BEAK/enclosure issues..

[MikeDanger]

So I adopted this turtle from a girl. She had it 10 years and left it in an aquarium with only newspaper.. Luckily I got it in time. I've raised snapping turtles, and painted turtles but never a tortise. There is no vet for turtles near by so I've been clipping the beak on my own every other day little by little. I've read that a beak will gain blood vessels.. How close to the head would that happen?? I'm using toe nail clippers so I'm doing very little so I don't get her.. Need advice. Also, I have started building an enclosure. The floor is made of plywood and I know it needs to be covered up and sealed. Should I get slate tile? Or only a portion for it to eat on? If its easier please text me so I can get it out of this aquarium by tomorrow. 6076610573

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It eats very well and is active. The owners did feed it so the long beak hasn't effected its diet.. Just need to get it out of the 75 gallon tank. It's too heavy/obnoxious.

 

[WillTort2]

Do a search on the forum for trimming beaks. I think you will find instructions.

You can line the plywood with vinyl or seal it with polyurethane; either will work.

Other issues would be substrate. You'll find opinions ranging from orchard bark to coco coir to top soil or some combination of these. Avoid a sand substrate it could cause impaction.

Food wise it appears you have a Russian tortoise therefore use lots of weeds and vegetables in their diet; avoid fruits and other foods.

Good luck.

 

[Jabuticaba]

What a beautiful tort! Good on you for rescuing her! I'm in the same boat as you: No reptile vet close by.

My 2 little guys--Eastern Hermann's Torts--had some beak issues, too, and the first thing they did was head for the big rocks I put in their enclosure. I do have a cuttle bone in there, too, which is recommended for torts for its calcium content, as well as beak trimming.

Good luck and keep us posted!


May[CHERRY BLOSSOM], Darwin[TURTLE] & Wallace[TURTLE]
Winnipeg, Canada

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh boy...that beak really does need a trim.

I sometimes use the toe nail clippers on smaller animals. I use the side, or a corner of the clipper, not the whole cutting edge, and I'll just take out a small triangular-shaped notch at a time. I start at one edge, and work my way around until I've clipped the whole part that needs clipping. It looks like in your tortoise's case, it's just the very tip or front of the beak. You can probably take that whole front point off, but because the beak is so hard, if you try to take off too much at a time, it may shatter and break off more than you wanted to do. So take it slowly, and only do a very small "bite" at a time.

 

[Jabuticaba]

Oh boy...that beak really does need a trim.

I sometimes use the toe nail clippers on smaller animals. I use the side, or a corner of the clipper, not the whole cutting edge, and I'll just take out a small triangular-shaped notch at a time. I start at one edge, and work my way around until I've clipped the whole part that needs clipping. It looks like in your tortoise's case, it's just the very tip or front of the beak. You can probably take that whole front point off, but because the beak is so hard, if you try to take off too much at a time, it may shatter and break off more than you wanted to do. So take it slowly, and only do a very small "bite" at a time.

Good to know! Sounds like bird beak trimming. I've done it several times.


May[CHERRY BLOSSOM], Darwin[TURTLE] & Wallace[TURTLE]
Winnipeg, Canada