Forest Hingeback Tort?

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I_Heart_Leo

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I recently bought my tortoise Leo and would like to know any useful tips.. best food to feed him..bedding,, lighting...and enclosure size. I have pretty much bought him and they were not very helpful at all! So ANY tips and advise would be great=) thanks
 

Kristina

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Do you have pictures? It would be helpful to know exactly what kind of Hingeback he is. There are more than one species known as "forest," and they are often mislabeled.

Hingebacks can be tricky to keep to say the least. Here is a basic caresheet http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Kinixysscare.htm

If what you have is either Kinixys erosa (Serrated Hingeback) or Kinixys homeana (Home's Hingeback) then it is a true forest Hingeback. They inhabit subtropical forests and along the banks of rivers. I have found so far that mine prefer earthworms, insects and mushrooms to all other foods. They LOVE the water, to the extent of sleeping in the water dish (It is big enough for all three to get in at once, otherwise there might be fights, lol.) I also feed some banana, yellow squash, strawberries, and I recently tried some sprouts that went over well. I will have to check the packaging as I don't remember what kind they were, it was a mix of three plants, but I do know all of them were fine to feed. Just drawing a blank.

These guys need a LOT of humidity. I use coconut coir mixed with cypress mulch and some leaf litter on top. I also mist them a couple of times a day. Temps do not have to be real high, my hotspot is 83 degrees farenheit and the gradient goes down to about 72 degrees.

They are very shy, and absolutely need a lot of places to hide and feel secure. Remember that it is 99.9% certain that your tortoise was caught and removed from the wild. It is not used to human interaction, and it can be easily stressed and frightened.

Also, you need to take it to an experienced reptile vet and have it checked for parasites. That is one of the main reason these guys do not do well in captivity.

Hope this helps!

Kristina
 

I_Heart_Leo

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Thanks so much so much for the advise! He loves strawberries and bananas so I will try the other things.. I think I may need to keep it more humid and give him stuff to hide under. And he is a Homes by the way, and oh is it norman for them to bob thei head, he recentlystrted doing that.

I have him in a 20 gallon aquarium.. I used alpha meal as bedding(which was very messy) then I switched over to some type of small red bark the pet store recomended(which i very easy to swallow) I have a 75 watt lamp that may not be enough(shoul I use 100?). The pet store was not helpful at all!!! Should i get a bigger cage and a stronger light?? They said he is only a few months old.(But the again the pet store told me.)
 

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Kristina

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That helps knowing he is a Home's, mine are Home's too. In all honestly I am newer to Hingebacks, but I have done a lot of research on them and have consulted people that have kept them for some time.

Yes, you definately need a larger home for him, and a different substrate. I think the 75 watt bulb is fine, I only use a 60 and my enclosure is MUCH larger than yours.

I would suggest getting a 50 gallon rubbermaid storage tub. The sweater box type may not work, these guys are excellent climbers. The solid walls of the tub will help the tort to feel more secure and less stressed. If you cannot get anything else, use the coconut coir bedding (sold as Bed A Beast, Forest Bedding, or Eco Earth, etc. It comes in a brick.) The bark absolutely will NOT allow you to create enough humidity at the substrate level. You can add some peat moss and leaf litter, if it is available to you.

He is adorable, BTW, I have really become attached to these guys :)

Kristina
 

Jacqui

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I think most everything important was already covered by Itort and the rest between your two threads. Your actually starting off better then most folks do, yours is eating. From the two threads it sounds like a trip to the vet would be the best thing because if it's not a humidity induced issue, then it's respiratory. With the growth issue too, best thing is a vet visit piece of mind. I hope whatever ends up being wrong, that you don't have to give shots. These guys can be real pains to medicate.

I think my six Homes are the only ones who dislike their mushrooms. :D If you happen to have a hibiscus bloom, a couple of mine really love them...of course nothing comes before worms. :D
 
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