A new addition to family Zura (Forest Hingeback tortoise) :)

16rash

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Here are the pics of the current enclosure i clicked just now -
UVB light is not on.i have opened the window in front of the enclosure and some time he will get natural light.
3/4 of the enclosure is covered .
 

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16rash

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here is one more pic of the enclosure. with the natural light falling on the enclosure . he has moved towards the colder side of the enclosure.
 

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Anyfoot

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here is one more pic of the enclosure. with the natural light falling on the enclosure . he has moved towards the colder side of the enclosure.
Just in case you were wondering, that forest species you have is a kinixys homeana, not a kinixys erosa.
 

16rash

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really :eek: the rescue center people told me its a forest hingeback and i was setting up the enclosure /diet for forest hingeback. does the needs of both tortoise different..please help ..am freaked out now
 

Anyfoot

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really :eek: the rescue center people told me its a forest hingeback and i was setting up the enclosure /diet for forest hingeback. does the needs of both tortoise different..please help ..am freaked out now
No need to be freaked. Care is same.
Your photos are not very clear and I'm on the phone. Homana have a nuchal scute(small scute at the front of carapace above the neck) and at the back if you look from the side profile, homeana have a nob at the back and then carapace drops off sharp/steep. The erosa is more rounded without the nob.
 

16rash

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Thank you! i will try to get closeup pic of the tort. he is hiding inside since morning.as soon as he come out,i will click few pics .
 

Anyfoot

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Thank you! i will try to get closeup pic of the tort. he is hiding inside since morning.as soon as he come out,i will click few pics .
Looking forward to seeing them.
Either way the care is the same.
What's your plan with the new enclosure?
You will need to line it all out with some kind of water proof sheet, maybe a pond liner. You'll need 6" depth of substrate. Get 2 cat litter trays and sink one in level to the substrate, then sit the 2nd one in that for his bath. It's easier to empty when you use 2. Soil won't collapse in all the time. Also have another water dish to sink to soil level just for drinking. Make it so he can't fit in that one, change water daily. In the bath change ever 3 days or so, It will get dirty, but if you forever change this water he won't soak in it. They like it at room temperature, they will lay in it for hours, sometimes days.
Always have cuttlebone available.
Their diet is very high in protein, some say as much as 80% . Snails,worms and slugs are a good protein source. I've fed chicken, catfood and egg in the past too. Slugs and worms seem to be the favorite. Snail shells are calcium too. They eat plenty of fruit too. Banana, plum, melon, mango, papaya, pineapple, kiwi,strawberry,pear, are some.
Mine don't eat lots of greens. I've starved them for weeks and they wood rather eat dry leaves than fresh weeds.
I mix kale,weeds or rocket in with the fruit so they get it that way. I reckon mine eat 30% fruit, 60% protein and at the most 10% greens.
Throw a mushroom or 2 in the enclosures a few times a week.
They love being sprayed with water, have some stones and dried leaves on the ground, they will lick the water off the leaves and stones, aswell as soaking water up through the neck. You'll see. When I spray mine you can see them absorbing water through the neck.
Finally, your 10.0 light is too bright. Someone told me 2.5 is ideal. I've got a 10.0 but I've got fake ivy under it so the light shines through dappled, like it would through trees.
They don't like it bright.
Hope that helps a bit. I'm still learning too. They are wierd and amazing torts.

I've got one that pushes my hands out of the way when I'm digging for worms, she's learnt that when I dig there could be some worms up for grabs and muscles in to get them before I do. It's so funny how she watches me when I start digging.
 

16rash

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Hi Anyfoot,really appreciate your time and valuable suggestion ! it is very helpful :)

We are making 6x4 ft tortoise table, 1.5 ft depth with 5 inches of substrate . but as you advised, will keep 6 inches of substrate(potting soil at bottom and cypress mulch/peat moss top). we have bought few tropical plants and repotted,so may be after a month will plant these plants inside the enclosure.

i already bought 10.0 UVB which is probably more for hingeback. so may be i will try your idea of using fake ivy or some plant to avoid bright light.:)

Bought 1 150watt ceramic heat emitter and 1 100watt night bulb(blue col) for heating purpose. will add bulb if more heat is required .humidifier to maintain humidity level of 75-85%.

your idea of separating the water dish for drinking and soaking was great :)hopefully Zura's new home will be ready by sunday and i will post pic for your advise.

Thanks!
 

Anyfoot

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Hi Anyfoot,really appreciate your time and valuable suggestion ! it is very helpful :)

We are making 6x4 ft tortoise table, 1.5 ft depth with 5 inches of substrate . but as you advised, will keep 6 inches of substrate(potting soil at bottom and cypress mulch/peat moss top). we have bought few tropical plants and repotted,so may be after a month will plant these plants inside the enclosure.

i already bought 10.0 UVB which is probably more for hingeback. so may be i will try your idea of using fake ivy or some plant to avoid bright light.:)

Bought 1 150watt ceramic heat emitter and 1 100watt night bulb(blue col) for heating purpose. will add bulb if more heat is required .humidifier to maintain humidity level of 75-85%.

your idea of separating the water dish for drinking and soaking was great :)hopefully Zura's new home will be ready by sunday and i will post pic for your advise.

Thanks!
I wouldn't bother with a night bulb, control your CHE at about 80f/85f. Hopefully your cool end will be about 70/75f. Mine seem to be quite happy in the low 70's. Use the Che 24/7. Put uvb strip on a 14hr timer. Mine comes on at 7am till 9pm.
 

Anyfoot

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Hi Anyfoot,really appreciate your time and valuable suggestion ! it is very helpful :)

We are making 6x4 ft tortoise table, 1.5 ft depth with 5 inches of substrate . but as you advised, will keep 6 inches of substrate(potting soil at bottom and cypress mulch/peat moss top). we have bought few tropical plants and repotted,so may be after a month will plant these plants inside the enclosure.

i already bought 10.0 UVB which is probably more for hingeback. so may be i will try your idea of using fake ivy or some plant to avoid bright light.:)

Bought 1 150watt ceramic heat emitter and 1 100watt night bulb(blue col) for heating purpose. will add bulb if more heat is required .humidifier to maintain humidity level of 75-85%.

your idea of separating the water dish for drinking and soaking was great :)hopefully Zura's new home will be ready by sunday and i will post pic for your advise.

Thanks!
For that size enclosure you may end up with 2 x100watt CHE's Instead of 1x 150watt. See how it goes.
 
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