Tortoise species

[19TORI92]

advice: the substrate has to go, he needs some humidity and that substrate wont hold it. use cyprus mulch or coconut fibers. also his beak is over grow, feed him on a rock and provide a cuttle bone.

I've looked on two websites I've used to get their food and they don't show anything when I search coconut coir or Cyprus mulch. Where can I find this?
The pet stores near us aren't particularly good with regards to tortoises etc.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

I've looked on two websites I've used to get their food and they don't show anything when I search coconut coir or Cyprus mulch. Where can I find this?
The pet stores near us aren't particularly good with regards to tortoises etc.

I'm sorry i can't help you, my torts live outside most of the time. i recommended those substrates because your tort lives inside. maybe you can order them on amazon?

 

[19TORI92]

Ok brill.
I'll keep looking!! X

 

[peasinapod]

Ok brill.
I'll keep looking!! X

I think normal gardenig supply stires should carry them. No need to pay more for the same thing just because the tell you it's specifically for pets.

I think I heard something about IKEA carrying coco coir?

 

[HermanniChris]

Your Greek is a male and your Hermann's is a female. The Greek is a T. graeca ibera and the Hermann's is a T. h. hercegovinensis. Problems will be inevitable if they are kept together. Ibera are a highly aggressive type of Greek tortoise and this male will likely injure the Hermann's which can potentially be fatal. Even if they have been together for years, this doesn't mean it won't happen eventually. Also, even if they appear healthy, Greek tortoises are carriers of certain viruses that are absolutely, without a doubt, deadly to Hermann's tortoises. A sudden spark in stress can allow a virus to outbreak when you didn't even know it was there in the first place. I haven't been reading this thread in detail so I apologize if you've already taken this into account and have separated them, but if you haven't, it is highly advisable that you do. Should the two breed, this is another issue you'll run into because many Hermann's tortoises will perish from carrying eggs too big to pass like those of T. g. ibera. If they were to successfully breed and produce young, that brings on yet another problem: hybrids. Hope this helps and good luck with them. You'll get some good advice on here.

 

[19TORI92]

Hi Chris. Thanks for the message.
We have kept them apart when my mum first got them. The male was aggressive to the female. So we've seperated. We're not keen on the idea of breeding anyway. I'd much rather someone with more knowledge etc were to do that.

Thanks again

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I buy my coir from the local hardware store in bulk, and it is the best deal ever! Thye sell it as 'potting dirt'. Other good superstates can be orchid bark, fir bark (both aka ReptiBark, really) and plain, organic potting soil (without the white stuff!)
I don't use cypress, but I'm pretty sure the hardware store where I shop sells it, too
And yeah, always look on Amazon, you might find a stellar deal! Are they able to go outside, even for a couple hours? It would them sooo much good! In the future, they'll both need something a little bigger (not much!) that that whole habitat (not even the separated parts) because it's too small for your tortoises.

 

[19TORI92]

we let them out in the summer. For the day.
Is it not too cold for them during the winter. Average temperature at the moment is 17c. With some showers?!
I recently read tortoises for dummy's and told dad their enclosure is so small. We're currently thinking of where he could build something. X

 

[katfinlou]

Hi, so sorry for your loss... Im also a new Hermanns owner, also in the UK, northumberland and it is painfully cold here right now! Have you tried shoping on Amazon for your supplies? My local pet shop charged
£107 for lights that I could have bought for much less on Amazon. They also sold me some terrible pellet substrate that my tort could hardly walk on!! The people on this forum have been a fantastic source of help for me and im certain they can help you out too. Good luck with everything!