Advice from all you experts!

[Dougal]

Hi! My little Dougal was hatched around Halloween. I am really winging it here with him, doing research online. This forum is a terrific resource. I think he is doing well, I can't believe how much I have fallen in love with the little guy. He's growing, eating and pooping, He weighs about 47 grams. Is that what a 3.5 month old desert tortoise should weigh?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome!

For being such a brand new baby, Doubal is quite 'bumpy.' Here's a picture of my desert tortoises that hatched last September:



They live in a covered tub with wet substrate.

I don't ever weigh them, so can't help you with the weight thing. I just go by their bright eyes and good appetites. If that's good, then I'm happy with them.

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh, and: Welcome to the forum!

 

[Dougal]

Hi Yvonne, thank you for the welcome. Your babies look good! When you say Dougal is "bumpy", do you mean you think he is pyramiding? That is alarming! I thought he looked pretty good. I don't give him calcium supplements, but he's always gotten plenty of sunshine.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi

 

[Dougal]

Hi
View attachment 233074

Thanks!

 

[TechnoCheese]

Hi Yvonne, thank you for the welcome. Your babies look good! When you say Dougal is "bumpy", do you mean you think he is pyramiding? That is alarming! I thought he looked pretty good. I don't give him calcium supplements, but he's always gotten plenty of sunshine.

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. What is your humidity, and could we see a picture of your enclosure?
And welcome to the forum!

 

[Dougal]

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. What is your humidity, and could we see a picture of your enclosure?
And welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the welcome, Techno! I will post a photo of his tank later (10 gallon tank with a heat/full spectrum UV light sitting on top). I took this one this morning. Plus he has a small enclosure outside which he has been spending more and more time in as it gets warmer. Do you think he is pyramiding?!!!

 

[TechnoCheese]

Thanks for the welcome, Techno! I will post a photo of his tank later (10 gallon tank with a heat/full spectrum UV light sitting on top). I took this one this morning. Plus he has a small enclosure outside which he has been spending more and more time in as it gets warmer. Do you think he is pyramiding?!!!View attachment 233080

I think he is pyramiding slightly, yes.
Sadly, I don’t keep deserts and I don’t know their specific care, but I believe that a 10 gallon tank is too small of an enclosure to get a proper heat gradient.
What is your humidity, and what substrate are you using?

 

[Dougal]

Yikes! I feel terrible! Have I deformed him forever? How do I check the humidity? The heat lamp may be too big, I guess. The substrate is "good Arizona soil". I got the idea somewhere online. It always seems a little moist just under the surface because of his water dish and I have a little pot of rye grass/dicondra planted.

 

[TechnoCheese]

Yikes! I feel terrible! Have I deformed him forever? How do I check the humidity? The heat lamp may be too big, I guess. The substrate is "good Arizona soil". I got the idea somewhere online. It always seems a little moist just under the surface because of his water dish and I have a little pot of rye grass/dicondra planted.

Pyramiding doesn’t go away, but don’t worry, his has just started developing so if you get the humidity right now, it won’t show as an adult.
You need a humidity gauge to check the humidity. Get a digital one from Home Depot. You have a thermometer, right?
The substrate sounds like it’s no good. Replace it with something that can be kept moist, like coco coir, orchid bark, cypress mulch, or peat moss. You can get these from garden centers and hardware stores, but make sure they’re non toxic.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Thanks!

Your very welcome !

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Yvonne, thank you for the welcome. Your babies look good! When you say Dougal is "bumpy", do you mean you think he is pyramiding? That is alarming! I thought he looked pretty good. I don't give him calcium supplements, but he's always gotten plenty of sunshine.

The pyramiding happens because they're living in too dry conditions. In the wild they stay hidden in burrows, where the humidity is much higher than out in the open (or under desiccating lights).

 

[Dougal]

Pyramiding doesn’t go away, but don’t worry, his has just started developing so if you get the humidity right now, it won’t show as an adult.
You need a humidity gauge to check the humidity. Get a digital one from Home Depot. You have a thermometer, right?
The substrate sounds like it’s no good. Replace it with something that can be kept moist, like coco coir, orchid bark, cypress mulch, or peat moss. You can get these from garden centers and hardware stores, but make sure they’re non toxic.

Any preference on the substrate? What about my lamp? It's a 100 Watt UVA UVB Mercury Vapor Bulb. And what should the humidity gauge say. Sorry to be so stupid, but all the technicalities of raising a baby tortoise can be difficult and confusing. The advice is all over the place. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

[Dougal]

It's getting warm enough that he will be outside all day unless it's raining. Or 115!

 

[Yvonne G]

My babies live in a covered plastic tub. The orchid bark substrate is wet, not damp. I have a UVB fluorescent tube for UVB plus a CHE for heat. The tube goes off at night but the CHE stays on 24/7. The overall temperature is 80-85F day and night. When I move them outside on nice days, they go in their whole container.

 

[Dougal]

My babies live in a covered plastic tub. The orchid bark substrate is wet, not damp. I have a UVB fluorescent tube for UVB plus a CHE for heat. The tube goes off at night but the CHE stays on 24/7. The overall temperature is 80-85F day and night. When I move them outside on nice days, they go in their whole container.

Thank you, Yvonne.

 

[Dougal]

I suspect the real culprit may be that lamp!

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, the MVB is pretty powerful. I used to use them, but have since changed to the fluorescent UVB bulbs.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

It's getting warm enough that he will be outside all day unless it's raining. Or 115!

My desert tort’s enclosure has a 2 foot overhang and I do water their enclosure every day . But Idont bring my torts in when it’s hot and really not when it rains . They can go in their house or under the over hang .