Tortellini has a new home

[Shari M]

Hello everyone!

Last week I finally finished Tortellini's new home. We were keeping (him/her) in a 20 gallon aquarium until we finished the new digs....I'm SO glad it is finally done! I kind of feel bad for keeping Tortellini in such a small space even though tortellini is only 5 months old and it was very temporary...it still weighed heavy on me at times. The new "Apartment" is the BEST thing since Cactus fruit *
Tortellini LOVES it!!
Check it out
Shari

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh, my...that's awfully pretty!

Have you checked the temperature all over the whole floor, including under the second story?

I advise against using hay or aspen bedding. You want your little guy to live in a 70% humid environment. If you try to make the hay and aspen humid, it will mold. Here's what HermanniChris says about substrate in his good care sheet:

A suitable substrate is clean top soil mixed with coconut coir or peat moss. I prefer to add sand into this mix to help generate a substrate that replicates what they experience in nature more closely. However, using sand has been known to cause impaction in reptiles which can lead to death. Although in more than 20 years we have never experienced this with any of our tortoises kept on it, this does not mean it won’t happen to your animal(s). Use caution or simply don’t use the sand. The substrate can be up to 4” deep to allow for burrowing. Burrowing is 100% normal! Do not be alarmed by his behavior while they are this young. They are babies after all and babies sleep. I also recommend adding cypress mulch as a 2” top layer but you can also mix it in to the existing substrate. The mulch aids in keeping an adequate humidity level which should be around 70%. Do not let the substrate dry out entirely by keeping a spray bottle filled with water on hand to mist the enclosure. A common misconception regarding tortoise keeping is thinking they must be kept very dry. This is in fact not true and we now know that pyramiding (unnatural, lumpy growth of the carapace scutes)is directly linked to improper humidity levels along with insufficient hydration. In nature, baby tortoises spend a great deal of time burrowed into the ground, under leaf litter or jammed under debris. There, it is humid, moist and dark. They are programmed to hide and typically do not venture out anywhere near as much as older specimens. By doing this they are constantly subjected to a higher level of humidity than one might assume. Although wild tortoises can sometimes appear lumpy or pyramided, this is only in extreme cases where severe droughts are common. Most will exhibit beautiful growth and smooth shells. In the evening after the lights are turned off, I place the lid on the rubbermaid containers that house our baby tortoises. This helps to mimic the dark, humid refuges the neonates confide in when in nature. The humidity builds up overnight and in the morning it is released when the lids are taken off. I do not doubt for one second that this method has something to do with the natural, smooth shells our tortoises attain as they grow.

 

[Jodie]

That is very pretty. Nice job! I love the details.

 

[Shari M]

Oh, my...that's awfully pretty!

Have you checked the temperature all over the whole floor, including under the second story?

I advise against using hay or aspen bedding. You want your little guy to live in a 70% humid environment. If you try to make the hay and aspen humid, it will mold. Here's what HermanniChris says about substrate in his good care sheet:

A suitable substrate is clean top soil mixed with coconut coir or peat moss. I prefer to add sand into this mix to help generate a substrate that replicates what they experience in nature more closely. However, using sand has been known to cause impaction in reptiles which can lead to death. Although in more than 20 years we have never experienced this with any of our tortoises kept on it, this does not mean it won’t happen to your animal(s). Use caution or simply don’t use the sand. The substrate can be up to 4” deep to allow for burrowing. Burrowing is 100% normal! Do not be alarmed by his behavior while they are this young. They are babies after all and babies sleep. I also recommend adding cypress mulch as a 2” top layer but you can also mix it in to the existing substrate. The mulch aids in keeping an adequate humidity level which should be around 70%. Do not let the substrate dry out entirely by keeping a spray bottle filled with water on hand to mist the enclosure. A common misconception regarding tortoise keeping is thinking they must be kept very dry. This is in fact not true and we now know that pyramiding (unnatural, lumpy growth of the carapace scutes)is directly linked to improper humidity levels along with insufficient hydration. In nature, baby tortoises spend a great deal of time burrowed into the ground, under leaf litter or jammed under debris. There, it is humid, moist and dark. They are programmed to hide and typically do not venture out anywhere near as much as older specimens. By doing this they are constantly subjected to a higher level of humidity than one might assume. Although wild tortoises can sometimes appear lumpy or pyramided, this is only in extreme cases where severe droughts are common. Most will exhibit beautiful growth and smooth shells. In the evening after the lights are turned off, I place the lid on the rubbermaid containers that house our baby tortoises. This helps to mimic the dark, humid refuges the neonates confide in when in nature. The humidity builds up overnight and in the morning it is released when the lids are taken off. I do not doubt for one second that this method has something to do with the natural, smooth shells our tortoises attain as they grow.

Hi Yvonne

Thank you for the suggestions. I really appreciate everyone's feedback on our new addition.
I am still confused on the substrate. We got Tortellini from a reptile Vivarium (www.eastbayvivarium.com) where he was hatched. He was in an enclosure with all his brothers and sisters with fine pine substrate when we picked him up on Christmas eve. When I first saw that I was very confused because all that I have read on the internet warned against that. I brought it up to the people at the vivarium and they told me that it was the best for the russian tort to be kept in a dry environment and bug free too. He said that (top soil, coco coir, peat moss etc...) were too moist and that could be an issue. He also said that sand could get ingested and coco coir could get in eyes etc. He said that they have used the pine for years and that is what they prefer. I came home and decided to use the pine for the small habitat until I finished the larger habitat. When I finished the habitat I decided on pine/aspen mix because I had read online that aspen was a good choice (I have since removed the alfalfa) and the pine seemed to not be an issue. I bought top soil and coco coir thinking I would use those but decided against it because of what they told me at the vivarium. I'm just so confused because if you read about substrate on the internet everyone has a different opinion
I really don't know what to do, I want to have the best possible habitat for our baby.
Also, the basking area ranges from 93-100 and the cooler areas don't get under 75. At night I use ceramic heat

Shari

 

[Yvonne G]

The East Bay Vivarium is one of the better pet stores, but in this instance they have given you the wrong scoop. If that really is pine bedding and not aspen like I thought, then you run the risk of the aromatic oils in the pine making your tortoise sick.

I'm sorry for giving you an excerpt from the wrong care sheet. From your small avatar picture I thought the tortoise was a Hermanns. Here's the part about substrate from the Russian tortoise care sheet:

" I like a damp, natural substrate that they can dig into. Plain soil with no guano, perlite or other additives, orchid bark, cypress mulch and coco coir all work. These substrates can be bought in bulk at most hardware or garden centers at a tremendous savings over pet store prices. Regular dirt from your yard will work too, if its of a suitable composition. I don't like to use sand in any amount for Russians, or any other tortoise species. It can be a skin and eye irritant and an impaction risk. Damp substrate will help to maintain moderate humidity and allow them to dig in and create their own little microclimate. I also like to offer a humid hide box for them to sleep in and retreat to. This will really help to maintain hydration and good shell growth in an open topped table. For babies I like to use large tubs or tanks and partially cover the top to maintain 50-70% humidity. I also offer a humid hide and my substrate of choice for babies is about 3-4" of damp coco coir. I hand pack it down to reduce the messiness. I don't worry about what the humidity level is for adults, AS LONG AS they have a damp substrate that they can dig into and a humid hide to retreat to."

We here at the Forum, are on the cutting edge of tortoise husbandry. Because we have so many members, and many of them knowledgeable tortoise keepers, we have the up-to-date info on husbandry.

This particular care sheet was written by our fellow member, Tom, and he has raised russian tortoise babies past the three year stage, so he knows what works for them. You can trust this info.

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

Hello everyone!

Last week I finally finished Tortellini's new home. We were keeping (him/her) in a 20 gallon aquarium until we finished the new digs....I'm SO glad it is finally done! I kind of feel bad for keeping Tortellini in such a small space even though tortellini is only 5 months old and it was very temporary...it still weighed heavy on me at times. The new "Apartment" is the BEST thing since Cactus fruit *
Tortellini LOVES it!!
Check it out
Shari

View attachment 168736 View attachment 168737 View attachment 168738

That looks beautiful! You must have put alot of time into it. But i keep my russians on coco coir and top soil also. As far as i can see, it causes no problems accept Max likes to walk in and out of the water bowl and get it dirty. Thats about it.

 

[Shari M]

The East Bay Vivarium is one of the better pet stores, but in this instance they have given you the wrong scoop. If that really is pine bedding and not aspen like I thought, then you run the risk of the aromatic oils in the pine making your tortoise sick.

I'm sorry for giving you an excerpt from the wrong care sheet. From your small avatar picture I thought the tortoise was a Hermanns. Here's the part about substrate from the Russian tortoise care sheet:

" I like a damp, natural substrate that they can dig into. Plain soil with no guano, perlite or other additives, orchid bark, cypress mulch and coco coir all work. These substrates can be bought in bulk at most hardware or garden centers at a tremendous savings over pet store prices. Regular dirt from your yard will work too, if its of a suitable composition. I don't like to use sand in any amount for Russians, or any other tortoise species. It can be a skin and eye irritant and an impaction risk. Damp substrate will help to maintain moderate humidity and allow them to dig in and create their own little microclimate. I also like to offer a humid hide box for them to sleep in and retreat to. This will really help to maintain hydration and good shell growth in an open topped table. For babies I like to use large tubs or tanks and partially cover the top to maintain 50-70% humidity. I also offer a humid hide and my substrate of choice for babies is about 3-4" of damp coco coir. I hand pack it down to reduce the messiness. I don't worry about what the humidity level is for adults, AS LONG AS they have a damp substrate that they can dig into and a humid hide to retreat to."

We here at the Forum, are on the cutting edge of tortoise husbandry. Because we have so many members, and many of them knowledgeable tortoise keepers, we have the up-to-date info on husbandry.

This particular care sheet was written by our fellow member, Tom, and he has raised russian tortoise babies past the three year stage, so he knows what works for them. You can trust this info.

Ughhh... I have read that Pine can be toxic too, but they assured me that they have used only that
(Screened pine shavings) for years and have had no problems. I wonder why they tell people to use that.

So, if I change to Coco Coir should I mix that with top soil? I want to get a top soil that has NOTHING else in it. I am so scared of pesticides. Do you have a name of a good one? I have an organic planting soil, would that work as well? And, humidity will not cause shell rot?
Thanks again for all your help Yvonne
Shari

 

[Shari M]

That looks beautiful! You must have put alot of time into it. But i keep my russians on coco coir and top soil also. As far as i can see, it causes no problems accept Max likes to walk in and out of the water bowl and get it dirty. Thats about it.

Hi Linhdan
Thanks!! It took use a couple months working on it when we had time.. It was fun and I'm glad it all worked out.
Thanks again,
Shari