Newly adopted Hermanns tortoise

[Vikki287]

Hi all, so pleased to have found this great resource. I've never owned a tortoise myself but as a vet nurse I have nursed a number of them over the years.
The tortoise I am adopting is aprox 15-20 years old and has predominantly been kept indoors in a shed with little outside time. I am yet to find out the specific info re what specific care she has had. She belongs (for 2 more days) with a friend of a friend and so I want to ensure I am cautious with voicing any of my concerns.
Her beak is very long, and she appears to have some pyramiding - please see pics for info

Does anyone have any advice or recommendations as to specific care for her beak (I'm planning to trim this down over the next few weeks, Once settled)

I live in the UK, in Suffolk and am open to all the advice I can get

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Could you post some more pictures ones you get the tortoise? He doesn't have a normal pyramided carapace, it looks like this tortoise might have MBD. @wellington or @Tom can probably confirm whether or not my doubts are correct.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Could you post some more pictures ones you get the tortoise? He doesn't have a normal pyramided carapace, it looks like this tortoise might have MBD. @wellington or @Tom can probably confirm whether or not my doubts are correct.

I’d agree there is the potential there looking at the shell😕 the beak does definitely need a trim too, feeding on large slate will help naturally wear their beak down🙂

Welcome to the forum from a fellow uk member! We’re so happy to have you here!💚
As much as it’s encouraged to have tortoises in a safe outdoor enclosure, I understand being from the uk myself, that our climate makes it difficult to house outdoors full time, an outdoor enclosure is great for them to enjoy on summer days though! I would generally discourage free roaming outside of a safe enclosure.

Care advice for these guys is painfully behind, fb pages, YouTube, pet stores, they’re all repeating the same outdated advice, this forum is made of people who have spent years finding the best ways to care for them that actually result in healthy tortoise.

As adults they need a minimum of an 8x4 enclosure, roaming is vital to tortoise health, it aids digestion and strengthen their muscles. As they will probably be spending a lot of the year indoors to meet their temperature needs, they’ll need a close to that size as possible inside.

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, including the appropriate indoor uv, hopefully it helps😊

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 cooler climate so I think you’ll probably need them but feel free to double check your night temps.

Indoor 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. I’d go with the Arcadia proT5 kit 12% personally because it comes with the reflector fitting ready to mount.

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.

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 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. 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(Arcadia)

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

Some of the examples are small but hopefully they give you an idea.

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🙂

For the diet side of things you may find this link below useful, leafy greens and weeds are the way to go with these guys, perhaps you could buy seeds online and grow them in organic soil(no fertilisers or chemicals) in a planter the tortoise doesn’t have access, forage as they grow😊in the wildflowers section there’s loads of plants that grow perfectly here! Be wary foraging elsewhere as you need to be certain there’s no fertilisers or chemicals in the area, there’s also toxic lookalikes so probably best to plant your own🙂

The Tortoise Table - Home

The Tortoise Table plant database and resource site for Tortoise owners

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

Hopefully some of this helps!🥰

 

[wellington]

For sure pyramided. MBD could be possible but can't tell from that angle.

 

[Vikki287]

Here are some more pics - just the ones I have so far. I’ll post more once I have her and can see her walking about.

 

[Vikki287]

I’d agree there is the potential there looking at the shell😕 the beak does definitely need a trim too, feeding on large slate will help naturally wear their beak down🙂

Welcome to the forum from a fellow uk member! We’re so happy to have you here!💚
As much as it’s encouraged to have tortoises in a safe outdoor enclosure, I understand being from the uk myself, that our climate makes it difficult to house outdoors full time, an outdoor enclosure is great for them to enjoy on summer days though! I would generally discourage free roaming outside of a safe enclosure.

Care advice for these guys is painfully behind, fb pages, YouTube, pet stores, they’re all repeating the same outdated advice, this forum is made of people who have spent years finding the best ways to care for them that actually result in healthy tortoise.

As adults they need a minimum of an 8x4 enclosure, roaming is vital to tortoise health, it aids digestion and strengthen their muscles. As they will probably be spending a lot of the year indoors to meet their temperature needs, they’ll need a close to that size as possible inside.

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, including the appropriate indoor uv, hopefully it helps😊

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 cooler climate so I think you’ll probably need them but feel free to double check your night temps.

Indoor 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. I’d go with the Arcadia proT5 kit 12% personally because it comes with the reflector fitting ready to mount.

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.

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 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. 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(Arcadia)

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

Some of the examples are small but hopefully they give you an idea.

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🙂

For the diet side of things you may find this link below useful, leafy greens and weeds are the way to go with these guys, perhaps you could buy seeds online and grow them in organic soil(no fertilisers or chemicals) in a planter the tortoise doesn’t have access, forage as they grow😊in the wildflowers section there’s loads of plants that grow perfectly here! Be wary foraging elsewhere as you need to be certain there’s no fertilisers or chemicals in the area, there’s also toxic lookalikes so probably best to plant your own🙂

The Tortoise Table - Home

The Tortoise Table plant database and resource site for Tortoise owners

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

Hopefully some of this helps!🥰

Omg! Thanks so much for all the info. I have most of that kit already. Setting up properly tm to get temps correct for arrival.

 

[Vikki287]

Could you post some more pictures ones you get the tortoise? He doesn't have a normal pyramided carapace, it looks like this tortoise might have MBD. @wellington or @Tom can probably confirm whether or not my doubts are correct.

Thanks for the info will upload pics as I can get them.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Omg! Thanks so much for all the info. I have most of that kit already. Setting up properly tm to get temps correct for arrival.

No problem at all! Looking forward to following your progress, I love nothing more than someone taking in a rescue and offering a wonderful new home, you’re wonderful for doing this💕she does look in need of some tlc bless her💚🐢

 

[Ray--Opo]

Welcome and thank you for rescuing your new friend. I am sure he/she will be a happy tort now.

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

Here is the care info for this species, and a bunch of general current care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Trimming the beak over time is a good plan. The pyramiding and MBD are a thing of the past. All you can do if offer the best conditions possible now. Give the tortoise the correct temperatures, the right foods, a good UV source when indoors, plenty of outside time in fair weather, and good hydration.

Questions are welcome.

 

[Vikki287]

Hello and welcome.

Here is the care info for this species, and a bunch of general current care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Trimming the beak over time is a good plan. The pyramiding and MBD are a thing of the past. All you can do if offer the best conditions possible now. Give the tortoise the correct temperatures, the right foods, a good UV source when indoors, plenty of outside time in fair weather, and good hydration.

Questions are welcome.

Thanks so much for the comment.
I have read up on how to improve the issue with her carapace. So far, as you have said, all I can do is improve her care from now on.
I appreciate the advice links 😃