Is my CDT sick? Plus, beak problem

[NewTortEnthusiast]

Hello all, I currently own two CDTs and am in the process of registering them so I may own them legally and get future medical treatment for them. I have one small male and one larger female. Maria is the large female I am talking about rn.

My father made me give up the space for their original enclosures for them in order to free up more space for additions to our rental property. I am currently keeping them in a large horseshoe shaped garden area which is walled of will bricks so they cannot dig or climb out. Along with the dividing fence to separate the mail and female, their enclosures are rather small and hopefully temporary. The male tortoise has a slightly smaller pen than the female, this is because as I began construction of the small fence I noticed he dug several burrows and would stay in them most of the day, So I decided to give the female slightly more space.

The male, Thundercrown, is very active in the early mornig and early evening, walks all around his enclosure, eats well, poops regularly as well as pee. He seems perfectly good and healthy as of right now. Maria on the other hand has grown somewhat sluggish.

Maria no longer really moves in the early morning before the hot sun comes out. She usually half buries herself under plants and lays there all day. Then only in the early evening does she now walk around. If I were to wake her up and put out food and water, she raises to it and eats plently, then walks around normally before going back to sleep.

I am worried she may have gotten sick from my new 2 year old sulcatas. Before putting the CDTs in the garden area, I placed the new sulcatas there for roughly an hour before moving them to their current enclosure. I am afraid that one hour of the sulcatas being there before the CDTs were may have gotten her sick. My male is doing very well and shows no sign of being sick. Maria is almost perfectly normal in the early evening, just she shows little activity in the early morning.

I wish I could take her to the vet to see if something is wrong with her, but I do not yet have proper permits to own them, and am afraid that she will be taken from me and I may get fined or worse for having her.

She also ruffed up her top beak. I assume it was from her rubbing against the walls of her new temporary enclosure. It has kinda peeled in the middle and off to the side. I've seen other threads on other tortoises with similar problems and that I should just clip it off with nail clippers. What should I do for that as well?

 

[orv]

During extremely hot weather, CDTs astevate, or go into a period where their bodies systems slow way down. This is one of nature's ways of protecting your tortoise from the desert extremes. Not all of them astevate at the same time. I think your CDTs are doing just fine. You might make available a shallow terra cota dish of water for them to cool down in and keep properly hydrated.

 

[NewTortEnthusiast]

During extremely hot weather, CDTs astevate, or go into a period where their bodies systems slow way down. This is one of nature's ways of protecting your tortoise from the desert extremes. Not all of them astevate at the same time. I think your CDTs are doing just fine. You might make available a shallow terra cota dish of water for them to cool down in and keep properly hydrated.

Thanks orv, coming from you this information has calmed me down significantly. I have done some reading, and whenever it rains in the area, CDTs spring into action to drink water from clean puddles or small "canals" that they dig to collect water. For the past week I have been spraying the whole area with my garden hose, simulating rain, for several minutes. After a while they walk out of the shade and dash for the water and drink plently. I have seen that this alone as made Maria more active when she moves.

Do you have any recommendations on what I should do about her beak? its pealed a little bit from rubbing against the enclosure walls or a rock or two. I'll try and get a better picture of it tomorrow in the day time. It basically looks just like if your fingernail peeled a little bit at the edge. Again, I'll get a better picture tomorrow.

 

[ascott]

Hello all, I currently own two CDTs and am in the process of registering them so I may own them legally and get future medical treatment for them. I have one small male and one larger female. Maria is the large female I am talking about rn.

My father made me give up the space for their original enclosures for them in order to free up more space for additions to our rental property. I am currently keeping them in a large horseshoe shaped garden area which is walled of will bricks so they cannot dig or climb out. Along with the dividing fence to separate the mail and female, their enclosures are rather small and hopefully temporary. The male tortoise has a slightly smaller pen than the female, this is because as I began construction of the small fence I noticed he dug several burrows and would stay in them most of the day, So I decided to give the female slightly more space.

The male, Thundercrown, is very active in the early mornig and early evening, walks all around his enclosure, eats well, poops regularly as well as pee. He seems perfectly good and healthy as of right now. Maria on the other hand has grown somewhat sluggish.

Maria no longer really moves in the early morning before the hot sun comes out. She usually half buries herself under plants and lays there all day. Then only in the early evening does she now walk around. If I were to wake her up and put out food and water, she raises to it and eats plently, then walks around normally before going back to sleep.

I am worried she may have gotten sick from my new 2 year old sulcatas. Before putting the CDTs in the garden area, I placed the new sulcatas there for roughly an hour before moving them to their current enclosure. I am afraid that one hour of the sulcatas being there before the CDTs were may have gotten her sick. My male is doing very well and shows no sign of being sick. Maria is almost perfectly normal in the early evening, just she shows little activity in the early morning.

I wish I could take her to the vet to see if something is wrong with her, but I do not yet have proper permits to own them, and am afraid that she will be taken from me and I may get fined or worse for having her.

She also ruffed up her top beak. I assume it was from her rubbing against the walls of her new temporary enclosure. It has kinda peeled in the middle and off to the side. I've seen other threads on other tortoises with similar problems and that I should just clip it off with nail clippers. What should I do for that as well?

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Perhaps the tortoise you call Maria is just relieved at finally having peace and mellow as the tortoise is no longer in a forced captive situation as a pair.....if the tort is eating and drinking and does come out during the early evening....I would just give the tort time to adjust to being the boss of its own space...and the beak does not look too bad....just keep eye to assure that it continues to heal....

 

[NewTortEnthusiast]

Perhaps the tortoise you call Maria is just relieved at finally having peace and mellow as the tortoise is no longer in a forced captive situation as a pair.....if the tort is eating and drinking and does come out during the early evening....I would just give the tort time to adjust to being the boss of its own space...and the beak does not look too bad....just keep eye to assure that it continues to heal....

That must be it as well. Again, I will try and get a better picture of the damage to her beak. I hope it doesnt get worse. I'm thinking of clipping off the part of it that is pealed and jutting out so it doesnt get pulled on if she continues to rub against stuff.

 

[orv]

Thanks orv, coming from you this information has calmed me down significantly. I have done some reading, and whenever it rains in the area, CDTs spring into action to drink water from clean puddles or small "canals" that they dig to collect water. For the past week I have been spraying the whole area with my garden hose, simulating rain, for several minutes. After a while they walk out of the shade and dash for the water and drink plently. I have seen that this alone as made Maria more active when she moves.

Do you have any recommendations on what I should do about her beak? its pealed a little bit from rubbing against the enclosure walls or a rock or two. I'll try and get a better picture of it tomorrow in the day time. It basically looks just like if your fingernail peeled a little bit at the edge. Again, I'll get a better picture tomorrow.

As long as Maria's beak isn't causing any problems at this time, I think I'd just keep a watch on it. In time, and with proper husbandry, the beak is likely to resolve itself. I think that your offering an afternoon water park time will be greatly appreciated during our current heatwave here in Southern California. Keep enjoying your tortoises!