How can I establish/ maintain a clean colony?

Stoneman

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I am interested in establishing my tortoise colony as clean and maintaining them that way. I was wondering if anyone had book or article references on how I can do just that. I told my vet I wanted to get a bunch of tests done to weed out the worst of diseases, but in his response to the email he told me there is a lot more to establishing a clean colony than doing just that. I intend to make an appointment with him but I would like recommendations on how to do that.

Thanks

Cory
 

wellington

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Someone else will be able to answer this much better then me. However, you need to be very careful keeping them too clean on the inside and as for the outside they need to be able to be tortoises. Housed as close to the wild as possible.
@Will @Markw84 might be able to help
 

Tom

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Here are some steps:
1. Buy captive bred babies from a clean source and get them ASAP after hatching to reduce the chances of them picking something up.
2. Buy from sellers that have only one species.
3. Set your tortoises up in an area that has never had contact with any tortoises, both indoors and outdoors.
4. Raise them to adulthood and never bring in any other tortoises.
5. Have fecal samples periodically tested, and do cloacal smears every few years to test for Chelonian intranuclear coccidiosis.
6. It is up to you how far you want to go to maintain bio-security between enclosures, but if the above steps are followed, I don't find footbaths or hand washing between enclosures to be necessary.
7. If you visit another tortoise compound, wash hands thoroughly, and remove and disinfect those shoes and clothes before having any contact with your own herd.
8. Enjoy your disease free tortoise colony! :)

If you already have tortoises from multiple sources that have had contact with other tortoises, or come from sellers with multiple species, or worse case scenario: wild caught, I would never consider them "clean". There are tortoise diseases that are difficult or impossible to diagnose without necropsy. In this case, you would work toward minimizing risk and exposure potential, and maximizing bio-security.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/bio-security-what-is-that.66974/#post-633774

The number of species available from breeders that have only one species is very very low, and then you are trusting that their one species is from a very small founder group. Otherwise this precaution has little value. Even if they only breed leopards, say the population previously known as S.p.p. (but are really just a population, not a subspecies) those tortoises would now be exposed to another species regardless of that person having only one species by virtue of #7 from post #3 in this thread. Because that flows two ways, when you visit somewhere and when somewhere (as a person) visits you.

Initial screenings and regular monitoring are what you can do in a single species colony for a great deal of assurance that you have a 'clean' colony. It is likely that you will seek tortoises from more than one source so you maintain out-breeding.

Not Mixing species in your collection, their water bowls, enclosure furniture or devices (light, heat sources, probes) is important.

I use two or more different disinfectants when I do re-use something, plus several hours of direct sun exposure. An Acidic cleaner, an alkaline cleaner are both used after dish soap has been used to remove all filth. Cleaners disinfect clean surfaces, not soiled surfaces. Let the surface completely dry in the sun between disinfectants used.

the steps...
1)with plain water remove as much filth as possible, dry in the sun
2)with soapy water wash again, rinse well, dry in the sun
3)re-wet the surface, spray straight bleach, let stand for 10 minutes, rinse well, dry in the sun.
4)on the dry surface use straight ammonia (not lemon scented), spray until the ammonia is dripping off, do not rinse, let dry in the sun.
5)rinse, let dry in the sun.

If you are still not sure a 50/50 mix of cider vinegar with hydrogen peroxide, spay till dripping, let dry in the sun, rinse, let dry in the sun.

The Sun's UV is the critical part of sun exposure. Don't mix ammonia with bleach. Do this outside so you don't expose yourself others or your pets to the fumes.

FWIW I maintain millions of $$ of immunodeficiency mice, I know how to clean and maintain bio-security.
 

Melis

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Can I ask if there’s a reason behind this other than of course for the health of your torts, like as in research for example? (Please don’t take any of this the wrong way, I’m not sure how to word it without it possibly coming off as rude, which is not my intention.) You have some beautiful torts but based on previous posts it just baffles me as to why you would keep such a beautiful species (or any species for that matter) in kiddie pools with yoga mats as substrate. Just trying to understand your thinking/reasoning.
 

Stoneman

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Fair question. I am happy to explain my reasoning. I will answer your questions to the best of my understanding.

Most of the time, people house their tortoises in what is considered "natural" settings. Uranium is natural. So is cyanide, lead, and mercury. Just because a tortoise has adapted to survive in sub-optimal conditions, doesn't mean that is what is best for the tortoise.

At least 1/10th of all reptiles housed in captivity die due to parasitic infections. That doesn't even include microbes not considered parasites. It would be easy to look at my enclosures and assume that it is another example of negligent husbandry. However, I take pride in my enclosure and have provided and seek to provide optimal care.

I used to house my animals in Aspen mulch and potting soil. However the problem is that it is impossible to clean these materials, and they create an impossible to disinfect substrate for the animals. It is essentially a microclimate. Unless you operate an extremely expensive zoo type enclosure that filters everything down into a drainage system below, you are creating a terrible environment for your animals. The preferred choice of substrate in the books I have read is either rabbit pellets which are easy to remove dirty parts, non-acidic bark like Cyprus, or artificial substrate. Anti-bacterial repellant yoga mats and artificial grass provide a substrate that is easy to grip, easy to spot messes, and easy to remove and sanitize regularly.

The green sandbox was intended to be for outside visits to get sun exposure, but was converted into an isolation unit because I was concerned about red eyes that one had. I was able to segregate him and provide solid even and dry heat throughout the enclosure to boost his immune system.

The setup you see is not particularly cheap either. It may look like it was all scrapped together, but each object was specifically chosen for a specific purpose, and there is easily over a thousand dollars worth of equipment just in that picture alone. However that is just the tip of the iceberg. I have a centrifuge, high powered microscope, a library of books, and I have read numerous other materials, in order to provide the best care possible.

The tortoises I have get baths daily, even the adults. They are starting to go outside now that it is warmer. I do intend to increase the size or their enclosures, it is on my wish list. However the sizes of their enclosures has been under acceptable standards of every publication I have read until just recently reading Tom's recommendation.

The things before an upgrade to the sizes of their enclosure are MVB bulbs I just ordered to replace coil bulbs, then eventually tube bulbs. I plan to buy a UVB reading gun, and an automated misting system. These are things I consider essentials for the health of them. After I have made these upgrades, I intend to custom build much larger genuine closed chamber setups.

I guess what it boils down to for tortoise owners is what they value and prioritize. If I considered them decorations or toys, then I would have made it prettier and more attractive. However my ultimate goal is to have healthy and happy tortoises, so I have taken a different route.
 

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