I need your opinion

[tortania]

I was looking Callie over really well today and I noticed that his/her carapace isn't smooth looking anymore. Is this signs of growth or do I have some pyramiding starting here. The guy I bought from told me to keep no humidity in the enclosure because he said leopards are real prone to RIs. I've had the humidity between 15-28%.







Callie is 14 months old.

[Redfoot NERD]

Carolyn looks like over-feeding and the old "NO HUMID-HIDE" nonsense.. http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/microclimates.htm

[tortania]

Redfoot NERD Wrote:Carolyn looks like over-feeding and the old "NO HUMID-HIDE" nonsense.. http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/microclimates.htm

Thanks Terry. I was afraid of that. I'm regularly misting the inside of the enclosure since I've read on this forum how important it is for hatchlings. I can't completely blame this guy for giving me bum advice...I should've done more research too.

I have never fed this guy protein, but until I found out differently I was feeding him more of a "wet" diet than grasses. I regularly sprinkle his food (curly endive, romaine lettuce, butternut sqash on occasion, and grass and weeds from my yard) with alfalfa grass, and I noticed he nibbles at the orchard grass that I have in there for him. Hopefully this will not get any worse!

[JustAnja]

Drop the Alfalfa, its too high in protein for torts It has greater than 23% crude protein.

[tortania]

JustAnja Wrote:Drop the Alfalfa, its too high in protein for torts It has greater than 23% crude protein.

Thanks, Anja! I didn't know that.. I'll stick with the orchard grass and yard grasses for now

[Redfootedboxturtles]

Tortania , if you can find it or grow it in your area my leopard tortoise loves hibiscus flowers and leaves. Hibiscus is great for tortoises. Also I live in south florida and my leopard tortoise lives out doors so I dont know about the low humidity thing. But I know hatchlings are more sensitive.

[tortania]

Redfootedboxturtles Wrote:Tortania , if you can find it or grow it in your area my leopard tortoise loves hibiscus flowers and leaves. Hibiscus is great for tortoises. Also I live in south florida and my leopard tortoise lives out doors so I dont know about the low humidity thing. But I know hatchlings are more sensitive.

Thanks Red! I've been looking for hibiscus for the past month, without any luck yet, but it may be the wrong time of year for it here. I'm in zone 7 (Oklahoma) and we have some short but intense winters here. I usually can't plant anything outside until April. I may be able to order it from Reptileeats, maybe? I'll have to check into that!

[Itort]

Check at your local nursery for hardy hibiscus and rose of sharon. These both grow well in Iowa (zone 5). Also see if there are in areas you can collect prickly pears for tort garden. More suggestions would check with your county extension for native grass seeds or starts. This mix is basically what my tort yard will be in this native biome (long grass prairie)

[jenrell23]

Check out this website for hibiscus.. http://www.fancyhibiscus.com it came from turtlecafe.

[tortania]

Thanks Itort, Jen . I have looked at all of my local Lowes, Home Depot, Walmarts, and a couple of gardening shops....no luck. I did find a few different hibiscus plants on Burpee.com.

I just received an order for Russian tort plant seed mix from Carolina Pet Supply that I plan on tray planting for indoors until the weather warms up, then it will be planted directly into their enclosures. I really didn't see many differences between the Russian mix and the Grassland mix, except that the grassland mix contains strawberry. I also ordered chicory seeds.

[Itort]

The grass mix I am suggesting is native grasses found in Ok in presettlement days. It would can such grasses as big bluestem, little bluestem, indian grass, blue and side-oats grama, and buffalo grass. I seen these suggested for grassland tort forage. They have the advantage of needing little care and take grazing well (after 10,000 years of buffalo).