New tortoise owner needs advice

[Dizzybird]

Hi all, i have a horsfield tortoise, he or she has been part of our family since july 09. I popped in here at the time to get advice on housing etc. I now have questions about hibernating? Weight gain? bathing?
Firstly do i hibernate my tortoise this winter? i weighed tortellini when we first got him, and he did not register on the scales.. i have weighed him today and he weighs 3oz, how do i know that this is ok, he eats well, and loves his fresh foods. he has no area to hide as yet, he seems to burrow into the corner of his table top enclosure, and i am thinking of providing some kind of housing with straw or something like.. advice on bedding would be helpful. I currently have 2 types of floor covering in his enclosure, i have a sand/soil mix and beech chippings in another corner . I have placed a bendy log arch in also so he can hide away, and there is some slate for him to sunbathe on. He seems happy, but i would love more advice. Ty Dawn

 

[Maggie Cummings]

No you shouldn't hibernate him this winter. You should wait until next winter, he's too young and too light just yet IMHO. He needs a hide even if it's just a cardboard box. You can get a half log, they make great hides. I would create a hide for him then use some of the sand/soil mix inside the hide. Why haven't you had one for him yet> Is there a reason? He's gained 3 ounces in 4 months, I'd say that's alright. Are you soaking him 2 or 3 times a week?
Hope that helps you, glad to see you posting. Don't hesitant to ask if you have anymore questions...

 

[Crazy1]

I'd wait until next year to hibernate tortellini (if then). He is a new tort to you so you really have not had him long enough to get to know him well. He is a little thing at just 85.04 grams (3 oz). It will not hurt him to miss hibernating this year or the next.
Ty Dawn, sounds as if the bendy thing is a type of log hide. If the sides of tortellini's enclosure is high enough for you to place the log over where he sleeps he will be in a hide. It just sounds like he doesn't like where the hide is right now (seems like I'm always tweaking my hatchling enclosures).

For a tort so small I like to use cypress mulch you can wet it down with a glass of water and stir it up to keep the humidity up, yet the top drys out with the heat lamps and bulbs. Hatchlings seem to need more humidity than was thought in the past.

Like Maggie said I would soak 2-3 times a week for about 10-15 min. each time.

When you can I would get a scale that has a setting in grams. That way you can get a more accurate weight on him. Then set up a schedule to weigh him; once a week, once every 2 weeks, once a month you pick what works for your schedule but try and weigh him on the first monday or third Wednesday of the month at the same time of day so that there is not a drastic change like he just ate, or was soaked, etc. Because a quick drop in wt. can indicate there is something wrong long before you would notice it any other way. As well as a severe gain is not good either.

 

[Dizzybird]

Thankyou for your replies, i do bathe him daily at the moment,every morning in warm water, as suggested by the people we bought tortellini off. This encourages him to Pee too, so i know everything is working well. The reason behind not having a hide for him yet, was that he seemed to like to sleep in his log hide, but this has changed and he is now burrowing in the corners. I cant move the log hide completely into a corner as recently he has been scaling it and could drop over the edge of the enclosure, so i guess that is why i have decided to provide him with a purpose built hide. So his weight gain of 3oz in 6 weeks is ok?? He does love to eat... i will take the advice on weighing him, and look at purchasing some scales in grams too. Could you also advise me on plants for the enclosure? should i go with fake? or real,if real can you advise on what would be best. Ty x

 

[tortoisenerd]

If he gained 3 oz in 6 weeks, what is his total weight? The weight gain would depend on the total weight, and his age.

I like fake plants best as they are easy. I have not had a problem with my tort trying to eat them more than a test nibble (not biting anything off). I go to Michael's and get ferns and broad leaf ones. They have coupons in the paper for 40% off one item sometimes. They make nice hides as well as break up the line of sight. Try to get ones he can't climb on (taller stalk with some leaves that hang over). Ideally you want at least a hide in a warmer and cooler area, but I like to have more than that, especially for a larger enclosure and a hatchling.

If he could climb the log and get out of the enclosure if you moved it, the walls are way too short. What will you do when he gets taller? This breed is a very avid climber, and they have capabilities most owners cannot predict. My tort has got himself into trouble a lot! My best advice it to observe behavior, and make changes to the enclosure to keep him safe.

Can you provide us some tort and enclosure pics? Welcome to the group! Don't think we've met yet. Best wishes.

 

[Crazy1]

Kate on 8/31/09 tortellini weighed 3 oz or a total of 85.04 grams because she wouldn't register on a oz scale correct?.

 

[tortoisenerd]

I was referencing this: "So his weight gain of 3oz in 6 weeks is ok??" Although earlier the poster said "I have weighed him today and he weighs 3oz". Not sure what is the correct answer yet.

 

[Dizzybird]

Aww thanks so much for the replies, when i got totellini and weighed him he did not register on the scales, then i weighed him on 31st August and he weighed 3oz, that was 6 weeks apart, so he weighs a total of 3oz. In answer to the height of the enclosure, it is quite deep, i have a good covering of substrate in it and some beech chippings, he seems to like it, but i would like to give him more areas that are covered for him to go and hide. He seems happy enough, and is very nosy, he always comes to the side of the enclosure to say hi lol

 

[tortoisenerd]

Ah ha! That makes sense. So, he both gained 3 ounces, and weighs 3 ounces! That sounds a little quick for that kind of weight gain, but it happens. Is his shell growing in smooth? Does he feel like a rock of the same size? If he was a little underweight when you got him, he's growing healthy, etc, then probably fine. You probably don't want him to continue with the almost 15 grams a week pace though! My tort gained about 3 grams a week on average between 4 and 12 months old, but this varies highly. I wouldn't be surprised with how you stated it, he actually gained a lot less than 3 ounces. What is the minimum weight your scale measures? If it's 2 ounces for example that is a huge difference. Can you get a gram scale? This will be much more accurate.

 

[Dizzybird]

Im grateful for your replies, my scales start on 0 ounces, so i am going to look for a a scale in Grams. When you say is the shell growing in smooth ? i am not exactly sure what u mean by that. I feed him daily, a good amount of fresh greens, and he eats it all and often looks for more. I do only feed him once a day though. How heavy should they be for hibernating? obviously my little torti is too young yet, i am planning to move him into the dining room soon for warmth, as the weather is cooling off on an evening and he is currently living in the kitchen.

 

[tortoisenerd]

The shell should be smooth and even to the touch, not have raised ridges. I don't know about a specific weight. I usually hear that you want them to be healthy, a good weight, not new, prepared (their bodies need to be prepared), and the owner well-researched. That said, I don't have hibernation experience so I hope someone pops in here soon. What is the temperature range in your kitchen? A Russian needs a range from the 70s to a basking spot of 95 degrees F. I agree that if all things go well you should look forward to hibernating him next year. This will give you a year to prep, if you do so. Form my research I believe that you can raise healthy and happy torts without hibernating them, commonly referred to by over wintering them (what it sounds like you are doing this year). Basically you trick them that it's summer year round. I personally am scared to hibernate my tort, and don't see any benefits that outweigh the risks. My opinion. Glad to hear you're looking for a scale in grams! Mine was about $25 at Target but there are better deals. Once you get a more accurate weight for his SCL we can give an opinion based on a growth chart how he's doing.

 

[K9KidsLove]

Hi...I got my gram scales in Walmart for $20...listed as postal scales.
Good luck
Patsy

 

[tortoisenerd]

Yup! That or food scales in the kitchen supply section.