Dawny09

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Hi All we have in the last 24hours unexpectedly inherited this beautiful girl. She hasn’t had the best living conditions so we want to make that right for her future so would therefore appreciate any help/advice from those who know rather than the conflicting advice I seem to be getting from online pet stores, local vet and various online sources. We’ve been told she is around 40 years old. We would ideally like best advice on everything from housing, lamps, substrate , temp and feeding please.
TIA

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Sarah2020

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Welcome. Your in the right place for help and advise . First we need to identify what you have and the you can read the care sheet and try to build a great home for your new tortoise. Heat, light, food, water, soaks and substrate are all very important.
 

Dawny09

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Welcome. Your in the right place for help and advise . First we need to identify what you have and the you can read the care sheet and try to build a great home for your new tortoise. Heat, light, food, water, soaks and substrate are all very important.
Thankyou Sarah
I know I have a female & the vet seemed to think she was a bells hingeback but there more than one type from what I can see.
 

Dawny09

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zovick

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Hi All we have in the last 24hours unexpectedly inherited this beautiful girl. She hasn’t had the best living conditions so we want to make that right for her future so would therefore appreciate any help/advice from those who know rather than the conflicting advice I seem to be getting from online pet stores, local vet and various online sources. We’ve been told she is around 40 years old. We would ideally like best advice on everything from housing, lamps, substrate , temp and feeding please.
TIA
You definitely have a Hingeback Tortoise. Not sure if Bell's or Spek's, but the care of most of the types is fairly similar. The beak is overgrown and needs to be trimmed to help the tortoise eat more easily.

Also, it looks rather dry. I would suggest soaking it in lukewarm water for 15-20 minutes daily for a few weeks to help it get more well-hydrated.
 

Ray--Opo

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Welcome, what a beauty! Definitely have a knowledgeable vet trim the beak. You are in the right place. Forget pet stores and surfing the internet. It will just confuse you. Thanks for caring for your new friend.
 

Dawny09

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Essex
Welcome. Your in the right place for help and advise . First we need to identify what you have and the you can read the care sheet and try to build a great home for your new tortoise. Heat, light, food, water, soaks and substrate are all very important.
Welcome, what a beauty! Definitely have a knowledgeable vet trim the beak. You are in the right place. Forget pet stores and surfing the internet. It will just confuse you. Thanks for caring for your new friend.
Hi Thankyou for your reply we want to buy new bulbs etc to ensure she has exactly what is required she currently has a UV bulb and a 60w heat lamp but it’s a white light and some things say they don’t like light and prefer dark so should she have a red bulb please help. Not sure if some of the conflict ion is because others have diff species that need other things but I want to get it right.
 

Sarah2020

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Avoid coloured bulbs it can cause eye issues. I have a strip light and ceramic heatbulb will attach pics. I have them on a timer. Suggest orchid bark for substrate and I have a water spray just to provide some humidity. For a food dish try a flower pot base terracotta to allow access. Have a second one for water so she can get in and out safely to drink. These are tips but you can adjust as required. A good provider for supplies in UK is swell reptiles.
 

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Ray--Opo

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Many members use this type for UVB. The coil type and looped bulbs are bad for their eyes. Like the other member said no colored bulbs. Night time heat use a CHE(Ceramic heat emitter? or a RHP (radiant heat panel.)
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Dawny09

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Feb 26, 2021
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Essex
Hi Thankyou for your reply we want to buy new bulbs etc to ensure she has exactly what is required she currently has a UV bulb and a 60w heat lamp but it’s a white light and some things say they don’t like light and prefer dark so should she have a red bulb please help. Not sure if some of the conflict ion is because others have diff species that need other things but I want to get it right.
 

Dawny09

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Joined
Feb 26, 2021
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Essex
Avoid coloured bulbs it can cause eye issues. I have a strip light and ceramic heatbulb will attach pics. I have them on a timer. Suggest orchid bark for substrate and I have a water spray just to provide some humidity. For a food dish try a flower pot base terracotta to allow access. Have a second one for water so she can get in and out safely to drink. These are tips but you can adjust as required. A good provider for supplies in UK is swell reptiles.
That’s superb Thankyou so much for your help
 

Kapidolo Farms

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For hingebacks I've found the shade dweller UV tube from reptile basics to be enough/not too much. Jeremy Thompson and David Mifsud are really good at identify one species of hingeback from another with minimal photo back and forth.

They visit TFO, but their avatar is not apparent. They are both on 'The Kinixys cooperative' on facebook daily. One of the few rational tortoise oriented Facebook pages.
 

Maggie3fan

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Hi Thankyou for your reply we want to buy new bulbs etc to ensure she has exactly what is required she currently has a UV bulb and a 60w heat lamp but it’s a white light and some things say they don’t like light and prefer dark so should she have a red bulb please help. Not sure if some of the conflict ion is because others have diff species that need other things but I want to get it right.
no red bulbs, night time must be dark. But you need an expert for this species. Hang tight for a bit, you'll get some good advice.
 

Dawny09

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Essex
For hingebacks I've found the shade dweller UV tube from reptile basics to be enough/not too much. Jeremy Thompson and David Mifsud are really good at identify one species of hingeback from another with minimal photo back and forth.

They visit TFO, but their avatar is not apparent. They are both on 'The Kinixys cooperative' on facebook daily. One of the few rational tortoise oriented Facebook pages.
Fantastic Thankyou
 

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