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I like this explanation. I would add that grocery store greens by themselves are not great tortoise food, but grocery store greens are a great vehicle to get the right stuff into a tortoise if a care taker simply adds in some amendments like calcium powder, fiber from one source or another, and...

Simplified: 1. Once a month is enough to keep at least some tortoises alive some of the time. 2. Once a month is not enough to keep some tortoises alive and healthy in some circumstances. 3. Twice a week will keep just about any tortoise well hydrated in just about any circumstance. If a...

No, it is not also fine to go once a month. I see a lot cases of bladder stones in people's tortoises that don't soak them often enough. Because some of them, like yours, survive on once a month does not make it "fine". It makes it survivable sometimes. If you only want to soak once a month...

Flukers leaves the details off the package which causes lots of confusion. You want a flood bulb, not a spot bulb. That package doesn't specify which it is, but it looks pretty "floody" to me. Look at the bulb itself. There is sometimes a little engraving around the top of the metal part that...

There is all sorts of wrong info out there. The "soaking is bad for them" myth is an easy one to disprove. All by myself I have started over 1000 hatchlings of several species and I soak all of them every single day. I do this to keep them well hydrated but it has an added beneficial side...

Not a hatchling, but still a little baby. Think how much growing it has left to do. its 4.5 inches now, but it will eventually reach 32 inches. Here are two basic principles that apply to this situation: 1. Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. If the tortoise is...

Living outdoors full time makes the hatchlings and babies pyramid. The climate doesn't matter. This is true in captive settings even in their native range.That's why yours hasn't changed. 60% humidity is way too low. This is NOT a desert species, and even if it was, babies of desert species need...

Show him these threads: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/single-tortoise-night-box.181515/ https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/double-door-night-box.129054/ https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/here-is-the-4x8-rendering-of-toms-night-box-with-exploded-view.97697/...

Lynwood California? As is usually the case, your vet doesn't know tortoises. Urates are the by-product of protein digestion. They build up, dehydrate and solidify when the tortoise is not getting enough hydration, and they have more trouble passing them when they are kept in small enclosures...

Correct. The rate of pyramiding looks to be the same. What bulbs are you using? Is it in a closed chamber enclosure? How much outdoor time does it get daily? What substrate is is on? What is the humidity in the enclosure? Are you soaking daily? Do you spray the tortoise with water?

All the growth is coming in at the same angle. I don't see any change. What was the weight in Feb and what is it now? In grams. What steps are you following to change this?

Plastron is normal. Chin color is likely staining from substrate. It does not look scratched or irritated to me.

Yes sir. Totally normal and good for a baby too. They create their own little humid micro climate when they dig down like that which helps them grow smoother.

Increase humidity by making sure the substrate is damp, and then reducing ventilation. Are the heat lamps and UV tube inside the enclosure? Is the top solid or screen? Give this a read through and also look for the temperate species care sheet near the bottom...

You are welcome. Hoping for a speedy recovery. If the sickness progresses, vet help may be needed, but just know that vets know medicines and proper doses, but they don't know husbandry.

What species?

Yes. Pack it again as needed. They like to dig it up and that is actually good for them mentally and physically, but do hand pack it back down after they dig it up each time. And keep it lightly damp by dumping water into it. How much water and how often varies with each enclosure and seasonally...

No one here says 30C for a basking temp. 35C is close enough, but shoot for 36-37C directly under the basking bulb. All the temps you just listed are for a normal healthy tortoise. Yours is sick. It needs higher temps to combat the sickness. Look at the temps I listed for you in post number 2...

Vets don't know tortoise care. Are you doing the temperature I said, or the temperatures the vet said? "Correct" doesn't tell us what we need to know to help you. What are your four temperatures? Warm side, cool side, basking area, and overnight low? What were the temps before the vet visit...

Hello and welcome. Where in CA? Different advice for Salinas vs. Salton Sea. Is it one eye or both? Sounds like your basking temp is not warm enough. Get it up to 100 directly under the bulb. Check this by placing a digital thermometer on its back directly under the light and letting it cook...