Indian Star - Shell Rot??

[Slacky]

I will be having a word with the pet shop as they were the ones who adviced regarding UVB bulb heights and temps

 

[Slacky]

Thank you for all the advice everyone much appreciated

 

[tempest979]

I will be having a word with the pet shop as they were the ones who adviced regarding UVB bulb heights and temps

I wouldn't trust ANY pet shop with any advice on tortoise care, period. Always check here first, there's a lot of veteran tortoise breeders, keepers, rescuers here that have decades of experience and are always willing to help with advice and info.

 

[COmtnLady]

Sorry if you didn't get a proper "Welcome". Apologies if I got sidetracked onto the problem and didn't do that. Let's try this -

I usually welcome new members with something along the lines of:

The Tortoise Forum has the best, most up-to-date info available, plus there are literally many decades of successful tortoise keeping represented by the various members here. Any information proffered is backed up by years of hands-on tortoise keeping experience and studies of what works best. If something of the poorer standard, "old ways", of keeping works well, it will be included here, but you probably won't find much of the proven more optimal ways from here, anywhere else.

For your own peace of mind don't listen to the "advice" given by other sources (like: pet shops, social media sites, people at reptile shows, many of the YouTube videos, many of the care books, and even most veterinarians). They're still using old info that doesn't work as well as what you'll find here.

Everyone will do their best to help you help your tortoise have the most optimal and healthy life possible.

Read the info in the links offered. All those head-exploding details will show you how to help your tortoise to thrive.

And, ask questions.

Hint:
Run it by the other members before you buy new equipment or whatever - their expertise will save you a lot of time, stress, money, and damage to your tortoises.

That second paragraph is really important.

So many sources elsewhere repeat the old info that only had marginally acceptable outcomes. The expert members here have discovered much better ways, through hands-on experiences and through controlled studies (much of which is mentioned/explained/documented here on the site - if you can find it. Frequently its in a topic with a title that isn't intuitive. Sorry.).

Veterinarian schools don't spend any length of time on tortoises at all. They only spend a minimal amount of time on reptiles in general. As with many new members that come here, veterinarians often expect a "one size fits all" to work with tortoises - completely unaware of the differences between the species. For example, all horses eat approximately the same foods - hays and grains, possibly a bit of other vegetation, and the occasional apple and carrot as treats. BUT !, with tortoises, their dietary needs depend entirely upon the species. A species of tortoise that evolved on the grasslands, cleverly enough, eats grasses and hay as an adult, but, a type that evolved in or near a jungle can't digest grasses very well, but eat fruits without any damage to their digestive systems - which almost no other species of tortoise can do. Some species need very high humidity, ALL hatchlings need high humidity, most vets don't know this and tell people to keep their tortoises in human-room temps. They recommend tiny cages and not enough water. And most, when they haven't a clue as to what is causing you to bring your tortoise to them, prescribe vitamin shots that don't help, probably harm, your tort. Some vets can't recognize a Hermann's from a Sulcata.

Pet stores are 89% interested in selling you things (much of which is harmful to your tort). They got their info from out of date books. And many keepers have gotten their info from these same sources. Remember those games of "telephone" where fifteen people sit in a circle and whisper what they got from the person on one side of them, to the person on the other side? Remember how successful getting the accurate info to the last person was?

And Social Media is Social Media, egos and trolls.

Don't pay attention to most of the info "out there". Settle in here.


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