ladyengineer
Member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2015
- Messages
- 55
Hi Everyone,
I'm pretty new to this forum, but I'm hoping someone can help me out with a question that's been nagging at me for a while now.
I've had my Tunisian Pegasus for nearly two years now. I got him as a baby from a breeder in Somerset here in the UK, in April 2013. I'm starting to worry that his shell appears to be developing a pyramided shape.
Before I got him I spent a bit of time talking to the breeder to make sure I'd be able to handle him. She advised Beech chips as substrate, with a basking spot and a UV striplight. He lives indoors and in the summer we go out for him to have a stomp in my garden in the sunshine. When I move house, I'm going to build him a secure outdoor Run for the summer months.
The breeder kept 5 adult Tunisians as well as rearing a clutch of babies each year. She advised that Tunisians don't like excess humidity, and that I should never mist Pegasus' house as it might make him ill, and would probably cause the beech chips to moulder anyway.
In general, Pegasus seems pretty happy, perky and healthy in general. He eats like a horse, seems to know me and enjoys stomping around my lounge of an evening. But as I mentioned, I'm worried about him developing a pyramided shell, and about the potential health implications thereof.
There is a bunch of contradictory information online about the causes of pyramiding, the potential links with metabolic bone disease and how I can help Pegasus to grow up with a healthy smooth shell. There aren't many vets around here who will deal with chelonia, and I have noticed that the Tunisian seems to be a rather underrepresented breed in captivity. There isn't much advice out there that could be specific to Tunisians, and the one thing everyone seems to agree on is that they're a sensitive breed and shouldn't be messed about too much.
I've been reading up on these forums, and the advice seems to be extra misting and bathing to help with their hydration levels, along with Nutrobal to help with calcium levels, which will apparently help Pegasus' shell grow much more smoothly, but my breeder specifically forbade misting, and I'm not sure how often to feed Nutrobal, which he currently gets every week or two, and he has cuttlefish bone to nibble on at all times.
Is there anyone who's kept Tunisians who can offer any advice? Pegasus is still young and I think now is the time to do something about this issue, if anything needs to be done, but due to the warnings of the sensitivity of the Tunisian breed I want to be sure I'm not going to make Pegasus ill by changing things when he seems to be otherwise healthy and happy...
I've attached some pics of Pegasus, his shell, his house and one of him being cute (his specialty).
Thanks to anyone who can offer advice!!
I'm pretty new to this forum, but I'm hoping someone can help me out with a question that's been nagging at me for a while now.
I've had my Tunisian Pegasus for nearly two years now. I got him as a baby from a breeder in Somerset here in the UK, in April 2013. I'm starting to worry that his shell appears to be developing a pyramided shape.
Before I got him I spent a bit of time talking to the breeder to make sure I'd be able to handle him. She advised Beech chips as substrate, with a basking spot and a UV striplight. He lives indoors and in the summer we go out for him to have a stomp in my garden in the sunshine. When I move house, I'm going to build him a secure outdoor Run for the summer months.
The breeder kept 5 adult Tunisians as well as rearing a clutch of babies each year. She advised that Tunisians don't like excess humidity, and that I should never mist Pegasus' house as it might make him ill, and would probably cause the beech chips to moulder anyway.
In general, Pegasus seems pretty happy, perky and healthy in general. He eats like a horse, seems to know me and enjoys stomping around my lounge of an evening. But as I mentioned, I'm worried about him developing a pyramided shell, and about the potential health implications thereof.
There is a bunch of contradictory information online about the causes of pyramiding, the potential links with metabolic bone disease and how I can help Pegasus to grow up with a healthy smooth shell. There aren't many vets around here who will deal with chelonia, and I have noticed that the Tunisian seems to be a rather underrepresented breed in captivity. There isn't much advice out there that could be specific to Tunisians, and the one thing everyone seems to agree on is that they're a sensitive breed and shouldn't be messed about too much.
I've been reading up on these forums, and the advice seems to be extra misting and bathing to help with their hydration levels, along with Nutrobal to help with calcium levels, which will apparently help Pegasus' shell grow much more smoothly, but my breeder specifically forbade misting, and I'm not sure how often to feed Nutrobal, which he currently gets every week or two, and he has cuttlefish bone to nibble on at all times.
Is there anyone who's kept Tunisians who can offer any advice? Pegasus is still young and I think now is the time to do something about this issue, if anything needs to be done, but due to the warnings of the sensitivity of the Tunisian breed I want to be sure I'm not going to make Pegasus ill by changing things when he seems to be otherwise healthy and happy...
I've attached some pics of Pegasus, his shell, his house and one of him being cute (his specialty).
Thanks to anyone who can offer advice!!