I am still a little new to raising my tortoises

[Evan Gardella]

So i have 2 tortoises names eric and freeman
I dont know there genders i need a little help with that. Eric and Freeman are about the same age Bout a year and a half i would like to have some tips on how i can interact more with them and how to teach them there names
So while i had eric i neglected him for a while and he got mbd ( matalic bone disease) so his shell is messed up and i think its startin to pyramid how do i stop that?
Here are some photos of there tank and them

Just akin for some ideas and help
Thanks
Evan Gardella

Email me if u want at [email protected]

P.S. I am building an outside pen right now but they have an outside pen that we used for chickens. (Eric is the big one and freeman is smaller)

 

[Tom]

Hi Evan. Read these first, and then come back with any questions that were not answered:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[wellington]

Your tortoise need to live alone in their own enclosure, they should not live as a pair. Also the tank is too small for one of them, let alone two of them.
They don't really want interaction, like a dog would. They aren't really that kind of pet. They want fresh water, food and a proper sized place to live and to be kept warm and have the proper lighting, heating, humidity and food to stay healthy. They won't learn their name, again not dogs, but will learn that you are the food person and will soon come to you when they see you thinking you have food for them.
Read the threads Tom linked for you and get them in proper sized enclosures so they have room to grow and exercise properly before more problems develope.

 

[Bass.Isles]

Yeah, Isla will come when i call her, but only because i say her name in a very certain way, like in a certain pitch, and i say it everytime i bring her food. My mom can go out and sit next to her cage and say her name and she doesn't budge. She just associates the pitch and way i say her name, with getting fed. That's it. A tortoise is never going to be a pet that will come when you call it's name, just to interact with you, sorry to say.

 

[Evan Gardella]

Can yall tell there gender and some tips for them
Im gettin coco coir bedding so i can increase the humidity they have 40% humidity

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Evan

 

[Bass.Isles]

Can yall tell there gender and some tips for them
Im gettin coco coir bedding so i can increase the humidity they have 40% humidity

How long are they? @Tom told me the other day, at least for females, gender cannot usually be determined till they reach like 14-15 inches in length. As for humidity, there are special reptile "misters", like humidifiers, that you can use to pump in humidity, if you cannot get it high enough on your own by misting the substrate etc.

 

[Evan Gardella]

How long are they? @Tom told me the other day, at least for females, gender cannot usually be determined till they reach like 14-15 inches in length. As for humidity, there are special reptile "misters", like humidifiers, that you can use to pump in humidity, if you cannot get it high enough on your own by misting the substrate etc.

 

[Bass.Isles]

View attachment 220451View attachment 220453View attachment 220454View attachment 220455

Yeah, they are almost the exact same size as mine. But they need to be 12+ inches in length before you can accurately sex them, is what i've been told. Also, they look super dry - have you been soaking them? I soak Isla 3-4 times per week for 15-25 minutes each time.

 

[Bass.Isles]

What do you feed them, by the way? Like, usually - a variety of what stuff? Pyramiding can never be reversed, but if you correct their environment you can keep it from continuing to worsen as they grow and they may smooth out some. Freeman doesn't look nearly as bad as Eric. To help prevent further pyramiding you just really need to up that humidity, make sure you're feeding the right things, and that you have the correct lighting.

 

[Evan Gardella]

What do you feed them, by the way? Like, usually - a variety of what stuff? Pyramiding can never be reversed, but if you correct their environment you can keep it from continuing to worsen as they grow and they may smooth out some. Freeman doesn't look nearly as bad as Eric. To help prevent further pyramiding you just really need to up that humidity, make sure you're feeding the right things, and that you have the correct lighting.

So i feed them romain lettuce my mom buys the dark leafy kind now but i feed them the light romaine
I give them timothy hay
I cut lawn clipings now and ive been takin them ouside
They sometimes get tortoise chow
I just gotem a tortoise block
And i put calcium powder on the lettuce

 

[Evan Gardella]

Also i dont bathe them as often as i should

 

[Bass.Isles]

So i feed them romain lettuce my mom buys the dark leafy kind now but i feed them the light romaine
I give them timothy hay
I cut lawn clipings now and ive been takin them ouside
They sometimes get tortoise chow
I just gotem a tortoise block
And i put calcium powder on the lettuce

Okay. Your lawn isn't treated at all, right? No fertilizers or pesticides? If not, then really push the grasses. Romaine isn't terribly nutritious. Timothy hay is good, too, though mine snubbs it lol. What exactly do you mean by "tortoise chow"? Do you mean Mazuri tortoise food? That's good stuff. Also, what is the "tortoise block" for? Is it a type of food or a calcium block?

 

[Bass.Isles]

Also i dont bathe them as often as i should

This is a MUST. I mean, it's not bathing, cuz the purpose is not to really clean them or anything, usually - but to keep them hydrated! They need the soaks. Warm, not hot, water. For real, it's important. I actually set alarms on my phone for every other day or so. "Soak Isla at 7pm!"

 

[Tortoise lover 2000]

A tortoise block is a really good thing it is a green rectangle made of calcium.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

A tortoise block is a really good thing it is a green rectangle made of calcium.

 

[Bass.Isles]

A tortoise block is a really good thing it is a green rectangle made of calcium.

oh OK, he meant a calcium block. I looked at those when I first got Isla and ended up getting her one, but turns out, she ended up liking the $1 cuttlebones from Walmart even better. Lol.

 

[Bass.Isles]

View attachment 220461

Lol, i'll admit, this IS humorous. But there are a lot of things our animals wouldn't naturally encounter in the wild, whether it be food or something environmental, that has proven to be (or could be) good for them regardless.

 

[Bass.Isles]

So i feed them romain lettuce my mom buys the dark leafy kind now but i feed them the light romaine
I give them timothy hay
I cut lawn clipings now and ive been takin them ouside
They sometimes get tortoise chow
I just gotem a tortoise block
And i put calcium powder on the lettuce

Also, these things can eat! Like, they eat a lot! lol. And their appetites are only going to continue to grow, as they get bigger. Isla is 27 months old, 5.75 inches long, and weighs 19 ounces - and she eats 5 to 7 quart baggies full of vegitation every week. They're not an animal you can be in the habit of just tossing lettuce and hay at (i'm not saying you are, just making a point). They can get expensive to feed if you dont have stuff growing in your yard, or at your disposal to just gather. I grow some of the stuff I feed Isla, from tortoise seed mixes. You can also locate an organic plant nursery and look into getting Sulcata edible plants and trees and stuff. Just be careful with anything you buy commercially, as to whether it has been treated with fertilizers or sprayed with pesticides. @Tom linked me to this great site, and this mix has grown really well for me (and so quickly). Aaaand, the product + shipping is really cheap.

https://www.groworganic.com/premium-horse-pasture-mix-irrigation.html

And this stuff is really awesome too (my personal fave to grow) but a little more expensive.

http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/ca...ducts_id=179&zenid=3cbg6mg8uege6vvm6gvqm8rlj3

 

[Evan Gardella]

Okay. Your lawn isn't treated at all, right? No fertilizers or pesticides? If not, then really push the grasses. Romaine isn't terribly nutritious. Timothy hay is good, too, though mine snubbs it lol. What exactly do you mean by "tortoise chow"? Do you mean Mazuri tortoise food? That's good stuff. Also, what is the "tortoise block" for? Is it a type of food or a calcium block?

No the lawn isnt treated recently
We only do it in the summer and even then we didnt do it this year