First day as a tortoise dad (Sorry, lots of questions)

Should I take my new hatchling to the vet for a checkup, or wait until there is an apparent reason?

  • Yes, take hatchling to the vet

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No, wait to take hatchling until necessary

    Votes: 6 100.0%

  • Total voters
    6

C-Turtle

New Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Messages
19
Location (City and/or State)
Lodi, CA
What’s up chelonian peeps!?
I just got my “female” tortoise today via FedEx from an online pet delivery service. I was nervous about having “her” shipped, but I couldn’t find any cherry heads in my area. I know it isn’t ideal, but the current enclosure is a terrarium (closed chamber) with duct tape blocking the view. I plan to move to a tortoise table in 3 - 5 years depending on tort’s rate of growth.
The little tortoise definitely got here in one piece and has been climbing on all of the rocks and wood in the terrarium, which consists of 1 uvb fluorescent lightbulb that is on a 12hr on/off timer, 2 humidifiers that I don’t have connected to any timers yet, and 4 heating elements (2 outside and underneath the tank and 2 ceramic heat bulbs inside). The humidity is holding at 85% over the entire terrarium, and the right side is hotter than the left side, their temps are 88F and 80F respectively with a steady middle gradient. She/he has stopped moving. I’m getting kind of nervous, because now the tortoise is standing directly under the lightbulb. Shouldn’t it be hiding? Won’t the lamp dry out the carapace and cause pyramiding? Or am I just being an overly cautious new parent? Would it help if I switched the warm side and cool side so that the warmer side is on the same side as the light?
Should I just leave her alone and let her explore, or move her out of the light?

And should I be taking this little guy/gal to the vet, or anything? I’m not sure about tortoises, but I know I took my dog to the vet a lot when she was a puppy...

Thank you all in advance for advice and help. This has already been an amazingly helpful community that I’m proud to be a part of!

Cheers,
-c
 

Attachments

  • 93E9317C-A1C2-4593-A728-836382EBBFA7.png
    93E9317C-A1C2-4593-A728-836382EBBFA7.png
    7.5 MB · Views: 33
  • 00451E12-DC01-4778-A28C-AAC9034AF149.jpeg
    00451E12-DC01-4778-A28C-AAC9034AF149.jpeg
    2.3 MB · Views: 33
  • 7E3D8D24-614C-488F-88B1-378207F5300B.jpeg
    7E3D8D24-614C-488F-88B1-378207F5300B.jpeg
    2.2 MB · Views: 25
  • 4BDCEC64-4B71-4A23-82F3-1B6F558CC3B0.jpeg
    4BDCEC64-4B71-4A23-82F3-1B6F558CC3B0.jpeg
    1.8 MB · Views: 28
  • A94DCF54-1C66-476B-9FED-5D8137B0537C.jpeg
    A94DCF54-1C66-476B-9FED-5D8137B0537C.jpeg
    1.3 MB · Views: 25
  • 097E1A56-6318-4255-9AC6-AD0C28880793.jpeg
    097E1A56-6318-4255-9AC6-AD0C28880793.jpeg
    2.3 MB · Views: 27

Toddrickfl1

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
7,103
Location (City and/or State)
Ga
Welcome congratulations on your new RF I have one too and their awesome! Sounds like you've done your homework. I wouldn't worry about taking the tort to the vet right away. It's going to take a few days to a couple weeks for your little guy to get settled in and develop a routine.
 

daniellenc

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
2,084
Location (City and/or State)
Maryland
Hi and welcome fellow RF owner here as well. No worries on a vet and yes basking causes mild pyramiding. Mine loves to bask and I didn’t know until this month it was decimating to the carapace. He’s very mildly pyramiding and as soon as his new cage arrives I have found a solution that will work. Until then he basks every morning and after dinner before bed. He likes it and in my much bigger new cage I will be able to block it from providing direct heat. He’s gonna be sooooo mad.

Don’t be alarmed if he’s kinda weird it took Skurt 3 weeks to be fully settled in and a few months to have an actual routine. I’d monitor your temps and make sure they’re measured properly cause 88 is a bit high. Usually 80-85 is preferred so play around with maybe removing the UTH’s since they don’t need belly heat and see if that lowers it. Also, he may barely eat the first few weeks and that’s ok!!

Your new guy is adorable btw and FYI by next year will need an 8x4 cage. If you’re not a crafty builder start saving now lol.
 

C-Turtle

New Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Messages
19
Location (City and/or State)
Lodi, CA
Thanks everyone for the tips and advice! I feel better knowing that other people have had similar issues. I appreciate you all sharing your experiences, and it sounds like there are some cool tortoises and a wealth of tortoise knowledge here in this thread!

Tortoise (calling her Tortoise til I come up with a name, and using ‘her’ because I requested a female, though there’s no way to be 100% sure of the sex yet) did flip onto her back this morning. I saw the whole thing go down. She was climbing on her water dish and then fell straight backwards. I watched her struggle for maybe a minute until I couldn’t bare it, and then I flipped her back upright. Should I have left her alone in that situation? Should I maybe take out some of the rocks and stuff that can cause her to become inverted? Or is she just clumsy during this phase of her life?
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Greetings, I always think it is best to sink the water dish down into the substrate so it is level or even below the substrate surface. It looks like you have a water dish from a pet store...many folks like to just use terracotta plant saucers thst have a smaller edge/lip. Perhaps less likely to tip over with this kind of dish. Cheap and easily expanded in size as u need.

And, good that you righted your lil’ guy when she was upside down...never good for any tort to be struggling.

Good luck. Happy torting.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Basically, pyramiding is caused when the tortoise is raised in too dry conditions. So if you have a closed chamber, or covered enclosure, and can keep it warm and humid inside, you shouldn't have to worry about pyramiding.
 

daniellenc

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
2,084
Location (City and/or State)
Maryland
Thanks everyone for the tips and advice! I feel better knowing that other people have had similar issues. I appreciate you all sharing your experiences, and it sounds like there are some cool tortoises and a wealth of tortoise knowledge here in this thread!

Tortoise (calling her Tortoise til I come up with a name, and using ‘her’ because I requested a female, though there’s no way to be 100% sure of the sex yet) did flip onto her back this morning. I saw the whole thing go down. She was climbing on her water dish and then fell straight backwards. I watched her struggle for maybe a minute until I couldn’t bare it, and then I flipped her back upright. Should I have left her alone in that situation? Should I maybe take out some of the rocks and stuff that can cause her to become inverted? Or is she just clumsy during this phase of her life?

No they usually can't right themselves. Water dishes should be flush with the substrate to prevent flipping. Since they have a shell that isn't flexible climbing at an angle will always be a flipping risk. I just scoop out my substrate in that area, place the dish, then pack substrate around it so it's level. That way when they climb in they are perfectly horizontal instead of angled.
 

C-Turtle

New Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Messages
19
Location (City and/or State)
Lodi, CA
Thanks y’all!

I dug out the sediment beneath the water dish and packed it down to be almost level with the coconut coir. I also ordered a new terracotta saucer on amazon that should be here in a couple days. I’m going to keep the pet store dish because it looks cool, and I’ll add the saucer, as well. She seems to really like water, and I’ve watched her dive head first into her dish a couple of times now. She thinks she’s a turtle ;)

I added a branch from a neighborhood tree, though I’m not sure what type of tree it is. Would it be bad if tort tried to eat the leaves? Should I replace it with a branch + leaves from a fruit tree, or anything? I’ve heard that is the sort of thing that can help retain humidity inside the terrarium (?)...

Thanks again for all the insightful information! And especially thank you for welcoming me to the community :D
I owe a lot to y’all already, and I can already see myself as a lifetime member. That is sort of the nature of things when you get a tortoise, I guess. In it for life!

440BE4B4-580B-4151-A762-8BDE1776CC1E.jpeg
 

daniellenc

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
2,084
Location (City and/or State)
Maryland
Redfoots love water lol. Mine frequently submerges his entire self while soaking and scares me. However, they aren't great swimmers just somehow wired a little misinformed they are in fact not turtles.
 

Toddrickfl1

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
7,103
Location (City and/or State)
Ga
If you download the app called "picture this" you can take a picture of a plant, and the app will tell you what it is, usually. Then if you download the app "tortoise table" you can look up the plants you find and it will tell you if they are safe for your tort. It's really cool actually! Then you'l know if those leaves are safe if he eats some.
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Thanks y’all!

I dug out the sediment beneath the water dish and packed it down to be almost level with the coconut coir. I also ordered a new terracotta saucer on amazon that should be here in a couple days. I’m going to keep the pet store dish because it looks cool, and I’ll add the saucer, as well. She seems to really like water, and I’ve watched her dive head first into her dish a couple of times now. She thinks she’s a turtle ;)

I added a branch from a neighborhood tree, though I’m not sure what type of tree it is. Would it be bad if tort tried to eat the leaves? Should I replace it with a branch + leaves from a fruit tree, or anything? I’ve heard that is the sort of thing that can help retain humidity inside the terrarium (?)...

Thanks again for all the insightful information! And especially thank you for welcoming me to the community :D
I owe a lot to y’all already, and I can already see myself as a lifetime member. That is sort of the nature of things when you get a tortoise, I guess. In it for life!

  • Not sure i would add any old local tree leaves without knowing the source (no sprays) or kind of tree. If you can find a source for Mulberry...thats a good leaf to serve up, Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus as well. I prune our rose of sharon every few days and it is devoured by our Sully. Same with Mulberry (stalks, shoots, leaves and more). Tort On!
 
Top