Search results

Your neighbors have another male? That may be the source of his ire. Males sometimes get super territorial, and more so after brumation, and even more so in spring and summer.

Betadine should only be used once to disinfect. Repeated use kills the regenerating tissue. If those marks are on top and bottom, it could be damage from a dog attack. Check the temperature under the bulb. That will tell you if you need to make a change or not. I would not use reptisoil.

Here are the things that I noticed: 1. How close is the UV lamp to the tortoise? 2. Can we see a picture of the enclosure? 3. Where is the heat lamp and UV tube mounted? 4. Is there any additional lighting? 5. How long is the UV tube on each day? 6. There needs to be much more variety in the...

Two UV tubes is not how I would do it. I'd use LEDs on the cooler end. Your temps and conditions sound ideal. It may just be that once he has a full belly and he's warm, there is no reason to walk about exposing himself to predators.

At no age. A viv is always better and more controllable, unless the room temp and humidity is exactly the same as what you want in your table for the tortoise.

They all grow at different rates, so my question is the same as Tammy's: What size tortoise are we talking about? Smaller ones do better staying indoors in a large closed chamber most of the time. You can spray, hose or mist any size tortoise, and it's good for them. One caution though: If you...

Since your enclosure will have front opening doors and a solid top, you can put books, potted plants, or various types of art work on top. I like the idea of a tortoise food garden, and I'm a fish guy too. I'd put the fish on bottom and the tortoise higher up though. If the stand is 24" and the...

Check the basking temp by placing a digital thermometer on its back, at tortoise shell height, directly under the lamp, and letting it cook there for an hour or more. If it's over 100 and you can't raise the bulb any higher, get a lower wattage bulb, and save that one for winter. Alternatively...

I think you already know what is going on because you've mentioned it a couple of times already. He's determined to find a mate. It's that time of year. You brumated him, as you should have, and once they wake up in spring, its time to do that deed. Some Testudo males get super crazed with the...

Where do you live?

Ideally, the coir you buy won't have any of those fibers. If it does, make a sifter with 1/4 inch hardware cloth to easily remove it. When you buy it, get "coco coir" or "coco peat". Don't buy "coco fiber" or "coco chips."

That is not shell rot. Shell rot happens on the plastron and its from overly wet and/or unsanitary conditions. What you have there is carapace damage. It looks to me like thermal burns from a spot lamp due to its location and appearance. What are you medicating it with? I have a few...

I wouldn't use chips with tortoises. Coir is fine, but the chips pose a hazard because of their large size, irregular shapes and corners. Also, you probably already know this, but I will say it anyway for the benefit of other people following along silently: Redfoots don't need moisture...

You can sift your coir through some 1/4 inch hardware cloth to remove those fibers.

Hello and welcome! I first want to tell you that sulcatas are NOT desert tortoises. If you house them in desert conditions, it will likely kill them and it will for sure cause pyramiding. Please read through these two threads and feel free to ask all of your questions...

Here is a breakdown of the four heating and lighting essentials: Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to...

Marginated tortoises are not known for digging. I wouldn't put anything down. Just make opaque walls and make sure no light is showing under the walls. Also, make the enclosure very large and put lots of furniture in it. Logs, large rocks, plants and shrubs, hides, etc... The more interesting...

It can work, but I was not thrilled with the results when I tried it. I prefer single levels for tortoises.

What you propose will work okay for a baby, but probably not so well for an adult of any species. Any foam will have to be up out of reach. Imagine the tortoise standing on its hind legs and reaching up with its front legs. Above that is how high above them the foam would have to be. So 10 or 11...

That depends on what they are eating. If it's lots of weeds, mulberry leaves, cactus pads, Mazuri, etc..., then you really don't need much supplementation. If its a lot of grocery store greens, they you will need the supplements and other amendments too.