I bought my tortoise from CB reptiles

Julia B

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2020
Messages
40
Location (City and/or State)
Indiana
So I bought my tortoise from CB reptiles. From the beginning I ordered a boy and got a girl, so I got an 80 dollar refund. Besides that, she is going good but seems pretty sleepy alllll the time. It’s not until I take her outside that she starts really moving. Is this normal? Also, has anyone else bought from them and if so is your tortoise doing alright?
 

Julia B

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2020
Messages
40
Location (City and/or State)
Indiana
What kind of tortoise?
From the description it sounds like the animal finds the outdoors much nicer. So what is your inside enclosure temperature and lighting. Etc?
Shes a 5 inch Russian tortoise and her enclosure at the moment is 3 foot by 2 foot (don’t panic this is only until the corona passes and I can leave the house). On one side there is a 100w basking bulb that sits one foot off of the ground, along with a 20in UVB bulb as well and on the other side is her hide. She enjoys basking only to the side of the bulb and she likes sleeping about 3 inches away from the hottest spot. Of course when she is tired of seeing me or just ready for bed she sleeps in her hide. When she sleeps in her hide she tucks her head way in her shell and it makes me nervous because every morning she looks dead. Around 10:30 every morning I will wake her up and give her a warm bath then we spend about 4 hours outdoors once it warms up. Sometimes 4 hours doesn’t happen because it rains or she will burrow and sleep for some of it but I try my best.This is when she is most active but once I get her in her encloure she runs to her hide and sleeps. Sometimes she will snack on the food in her enclosure in the evening but she eats more readily out doors so I will feed her most of her food outdoors. She also ate a ton of carrot yesterday because I was silly and didn’t realize how much sugar was in carrots, I hope that helps. No more carrot for a long time
 

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
So I bought my tortoise from CB reptiles. From the beginning I ordered a boy and got a girl, so I got an 80 dollar refund. Besides that, she is going good but seems pretty sleepy alllll the time. It’s not until I take her outside that she starts really moving. Is this normal? Also, has anyone else bought from them and if so is your tortoise doing alright?
Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new buddy. Unfortunately CB reptiles, aka Tortoise Town, has a bad reputation for sending sick or unhealthy animals. Hopefully that's not the case.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
So I bought my tortoise from CB reptiles. From the beginning I ordered a boy and got a girl, so I got an 80 dollar refund. Besides that, she is going good but seems pretty sleepy alllll the time. It’s not until I take her outside that she starts really moving. Is this normal? Also, has anyone else bought from them and if so is your tortoise doing alright?
Can we see a picture of the underside of the tortoise showing the tail and anal scutes?

Also a picture of the indoor and outdoor enclosures?

What is the temperature under the basking lamp, and what is the overnight low temp?

The frantic movement outside is due to the good lighting and UV and also because the tortoise is out of its territory and needs to find its way home, and get to safe cover.
 

Julia B

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2020
Messages
40
Location (City and/or State)
Indiana
Can we see a picture of the underside of the tortoise showing the tail and anal scutes?

Also a picture of the indoor and outdoor enclosures?

What is the temperature under the basking lamp, and what is the overnight low temp?

The frantic movement outside is due to the good lighting and UV and also because the tortoise is out of its territory and needs to find its way home, and get to safe cover.
Unfortunately I don’t know the temps, I am still waiting for my humidity/temp reader to come in the mail. She also doesn’t have an outdoor enclosure, we go to a field and I watch her there. Due to the pandemic I wasn’t able to get out of the house in time to get supplies to build her outdoor enclosure. I know it all sounds awful/crude but I am trying my very best :(

65B2DC14-42AC-4AE2-9AB6-82B5F6A7B22B.jpeg6598375F-E1A8-447D-AF80-A78B6E55D615.jpegF24BCFC4-294B-40BF-BD9E-DFC3F16173B5.jpeg
 

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
Move that enclosure up off the floor. It's too cold for a tortoise down there.

What kind of light is in that fixture? How cold is your house at night?

If a tortoise can't warm up its inner core to at least 80F degrees, he won't eat because the food won't digest, it'll just sit there and rot. Think about it: YOU'RE inner core temperature is 98.6F degrees, so 80F isn't expecting too much. Help this little cold blooded animal warm up. You need to know the temperature inside his home (and "room temperature" isn't going to cut it!)
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Definitely female, and a wild caught import.

She will be able to settle in better once you have a larger indoor enclosure, and a large outdoor enclosure to use.

One thing you can do to help her is regular soaks. They are often dehydrated when imported and a good long soak every other day or so often gets them feeling better, and keeps the GI tract moving.
 

Julia B

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2020
Messages
40
Location (City and/or State)
Indiana
Definitely female, and a wild caught import.

She will be able to settle in better once you have a larger indoor enclosure, and a large outdoor enclosure to use.

One thing you can do to help her is regular soaks. They are often dehydrated when imported and a good long soak every other day or so often gets them feeling better, and keeps the GI tract moving.
I bought her expecting her to be captive bred, she was very pricy. She gets her soaks every morning. Should I bring this information up with the company I bought her from? Does she not look captive bred?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I bought her expecting her to be captive bred, she was very pricy. She gets her soaks every morning. Should I bring this information up with the company I bought her from? Does she not look captive bred?
This is obviously not a CB tortoise. How do you prove that? They might explain that it is "farm raised", and then imported. BS. To get one to this size takes years. What "farmer" is going to invest years of their time and then be paid 5-10 dollars for their years of effort and expenditures?

I'd bring it up. I don't like being lied to. Can you do anything about it? No. Not really. You could try for a refund. You can post on social media. Call the BBB.
 

Julia B

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2020
Messages
40
Location (City and/or State)
Indiana
Move that enclosure up off the floor. It's too cold for a tortoise down there.

What kind of light is in that fixture? How cold is your house at night?

If a tortoise can't warm up its inner core to at least 80F degrees, he won't eat because the food won't digest, it'll just sit there and rot. Think about it: YOU'RE inner core temperature is 98.6F degrees, so 80F isn't expecting too much. Help this little cold blooded animal warm up. You need to know the temperature inside his home (and "room temperature" isn't going to cut it!)
I haven’t been able to leave the house...we are under state quarantine. Therefore I have no way of measuring the temperatures within her enclosure. I will be able to leave the house Monday for work and that is when I am hoping to sneak to the store and buy one. I’m a senior in high school and my parents will not permit me to leave the house unless it’s work related. The light in the dome is a zoo med 100w basking spot lamp. In the long fixture it’s a Reprisun 10.0 UVB bulb. I try to get her to bask during the day but she only likes basking off to the side of the fixture. Thank you for all of your help I really appreciate it! image.jpg
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 4

Julia B

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2020
Messages
40
Location (City and/or State)
Indiana
This is obviously not a CB tortoise. How do you prove that? They might explain that it is "farm raised", and then imported. BS. To get one to this size takes years. What "farmer" is going to invest years of their time and then be paid 5-10 dollars for their years of effort and expenditures?

I'd bring it up. I don't like being lied to. Can you do anything about it? No. Not really. You could try for a refund. You can post on social media. Call the BBB.
Do I need to take my girl to the vet?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Do I need to take my girl to the vet?
Won't do any good. Most vets know very little about tortoise care, and there is no solution to this sort of "problem" anyway. The vet will likely inject your tortoise with vitamins or antibiotics, both of which are likely to do harm, and then charge you a bunch of money.
 

Julia B

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2020
Messages
40
Location (City and/or State)
Indiana
Won't do any good. Most vets know very little about tortoise care, and there is no solution to this sort of "problem" anyway. The vet will likely inject your tortoise with vitamins or antibiotics, both of which are likely to do harm, and then charge you a bunch of money.
Yeah that’s what I’ve heard. So what do I do? She’s supposed to be my life partner and I already love her. It’s not the tortoises fault poor girl. I’ve emailed the company and am waiting for a response. I highly doubt I will get a solid answer.
 

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
You can start by moving her home up off the floor. It's too cold down there for a cold blooded animal.
 

vladimir

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 18, 2017
Messages
1,484
Location (City and/or State)
Pennsylvania
@Julia B you've got some of the experts in here, so you're in good hands. I understand the quarantine is making things difficult, but just do the best you can given the situation.

I was going to recommend that you get one of these, but they seem to be unavailable these days: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DMI62HM/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20


Please keep us updated! She's beatiful :<3:
 

Melissacoop

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2020
Messages
237
Location (City and/or State)
Pembroke Pines, FL
Unfortunately I don’t know the temps, I am still waiting for my humidity/temp reader to come in the mail. She also doesn’t have an outdoor enclosure, we go to a field and I watch her there. Due to the pandemic I wasn’t able to get out of the house in time to get supplies to build her outdoor enclosure. I know it all sounds awful/crude but I am trying my very best :(

View attachment 289066View attachment 289067View attachment 289068
I bought her expecting her to be captive bred, she was very pricy. She gets her soaks every morning. Should I bring this information up with the company I bought her from? Does she not look captive bred?
 

srcfolks

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2015
Messages
8
Location (City and/or State)
Chandler Arizona
I moved to Illinois several years ago. I used to live in Arizona and raised a few sulcata's in my days and now I like to get a couple more started and plan on having a retirement home in Arizona. I guess I better update my profile. . I have been a member for awhile

As you know,people will Tell you anything on the phone to sell their inventory, so I thought I would use the INTERNET from this Forum for professional advice, since I have been away from raising torts for awhile. I can look elsewhere I suppose., Thanks
The shoe box idea is something I will try in the future. Interesting idea and never heard it before. That's a great idea
Thanks
 
Top