Horsfield help please

[fluffybubble66]

Hi everyone. I recently acquired a baby horsfoeld tort about 18 months to 2 years we believe. His shell is worrying me. He has deep groves and the scutes appear to be lifting. Other than that he's mobile. Eats and poops well. Bright eyed and alert. Any udeas what it might be, do I need to worry, what can I do to help him? He is on a large wooden glass fronted tank with uv heat lamps and substrate.eats mainly salad and weed leaves and flowers with occasional veg and fruit. Thank you

 

[fluffybubble66]

Additoon ...I thought it might be the start of pyramiding but not too sure . He has a cuttlefish and calcium tab but doesn't show much interest in those?

 

[zolasmum]

Hello and welcome from Devon. Do you soak him in water daily, and does he drink at other times? There are people on this forum who know a lot more than me, and can advise you better - but it does look like pyramiding -he needs to be in a humid environment to stop his shell drying out. Could you send a couple of photos of his tank, and information about the temperatures, day and night, and any other information about his care to help the experts who will be along soon. You have found absolutely the best place to ask for advice and help.
Best wishes from Angie

 

[wellington]

Definitely has pyramiding which means he has been kept way too hot and dry for too long. Russians don't pyramid as easy as most other species.
Other than the pyramidimg, he looks fine.
Answer Zolasmum questions and we can help get him set up properly

 

[fluffybubble66]

Hello and welcome from Devon. Do you soak him in water daily, and does he drink at other times? There are people on this forum who know a lot more than me, and can advise you better - but it does look like pyramiding -he needs to be in a humid environment to stop his shell drying out. Could you send a couple of photos of his tank, and information about the temperatures, day and night, and any other information about his care to help the experts who will be along soon. You have found absolutely the best place to ask for advice and help.
Best wishes from Angie

Thanks angie. He has water in his tank which is generally around 30. I bath him couple of times a week. He has a uv light strip and sepetste thermo controlled heat lamp to ensure temp is constant. I'll try spraying his tank and shell. Thank you

 

[fluffybubble66]

Definitely has pyramiding which means he has been kept way too hot and dry for too long. Russians don't pyramid as easy as most other species.
Other than the pyramidimg, he looks fine.
Answer Zolasmum questions and we can help get him set up properly

Oh no. Can I stop it if I keep him more moist? I was worried about shell rot from bieng too wet. Seems I went the other way.

 

[zolasmum]

Oh no. Can I stop it if I keep him more moist? I was worried about shell rot from bieng too wet. Seems I went the other way.

You won't be able to remove the pyramiding he already has, but over time his shell can even out to some extent, and it will become less noticable.
About his supplements - don't overdo it -a small pinch of calcium once or twice a week is enough - too much calcium is bad, too. If you rub it into his favourite food, he will eat it . Please send some photos of his set-up.and
more information about his temperatures.
Angie

 

[SinLA]

Start here: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/#post-2036954
this will help. Its a lot, but worth reading through carefully

 

[fluffybubble66]

You won't be able to remove the pyramiding he already has, but over time his shell can even out to some extent, and it will become less noticable.
About his supplements - don't overdo it -a small pinch of calcium once or twice a week is enough - too much calcium is bad, too. If you rub it into his favourite food, he will eat it . Please send some photos of his set-up.and
more information about his temperatures.
Angie

Thanks Angie. This is Tom's tank. Its thermo controlled to sit around 88/31. He has a uv strip light too which goes off at night. I use this bedding. He has a shallow fish for bathing and 2 other dishes with water . Food wise mainly dandelion, bindweed, clover,thistle and then kale, mixed salad leaves, parsley all home grown. Bit of veg and fruit occasionally He has cuttlefish, a tory calcium tab and vitamin block and I also have these I add a bit once a week.

 

[fluffybubble66]

Oh the box in the top right is a smart cam so I can see and hear him at work

 

[SinLA]

I’m sure others will comment but the spinet cactus seems like it just needlessly takes up walking space. I would get rid of it

 

[Tom]

Thanks Angie. This is Tom's tank. Its thermo controlled to sit around 88/31. He has a uv strip light too which goes off at night. I use this bedding. He has a shallow fish for bathing and 2 other dishes with water . Food wise mainly dandelion, bindweed, clover,thistle and then kale, mixed salad leaves, parsley all home grown. Bit of veg and fruit occasionally He has cuttlefish, a tory calcium tab and vitamin block and I also have these I add a bit once a week.

Overall this looks pretty good. What you need is an enclosure about 4 times this size, and you need damp substrate and a humid hide. Don't use moss. They all eat it and can get impacted from it.

No fruit for Russians. The sugar plays havoc with their GI flora and fauna.

88F is fine for a daytime high, but there still needs to be a basking area around 100F. Looks like you have that, but that bulb appears to be a spot bulb which desiccates their carapace and causes pyramiding. You need a flood bulb. Over night the temp should drop to around 65F.

All this and much more is in the link that SinLA left for you. Questions are welcome.

 

[fluffybubble66]

Overall this looks pretty good. What you need is an enclosure about 4 times this size, and you need damp substrate and a humid hide. Don't use moss. They all eat it and can get impacted from it.

No fruit for Russians. The sugar plays havoc with their GI flora and fauna.

88F is fine for a daytime high, but there still needs to be a basking area around 100F. Looks like you have that, but that bulb appears to be a spot bulb which desiccates their carapace and causes pyramiding. You need a flood bulb. Over night the temp should drop to around 65F.

All this and much more is in the link that SinLA left for you. Questions are welcome.

Thrte isn't any moss it's an edible tortoise bedding of dried flowers and weeds. Substrate is damp. Night temp is around 70. Noted re fruit. Does he need a tank that's 4 times as big now or do you mean when he's bigger? I didn't envisage needing to get a stately home to accommodate his enclosure lol. I'll look into the flood bulb as he has the uv strip and that large caged basking lamp so do you mean replace that basking lamp with a flood bulb? Sorry fir all the back and forth. I just want to be a hood tort mum . Thanks

 

[Tom]

Thrte isn't any moss it's an edible tortoise bedding of dried flowers and weeds. Substrate is damp. Night temp is around 70. Noted re fruit. Does he need a tank that's 4 times as big now or do you mean when he's bigger? I didn't envisage needing to get a stately home to accommodate his enclosure lol. I'll look into the flood bulb as he has the uv strip and that large caged basking lamp so do you mean replace that basking lamp with a flood bulb? Sorry fir all the back and forth. I just want to be a hood tort mum . Thanks

Your questions are welcome! I want to help anyone be a hood tort mum, and a good tort mum too. 😜

I mentioned the moss because some people read on the internet to put moss in a hide to keep it more humid, and I wanted to make sure you knew not to do that.

You need 3-4 inches of substrate and it should be damp enough to be seen in a picture. Fine grade orchid bark works best. Bedding made of loaves and weeds will quickly mold and rot if kept damp.

Your tank looks approximately 122x61cm? That is a pretty normal start size for little babies. Once the tortoise reaches around 4 inches, it needs an adult sized enclosure which should be a minimum of 122x244cm. Essentially a sheet of plywood with walls. The viv type that you are using is FAR superior to the often recommended open topped table type enclosure, so it would be great to have a large 122x244cm viv. Tortoises require large enclosures. Even more so in climates where they have to live indoors for large portions of the year. I kept my Russian tortoises outdoor in pens that were 28x8 feet with suitable heated shelters built in to them. They walked every inch of those pens daily.

If your current basking lamp is a "spot" bulb, it should be replaced with a "flood" bulb. Arcadia sells these over there in various wattages.

Read through all of this. There is a heating and lighting breakdown near the bottom, and a temperate species care sheet for you too.

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[fluffybubble66]

Your questions are welcome! I want to help anyone be a hood tort mum, and a good tort mum too. 😜

I mentioned the moss because some people read on the internet to put moss in a hide to keep it more humid, and I wanted to make sure you knew not to do that.

You need 3-4 inches of substrate and it should be damp enough to be seen in a picture. Fine grade orchid bark works best. Bedding made of loaves and weeds will quickly mold and rot if kept damp.

Your tank looks approximately 122x61cm? That is a pretty normal start size for little babies. Once the tortoise reaches around 4 inches, it needs an adult sized enclosure which should be a minimum of 122x244cm. Essentially a sheet of plywood with walls. The viv type that you are using is FAR superior to the often recommended open topped table type enclosure, so it would be great to have a large 122x244cm viv. Tortoises require large enclosures. Even more so in climates where they have to live indoors for large portions of the year. I kept my Russian tortoises outdoor in pens that were 28x8 feet with suitable heated shelters built in to them. They walked every inch of those pens daily.

If your current basking lamp is a "spot" bulb, it should be replaced with a "flood" bulb. Arcadia sells these over there in various wattages.

Read through all of this. There is a heating and lighting breakdown near the bottom, and a temperate species care sheet for you too.

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you. I have topped up and damped the substrate and I'm making sure I bath him half an hour daily now. I have ordered a bew bulb thank you for the recommdations. I adjusted his night temp down a bit too. We are in the UK currently but plan a Spain move so hoping he'll be outside with a box in at night. I didn't brummate him last year as I had only just acquired him. I'm guessing I should start that process in October this year I found the post on that but I find it terrifying although I'm sure if I follow that guidance it'll be fine. His tank is 123 x 61. He is 3.5 inches wide by 5 inches long and about 2 we think.

 

[Tom]

Thank you. I have topped up and damped the substrate and I'm making sure I bath him half an hour daily now. I have ordered a bew bulb thank you for the recommdations. I adjusted his night temp down a bit too. We are in the UK currently but plan a Spain move so hoping he'll be outside with a box in at night. I didn't brummate him last year as I had only just acquired him. I'm guessing I should start that process in October this year I found the post on that but I find it terrifying although I'm sure if I follow that guidance it'll be fine. His tank is 123 x 61. He is 3.5 inches wide by 5 inches long and about 2 we think.

That is great! I think you and your tortoise will both be happy with the changes.

5 inches long is near full size for a male Russian, and more than half grown even for a large female. 123x61cm is a good size for starting a baby, but much too small for an active 5 inch tortoise.

We will help you with brumation when the time comes. If you want some peace of mind and insight about it now, check this one out:

Tom's Brumation Thread

Every fall we get bombarded here on the forum with all sorts of questions and problems regarding hibernation and tortoises "slowing down" for winter. The purpose of this thread is to talk about all aspects of this subject, to dispel some of the myths and mysteries, and give a "how to" list of...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[zolasmum]

What are you using as a substrate? It looks sort of sandy.
If you are planning to move to Spain, I think there may be customs problems -I don't know about this, but you may need him to quarantine, etc. It would be a good idea to check all this in good time, to be prepared.
Angie

 

[fluffybubble66]

It's tortoise substrate, I switched as people said the more sawdust like okes and straw weren't suitable but I don't like those new one so I now have coconut choir and iris bark on recommendation of people on here. Yes we have dogs too so we will need passports all round

 

[fluffybubble66]

That is great! I think you and your tortoise will both be happy with the changes.

5 inches long is near full size for a male Russian, and more than half grown even for a large female. 123x61cm is a good size for starting a baby, but much too small for an active 5 inch tortoise.

We will help you with brumation when the time comes. If you want some peace of mind and insight about it now, check this one out:

http://https:/5

http://

That is great! I think you and your tortoise will both be happy with the changes.

5 inches long is near full size for a male Russian, and more than half grown even for a large female. 123x61cm is a good size for starting a baby, but much too small for an active 5 inch tortoise.

We will help you with brumation when the time comes. If you want some peace of mind and insight about it now, check this one out:

Tom's Brumation Thread

Every fall we get bombarded here on the forum with all sorts of questions and problems regarding hibernation and tortoises "slowing down" for winter. The purpose of this thread is to talk about all aspects of this subject, to dispel some of the myths and mysteries, and give a "how to" list of...

tortoiseforum.org

5 inches from head to tail sorry for the confusion at what age are they deemed adults as he's about 18 months max 2 years we were told

 

[Tom]

http://

5 inches from head to tail sorry for the confusion at what age are they deemed adults as he's about 18 months max 2 years we were told

Maturity in tortoises is determined more by size than age. There is also an age component in some species, but it is not known if that applies to all species.