Hello!
I am looking after a relative's Russian tortoise while they are on holiday. The tortoise was housed in a tiny tortoise table and had a heat lamp which I discovered was not correct as it was not emitting UVB. So I ended up purchasing a larger tortoise table and a mercury vapor lamp for heat and UVB and I've changed up his diet. The tortoise, who was initially extremely quiet and hid, is now lively and I've really formed an attachment to him and done a lot of research on Russian tortoises (but am still learning!). I'm trying to convince the relative to let me keep him.. he's only a young tortoise (a year at most) but I'm assuming he's been without UVB all - or at least most - of his life as he wasn't living outside at all. I'm concerned this will have damaged him - is there anyway you can tell or would he need to be checked over by a specialist vet? Can they recover from not having being exposed to enough UVB in youth or does it always damage them? If I end up keeping him I will create an enclosure outside so he can go out in the summer.
Thank you,
Ada
I am looking after a relative's Russian tortoise while they are on holiday. The tortoise was housed in a tiny tortoise table and had a heat lamp which I discovered was not correct as it was not emitting UVB. So I ended up purchasing a larger tortoise table and a mercury vapor lamp for heat and UVB and I've changed up his diet. The tortoise, who was initially extremely quiet and hid, is now lively and I've really formed an attachment to him and done a lot of research on Russian tortoises (but am still learning!). I'm trying to convince the relative to let me keep him.. he's only a young tortoise (a year at most) but I'm assuming he's been without UVB all - or at least most - of his life as he wasn't living outside at all. I'm concerned this will have damaged him - is there anyway you can tell or would he need to be checked over by a specialist vet? Can they recover from not having being exposed to enough UVB in youth or does it always damage them? If I end up keeping him I will create an enclosure outside so he can go out in the summer.
Thank you,
Ada