My tortoise Peach!

Jodie24

New Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2021
Messages
7
Location (City and/or State)
Uk
C3F0A160-7ED0-4DDD-B565-7FD734B8DD44.jpegC3F0A160-7ED0-4DDD-B565-7FD734B8DD44.jpegI have not long had peach and would be happy with any advice on the best way to care for her, we no the basics on food an water an exercise but she’s keeping my son awake scratching in her box, I got her off someone that couldn’t look after her, she had been attacked by a dog an her box is to small as she is a good size so am looking into a bigger home for her but is there anyway of stopping her from scratching of a night?
 

Happytort27

Active Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2020
Messages
259
Location (City and/or State)
CA

Ink

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jun 10, 2016
Messages
2,455
Location (City and/or State)
Virginia
Welcome. Peach is perfectly cute. I am not an expert but I do know that the red light is not good for your tortoise. What are your other lights, temperatures and substrate.
 

Jodie24

New Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2021
Messages
7
Location (City and/or State)
Uk
image.jpg
Welcome. Peach is perfectly cute. I am not an expert but I do know that the red light is not good for your tortoise. What are your other lights, temperatures and substrate.
Aww ok thank you do you have any suggestions to what light I should have for her? She is such a character, I would also like to no what type of tortoise she is if anyone has any ideas please? And also the best bedding for them as her last owners had soil but I found that very messy?
 

Ink

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jun 10, 2016
Messages
2,455
Location (City and/or State)
Virginia
What do you have currently? And temps ect. An expert will be able to help you if you can tell them what you have now. I saw the red light in the picture, that is why I mentioned it. Also take a picture of the plastron, underneath, and a better tail picture. If you want to know boy or girl? If you don't know already.
 

Jodie24

New Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2021
Messages
7
Location (City and/or State)
Uk
Welcome. Peach is perfectly cute. I am not an expert but I do know that the red light is not good for your tortoise. What are your other lights, temperatures and substrate.
The other light is a reptile uv light
 

Jodie24

New Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2021
Messages
7
Location (City and/or State)
Uk
What do you have currently? And temps ect. An expert will be able to help you if you can tell them what you have now. I saw the red light in the picture, that is why I mentioned it.
The red light is the heat that’s on a timer, everythin we have the last owner gave us so any advice an help is welcome, I am currently lookin into a bigger box for her aswell
 

queen koopa

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2018
Messages
754
Location (City and/or State)
Las Vegas Nevada
Hi there! Peach is super cute. I think a Russian Tortoise... but Not for sure. Read that linked care sheet, great info there and everything you need. I also made the mistake of a infrared heat lamp with my tortoise. I learned on this forum that tortoise see color, the light bothers them, and it changes the colors of the food and other things in there enclosure. To stop the scratching for now until you get her into a bigger enclosure, try covering the glass so Peach can’t see out, and maybe add some plants or a new hide. Since you adopted her you may have inherited some bad habits of the previous owner such as letting the tortoise roam the floor of the house. When a tort is shown new places all the time, they will continue to look for that place they found. So they do laps and scratch at the sides. BUT many people have an indoor enclosure for cold season and then an outdoor one. Tortoise eventually become familiar and get used to being rotated in the 2 enclosures.
 

ArmadilloPup

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2019
Messages
307
Location (City and/or State)
NE Oklahoma
Hey there! Welcome!

The care sheet linked by @Happytort27 is a lot to read, but it has everything you need to know! It sounds like Peach's previous owner was using outdated information, such as the red bulb. The care sheet for Greeks is also very informative if you are curious about the habits of Testudo species.

1. You can replace the red bulb with a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) for night time. Tortoises can see red light, so it messes with their sleep cycle. If you can show a picture of the UV bulb, we can let you know if is the right type.

2. Do you have any temperature/humidity gauges in the enclosure?
If so, what is the temp/humidity during the day and at night?​
If not, you'll need to buy some gauges ASAP. Tortoises need a specific temperature and humidity for bodily functions. Go for digital ones, they are cheap. You find them at hardware stores.​

If you want suggestions for a bigger enclosure, just let us know if you are looking for a specific type, if you plan to do indoor/outdoor, and if you need something on a budget. Folks here love giving cage advice! ?
 
Joined
Mar 20, 2020
Messages
89
Location (City and/or State)
Denver, Colorado
View attachment 319878

Aww ok thank you do you have any suggestions to what light I should have for her? She is such a character, I would also like to no what type of tortoise she is if anyone has any ideas please? And also the best bedding for them as her last owners had soil but I found that very messy?
In terms of bedding I find that Coco Coir substrate is pretty good. It holds moisture very well, so when your tort burrows, she'll have some moisture in her shell and skin. Spray it down every day, and add water 1-2 times a week or when it gets too dry. If you're concerned about your tort eating it, don't be. Noodles (my russian) sometimes gets it mixed with his food since he's a messy eater, but since it's natural, he can still have regular bowel movements and will eventually poop it out.
 

Erenintx

New Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2020
Messages
6
Location (City and/or State)
Nm
Welcome. Peach is perfectly cute. I am not an expert but I do know that the red light is not good for your tortoise. What are your other lights, temperatures and substrate.
Why isn’t red light ok for the tortoise?
 

zolasmum

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 19, 2015
Messages
2,001
View attachment 319875View attachment 319875I have not long had peach and would be happy with any advice on the best way to care for her, we no the basics on food an water an exercise but she’s keeping my son awake scratching in her box, I got her off someone that couldn’t look after her, she had been attacked by a dog an her box is to small as she is a good size so am looking into a bigger home for her but is there anyway of stopping her from scratching of a night?
Welcome. I'm in the UK too -Devon. Peach is very cute, and I am sure she will be much happier with you,and safely away from that dog.
Angie
 

Jodie24

New Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2021
Messages
7
Location (City and/or State)
Uk
Welcome. I'm in the UK too -Devon. Peach is very cute, and I am sure she will be much happier with you,and safely away from that dog.
Angie
Aww thank you, she is so happy we play with her all the time, it’s funny how much of a character they have, we don’t have a dog so she’s gona be safe with us :)

jodie
 
Top