Baby horsefield belly markings

[James9811]

Hi all

Any advice on this topic would be massively appreciated. My baby horsefield (7 months old) has little bumps and what look like scar lines (I’m sure they’re not) on his belly, I’ve popped a picture on the feed, can anyone tell me exactly what they are, and if this is normal?

 

[TheLastGreen]

It seems entirely normal to me, those scar lines are growth lines, and the bumps seem normal, he looks stellar, good job!
If you wan't to make sure everything is good, read this

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

Closed "Chambers"

Been meaning to do this one for a while now... Over the years I have kept a lot of reptiles in a lot of different ways. I've learned a lot of stuff about a lot of species. Since finding and joining this forum almost two years ago, I've learned a TON more. Now I'm not just stumbling around...

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[James9811]

It seems entirely normal to me, those scar lines are growth lines, and the bumps seem normal, he looks stellar, good job!

Thanks so much for your quick reply, you’ve really put my mind at ease! Phew, just wanted a healthy little one!

 

[TheLastGreen]

My pleasure! If you wan't to put your mind even more at ease, I would recommend you read those caresheets, if you want us to help you with your torts care, you can send images of his enclosure, and info on the lights etc

 

[James9811]

My pleasure! If you wan't to put your mind even more at ease, I would recommend you read those caresheets, if you want us to help you with your torts care, you can send images of his enclosure, and info on the lights etc

So at the moment we are having a 180cm x 60cm table built, which will be here 21st December. We have only had the little guy a couple weeks and he is being kept in a 2.5 ft. I must stress this is extremely temporary and was never going to be a full time thing! During the summer we will be getting an outdoor enclosure built with a grass run and access to the full garden when we’re home (there are quite a few cats around our area which is why under supervision)

We have an Arcadia D3 UV Basking Lamp 80W

The entirety of the substrate is coco coir with some edible bedding in his little hiding hole which he loves burying himself in the second the lamp goes off at night.

I am so open to any ideas or advice, guidance, tips, particularly in terms of housing! I’m new to the tortoise keeping business, I researched for months before getting a tortoise, but as you guys probably well know there’s so much different info out there which is hard to grasp right from wrong with!

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome,
You have a beautiful baby.
Forget anything you've read on other websites, social media etc, and try to follow the caresheet as closely as possible - it is up to date and written by a very experienced member.

Pet shops know very little about tortoise care and often sell unsuitable and unsafe equipment for profit so check here before buying things like dial thermometers or fancy water dishes that can be a drowning hazard or coiled/cfl type bulbs that can burn tort eyes,

Large vivs are generally recommended for babies because it's easier to control the temps and humidity for them, but if you have to use the table you could try to find a way to cover it with something like plexiglass or a mini portable greenhouse to help.

The all-in-one heat light and uvb bulbs have been found to dry and damage tort shells so they aren't recommended anymore. Many of use a T5 HO uvb tube kit, with a separate flood basking bulb (spots are too intense) and a CHE run through a thermostat for night heat because it doesn't give light and torts need darkness to sleep. It cam also be used for extra heat on our cold UK days

There's lots to learn but this is the best place to do it.

What is the edible bedding you are using?

 

[James9811]

Hi and welcome,
You have a beautiful baby.
Forget anything you've read on other websites, social media etc, and try to follow the caresheet as closely as possible - it is up to date and written by a very experienced member.

Pet shops know very little about tortoise care and often sell unsuitable and unsafe equipment for profit so check here before buying things like dial thermometers or fancy water dishes that can be a drowning hazard or coiled/cfl type bulbs that can burn tort eyes,

Large vivs are generally recommended for babies because it's easier to control the temps and humidity for them, but if you have to use the table you could try to find a way to cover it with something like plexiglass or a mini portable greenhouse to help.

The all-in-one heat light and uvb bulbs have been found to dry and damage tort shells so they aren't recommended anymore. Many of use a T5 HO uvb tube kit, with a separate flood basking bulb (spots are too intense) and a CHE run through a thermostat for night heat because it doesn't give light and torts need darkness to sleep. It cam also be used for extra heat on our cold UK days

There's lots to learn but this is the best place to do it.

What is the edible bedding you are using?

Hi Lynn!
Thanks for your response also, really appreciate it!
The breeder provided us with a large bag of the bedding, it’s grass, dried out catear, not entirely sure what the mixture is but he can’t seem to get enough!

 

[Maggie3fan]

Thanks so much for your quick reply, you’ve really put my mind at ease! Phew, just wanted a healthy little one!

I very much agree with TheLastGreen...what a nice looking tummy...

 

[Lyn W]

Hi Lynn!
Thanks for your response also, really appreciate it!
The breeder provided us with a large bag of the bedding, it’s grass, dried out catear, not entirely sure what the mixture is but he can’t seem to get enough!

Not something I've heard of before and dried grass/hay is usually considered too dry for torts, but the caresheet will tell you all about that and diet etc.
You'll find www.thetortoisetable.org.uk is also a good guide for safe tort diets.

 

[Tom]

Hi all

Any advice on this topic would be massively appreciated. My baby horsefield (7 months old) has little bumps and what look like scar lines (I’m sure they’re not) on his belly, I’ve popped a picture on the feed, can anyone tell me exactly what they are, and if this is normal?

That is a healthy normal looking plastron. You've done well.

I would replace the mercury vapor bulb with a regular incandescent flood and an Arcadia 12% HO tube and fixture for UV. Add some LED lighting to make it brighter.

You definitely need a different substrate. Babies need damp substrate and you can't do that with dried grass. Also, no tortoise should ever be encouraged to eat its bedding. That could eventually result in an impaction.

 

[James9811]

That is a healthy normal looking plastron. You've done well.

I would replace the mercury vapor bulb with a regular incandescent flood and an Arcadia 12% HO tube and fixture for UV. Add some LED lighting to make it brighter.

You definitely need a different substrate. Babies need damp substrate and you can't do that with dried grass. Also, no tortoise should ever be encouraged to eat its bedding. That could eventually result in an impaction.

Hi Tom

thanks for your reply! Really appreciate your advice. We have coco coir as the substrate, the dried grass etc that I speak of is just in the bedding area, but I’ll be sure to remove it. I’ve never actually seen our little guy eat it, he just likes to bury himself in it