NEW HERMAN TORTOISE OWNER

charls95

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Jul 13, 2024
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Derby
Is anybody able to tell me what sex these two tortoises are? They are both 5 years old?

I have had them for 4 days.

Many thanks
 

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The_Four_Toed_Edward

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They both seem male. Please don't house these two together, there will surely be some aggression. Is that sand you are using as substrate?
 

Littleredfootbigredheart

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Dec 28, 2023
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Hello there and welcome to the forum! You do indeed appear to have two males, that are in desperate need of a beak trim.

Just to check, these guys aren’t housed as a pair are they? tortoise of any species should NEVER be housed in pairs under any circumstances, they’re incredibly territorial, behaviours that look cute to us really aren’t, following one another and sleeping huddled up is all bullying the the tortoise world, you’ll eventually see more extreme signs of aggression. Anyone who tells you pairs are fine, have no idea what they’re talking about. Two males are especially a recipe for disaster.

These guys are going to need separating and put into separate appropriate enclosures.

As adults they need a minimum of an 8x4 enclosure, roaming is vital to tortoise health, it aids digestion and strengthen their muscles.
Don’t think they can get away with smaller if allowed to free roam, I’d highly discourage indoor free roams, being away from their heat source means they’re being exposed to temperatures that are too low quite often, smooth surfaces like laminate flooring will wreak absolute havoc on their hip joints over time.
There’s just numerous reasons it isn’t a good idea unfortunately, harmful floor cleaners, foreign objects being swallowed, getting stuck under things they shouldn’t like shelving or sofas, low temperatures, no uv, getting hit by doors, one member has mentioned they knew someone who’s tort got their head crushed in a door jam😣, flipping hazards, smooth services, the list goes on and is endless.
They feel most comfortable and safe in a space that best mimics their natural environment, so an appropriate sized enclosure is always the ultimate goal, hopefully we can help🥰

I’m going to include some information below on an example of an appropriate indoor set up, it includes the correct levels and equipment etc
This is one way to come up with an appropriate indoor set up, including the appropriate indoor uv

Basking light should be an incandescent floodlight(example attached) on a 12 hour timer.

Basking temperature directly under the floodlight should be 95-100f. The rest of the enclosure should be ranging 75-80 during the day.

You may also wish to add ambient lighting on the same timer, providing shady areas with hides and safe plants.

Then CHE/CHE’s(ceramic heat emitters) always on a thermostat, for night heat if your house drops below 60’s at night. Set the thermostat for a night temperature place the probe in their cooler end, plug the che into it and the thermostat into the mains, it’ll be plugged in 24/7 but will only turn on when the temperature drops. We’re a cold climate so I think you’ll most likely need these.

Uv should be a t5 fluorescent tube, avoid the compact and coil uv bulbs, they don’t give out enough uv and can hurt the tortoises eyes. The uv can be on a 4 hour timer from noon. I’ve attached examples of the two brands to go for and some examples of how to mount them.

With lighting always avoid anything labelled halogen or mercury vapour.

For substrates, either coco coir, dampened and packed down by hand as a base, with a layer of orchid(fir not pine) bark or forest floor on top, or just the orchid bark/forest floor. Never use anything with sand mixed in, no top soils and no kinds of moss. The problem with top soil is unless you’ve composted it yourself, you don’t know what kind of plants have gone into it, it could be something toxic. Sand can irritate the eyes and be an impaction risk, moss is an impaction risk too. If that is sand you are using, it needs replacing asap.

You want to aim to have the bottom layer of substrate damp, to do this pour lukewarm water into the corners, not loads but enough to dampen the entire bottom layer. To stop that top layer getting a little too dry/dusty, mix the substrate now n then. Check your monitors and substrate to do the pours as and when needed.

I’d personally recommend you make your own base to go as big as you possibly can for the space you have, roaming room is vital for tortoise health, it aids in digestion and builds muscle strength. The closer you can get to an 8x4 size the better.

When making your base, just make sure the material is safe, some use flower beds, or take a large bookcase, take out the shelves and lie flat, or just make their own, for all these options I’d line with cheap pond liner to protect the base, making sure the liner goes up the sides too and make sure those sides are deep enough! They can be professional escape artists😂

I’ve also included examples of stands people make/buy to hang their lighting, use a temperature gun to determine how high the basking bulb needs to be, the uv I suggested needs to be mounted 18-20 inches from the substrate.

For a water dish a shallow terracotta saucer is considered safest, they have grip in the event your tortoise flips themselves, most pet store options are a known hazard.

I’d also always recommend getting your hands on a temp gun, they’re SO handy when setting up a new environment or for checking your monitors are correct🙂

Also you may find this link below useful for some food ideas! In the wildflower section there’s SO many choices that grow great in our climate, you can buy seeds online and plant in organic soil(free of chemicals) in a planter the tortoises don’t have access to, and forage from them as they grow😊

 

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charls95

New Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2024
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Derby
Hi,

Thanks for your reply. I took my tortoises to a specialist reptile center today, they confirmed they are male & female. The male has a slit & tail to the side and the female has a shorter tail no slit. I have the full set up. I have brought some cuttle fish to hopefully shorten there beaks. The specialist couldn't fit them in today for a beak trim.
 

Littleredfootbigredheart

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Joined
Dec 28, 2023
Messages
2,026
Location (City and/or State)
UK
On closer inspection I can see the second one in the photo is female you’re right lol

Either way though definitely spilt them which I’m assuming you already do👍

Another good way to naturally wear down their beak is to serve feeds on a large serving slate🙂
 

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