot, however those using them will be using them with a dimmer thermostat and temp sensor system so the temps are being controlled very accurately and thus, don't get 'too hot' and because they're obviously an enclosed environment it's a lot easier to maintain the higher humidity with them.


Get some photos posted up of your full enclosure/setup and people can offer advice and suggestions to better your setup and improve conditions for your little tort.

I would 100 percent be investing in a couple of cheap digital thermometers with a probe. One for either side of enclosure and most will also measure Relative Humidity too.
Think I paid about 6 quid each off Amazon.

Anyway, I know that was a bit long winded but I hope it helps. ?
 

TheTattooedTortoise

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Joined
Apr 20, 2021
Messages
142
Location (City and/or State)
North Wales, UK
Hey Abbie, welcome to the forum!
Please don't feel attacked or offended by people trying to help.

There is masses of bad info online and in pet shops and even 'reptile specialists',
I promise that people here only want the best for your little Russian.

Keeping accurate track of your enclosure temps is vital,
Without correct conditions and setup the potential for illness is elevated massively.

You need- FOR EXAMPLE*
1.A basking spot (32-35 degrees c)
2.Warm end temp (29-30 degrees c)
3.Cool end temp ( 23-24 degrees c)
4.Night temps ( 16-18 degrees c)

HUMIDITY is also vital for healthy growth, pyramiding (bumpy shell) is a tell tale sign that humidity has been lacking!
I'm using a table setup too so we have to work even harder and pay more attention to our enclosures to make sure the temps and humidity is right.

Also
- Warm & Damp/humid = healthy
- Cold & damp/humid = respiratory illness

So keep that in mind as far as your own setup!

Unfortunately those 2 in 1 uv/heat lamp bulbs aren't much good imo, they burn too hot, bright and you have no real clue how much actual uv output your getting which could potentially be dangerous.

I personally use
t5 UV tube light for UVB
&
Arcadia solar floodlight bulb (100w)for basking area.


Its right to an extent what you've read about vivs can get too hot, however those using them will be using them with a dimmer thermostat and temp sensor system so the temps are being controlled very accurately and thus, don't get 'too hot' and because they're obviously an enclosed environment it's a lot easier to maintain the higher humidity with them.


Get some photos posted up of your full enclosure/setup and people can offer advice and suggestions to better your setup and improve conditions for your little tort.

I would 100 percent be investing in a couple of cheap digital thermometers with a probe. One for either side of enclosure and most will also measure Relative Humidity too.
Think I paid about 6 quid each off Amazon.

Anyway, I know that was a bit long winded but I hope it helps. ?
Forgot to mention that if your 'vet' genuinely told you that your tort isn't pyramiding and your torts shell looked like it does now when it was seen then I would consider finding a new vet too.
 

wellington

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Yeh I obviously have read the care sheet I’m not an idiot I don’t buy animals and not look after them ? and for your information I did read here about the vivs

tortoise has been seen by a local vet reptile who said she isn’t pyramiding or dry and actually pretty healthy so I appreciate your concerns but no thanks
Wow, trying to help here. Your vet is wrong and you did not find on here, unless from another person that doesn't know better, about viv's being bad! If used correctly they will not get too hot!
Your tortoises she is not smooth, that means its pyramided. I never said you were an idiot! We have many newbies that buy a tortoise and then come here after the fact to find out not only how to care for it but even what kind it is.
Take a search of what your tortoise shell should look like, pretty easy to find smooth russians!
So don't listen to me, and keep listening to a vet that has no clue and you pay. Where I and others spend our time for free to help your animal!
Good luck
 
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