RT shell issue. Please help!

[Hamburger15]

I was hoping someone can help me. Ever since I got my Russian tortoise, his shell seems to be..... Dry. I'm not sure of terms to use, but, the outer sections of the sections on his shell seem to be flaky and cracky around the edges. And it's worrying me. I keep his substrate moist, humidity about 30 all over and the one end is about 45 humidity because I keep a cover over top that area. I soak him in warm water about 3 times a week. And I change his water soakin bowl in his tank every day, sometimes twice. Calcium 3 times a week mixed with his food. Should I be concerned? What am I doing wrong??? Be loves his basking spot, around 95 degrees. And really refuses to go anywhere else in the cage most days. Drives me nuts haha please help

 

[Heliopteryx]

What kind of lighting system do you have?

 

[Hamburger15]

I use a UVB heat light in that flukers clasp. And I also have a flourescent light .

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12 hrs light. 12 hrs darkness. Daytime with light one end about 70 to 75 degrees and the other end about 80 to 85 with basking spot at about 95.

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Night time it's at 60 degrees

 

[wellington]

what kind of substrate are you using?

 

[ascott]

May we see a pic of the area that has you concerned?

 

[dbax85]

I've noticed the same dryness issue with mine, but hadn't gotten around to posting a thread. Anybody else seeing this? I have mine on coir at 40% humidity, and soak twice a week. He's under UVB and a regular heat light for 11 hours per day.

 

[Ashliewood]

Mine has the same thing.

 

[Hamburger15]

Mines the same as dbax80

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Tara:

Its probably nothing to worry about. Their shells sometimes look a little dried out.

 

[lynnedit]

Sounds like your set up is good, and he is active.
I think that is fairly common with tortoises, as part of the normal shell growth.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I think people can get in trouble if they don't realize that arid land tortoises still need a moist micro-climate. Tortoises like Testudo, Gopherus, leopards, and sulcatas are native to regions with low humidity, and are good at conserving water. However, part of their strategy is to dig pallets or burrows where the relative humidity is a bit higher. Tortoises that live in climates with a humidity of about 40%, may still experience humidity levels around 60% in their shelters. These conditions need to be replicated in captivity as well.

As I've said, my favorite substrate is coco coir (coconut fiber), such as Eco Earth and other brands, which can be bought at both pet stores and garden stores. Coco coir is soil-like, but does not harbor fungi or insects. It is sand-like, but does not promote gut compaction. Once wetted, it can hold onto moisture for a long time, and also allows tortoises to dig into it, making for a comfortable, humid shelter. For my tortoises, the humidity difference between above- and below-ground is so pronounced, that their shells actually become yellower when they're below the surface (about 6 inches deep), and then become brown again after they've emerged. That's how stark the difference in humidity is. Here in Colorado, ambient humidity is 20-40%, but in their burrows it's more like 60-70%. That's a great combination for a grassland tortoise like the Russian.

Another good choice for substrate is cypress mulch. I used to use this, but it can introduce fungi and insects into your pen, so for this reason I no longer prefer it. It is also less "diggable" than coco coir, so I think it is more suitable for tortoises that don't burrow, as opposed to burrowers like Russians, sulcatas, or gopher tortoises.

Other people on this forum have had success with soil, and even with a mix of sand. As I said, ingestion of sand can lead to gut compaction, which is why I don't use it. Pure sand can also abrade the shell, and does not hold moisture well. However, others have found that a small proportion of sand in your substrate can be useful.

Soaking (bathing) is good, but of course, that's only for a short while, and is not a long-term solution to moisture problems. It sounds to me like, although your ambient humidity may be fine, your substrate might not be providing a moist micro-climate for your Russian. If you're not using one of the substrates above, I recommend you try it.