uvb lighting for forest hinge backs

[gergenhime]

Hello all, I have been searching for an answer to a question on lighting for forest hinge backs and was really needing to know if the common thought is that mvb based bulbs are just too intense for these guys and if so what is the preferred method for providing uvb for d3 synthesis. Thanks in advance for any info you guys can give me.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi gergunhime and welcome to the Forum!

It may depend upon which kind of hingback tortoise you have. If it requires the same care as, say, a redfooted, then yes, the MVB's are too intense. You probably would be better suited to use the tube type fluorescent bulb.

 

[chairman]

Homeana and erosa do not need UVB, they get their vitamin D through dietary sources, worms, mushrooms, etc. I believe that the non-forest hingebacks do need low-level UVB. A typical 5% tube style (not compact) would work for them. You can also use a low-level UVB light for the forest tortoises but mine were significantly less active during the day when provided with such light (they waited until the light shut off to roam around).

 

[gergenhime]

Thanks for the welcome and advice. I will try it with no lights then and see if his activity increases. I will just have to figure out how to keep these high heat / humidity plants alive...maybe setup a separate terrarium or something. And I believe he/she is a homeana now. Was advertised as erosa but from everything I've read and images I've seen I'm pretty sure it is homeana...here will post a quick picture of it and maybe you guys can confirm if you don't mind. Oh and I believe she's a girl but not positive...if she's not then I guess I should be glad that tortoises can't browse forums or he/she might be offended

 

[Tortoise]

HI
Congratulations on your new tortoise.
Sorry can't help with sexing etc but in terms of light, my Belliana boys get a 5.0 tube type but seeing as they spend so much time hidden, I really don't think they benefit from it that much.
They get the calcium with vit D as a food supplement and appear healthy despite their long winters indoors.
In the Summer they get daily outside time in the real sun so whether this makes up for the Winter I am not sure.

They hide from the MVB(too bright) so no point in myself using those bulbs for this species.

 

[chairman]

You are right that it is a homeana. We're going to need a picture of the tail to tell if it is a boy or girl.

 

[gergenhime]

Well the only way I could get her to come out of her shell was a quick swim with the African cichlids. She's a surprisingly good swimmer but I never leave her in more than about 5 minutes. As always this bowl movement was brought to you as a result of it...my apologies.

 

[Tortoise]

Looks like male parts to me not a bowel movement.

 

[Itort]

You've been flashed by a male Homes. I wouldn't suggest you let him swim in the fish tank as it is stressful to him. I keep mine in a large, humid enclosure with just the room light for illumination (UVB is not needing by an omnivarious forest tortoise) with a soaking/wading pool.

 

[chairman]

I agree, it is a boy. I believe that a healthy Homes should sink as their lungs don't take up enough space in their shells for them to float (water displacement and all that). None of mine float, though I suppose it is possible that mine are oddballs.

 

[gergenhime]

Yeah that middle pic was actually taken right as he began to defecate. What appears to be male parts is actually the anus expanding and you can see some greenish brown solid there to the right. I didn't know what had happened until I put the phone down right on top of it... Yeah good times. He definitely leans to his right in the water as though his buoyancy isn't evenly distributed but he is far more active now with the lights off also far easier to keep that humidity up so hopefully on the road to a long healthy life. Heading out in a few to grab his first batch of mushrooms and already have earthworms in his soil as well as working on breeding some superworms if I can get these others to pupate. Thanks again guys I love this site, I grew up in northwest Oklahoma and was always catching different reptiles like horny toads, ornate boxies, and alligator snappers. Wish I had access to this kind of resource back then.

 

[chairman]

Tortoises that don't float evenly could have respiratory infections (one lung retaining fluid it shouldn't). Just keep your eyes on his nose/mouth and as long as things are staying clear/dry you should be okay.

Have you tried feeding superworms before? I only ask because my hingebacks are afraid of them... no sense in investing in a breeding setup if they won't get eaten, right? And don't despair if he doesn't like mushrooms at first, mine originally didn't. Nice things about mushrooms is that you can buy them for yourself, offer some to the torts first, and see which of you is going to get them this time around.

 

[Gangreene]

I received 3 adult Homes 2 males 1 female.
It was easy to tell the sex. The males tails were very long ( almost wrapping all the way around the back of the shell and there plastron is dented in.)
The pics you showed make me think it's a female.