I have a 16 month old leopard whos about 3 inches head to tail.. When i fetched him they sent him home with a little water bowl about an inch deep,, I happened to look over to him earlier and he was head firs in it with his front feet in and looked stuck.. I got him straight out and put him in his litter tray for a bath so he could drink in case he was just thirsty.. i have put a reptile bath type thing in but he cant climb in himself just yet.. What should i use xxx there is a pic for ya to see x
OO was my tortoise drowning!!
- Thread starter kimmikins
- Start date
- Status
Yeah, that bowl's sides are too steep. However, tortoises do drink with their whole face in the water. But you're right, the bowl isn't good.
I don't know if he was drowning, but he could use a bigger water dish. A plant saucer is a good water dish. He should be able to climb into it and be in all the way and climb back out. It is also good to put it down into the substrate so it's not as hard to climb into and out of. I get the plant saucers that are sealed with glaze.
I wouldn't use a bowl like that. Needs to be much wider.
You didn't ask about pyramiding, but that's a big thing with me and I noticed your dry substrate. Do you have a humid hide box? Have you considered a more moisture retaining substrate to increase the humidity? Check out the pyramiding info on this site:
http://www.ivorytortoise.com/
You didn't ask about pyramiding, but that's a big thing with me and I noticed your dry substrate. Do you have a humid hide box? Have you considered a more moisture retaining substrate to increase the humidity? Check out the pyramiding info on this site:
http://www.ivorytortoise.com/
I am glad your little guy is O.K.! That must have been scary. 
Do you think he may have been up-ended on that steep edge?
Do you think he may have been up-ended on that steep edge?
i have had wilson for 3 weeks.. i intend to change the substrate as i have never liked it since the man advised me to use the grass pellet stuff.. i heard about this coconut husk stuff and was going to give that a go.. I have a bowl of water under his light in the hope this create a more humid environment. i am open to all advice and appreciate it very much.. i will get a plant saucer tomorow xxx
im just looking.. do you think a sphagnum moss dampened in a plasic igloo is a good moisture chamber thing lol x
im just looking.. do you think a sphagnum moss dampened in a plasic igloo is a good moisture chamber thing lol
x
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
You need to be careful with Leopards and humidity. They get URTI very easily and a good part of the time it's caused from keeping them too humid. So I personally would do a whole lot of researching the subject and find out just how much humidity is too much. They have a very hard time in the PNW and get sick and die easily because it is so humid here. I don't keep Leopards, I am just repeating what Leopard keepers have told me...
kimmikins said:i have had wilson for 3 weeks.. i intend to change the substrate as i have never liked it since the man advised me to use the grass pellet stuff.. i heard about this coconut husk stuff and was going to give that a go.. I have a bowl of water under his light in the hope this create a more humid environment. i am open to all advice and appreciate it very much.. i will get a plant saucer tomorow xxx
im just looking.. do you think a sphagnum moss dampened in a plasic igloo is a good moisture chamber thing lol
I really like the coco coir, but some people prefer the cypress mulch or a mixture of soil, sand, coco fiber and or cypress mulch. I don't like the sand part, but any mixture of the others should work great.
What do you mean by igloo? I usually go with a plastic shoebox of the appropriate size. I just cut a hole the right size on one end and them drill a couple of quarter inch holes near the top on opposing sides for some cross ventilation. Dampened sphagnum moss or coco fiber will work great in there.
an igloo is basically just a plastic tube but its flat at the bottom.. bit like what you are describing.. Im really worried about doing the ight thing for him now.. i think it seems very dry in his viv.. i put a bowl of water in to moisten the air.. it evapourates every day.. its a mind field of doing stuff wrong.. it scares me when people say they die and that cause im trying so hard to make him happy.. he seems it
I know its confusing, but it will get a lot less stressful as you gain your own experience. Everyone here has given you good advice, you just have to pick what works best for your situation. Your igloo sounds like it will work as long as the entrance hole isn't too big. The idea is to restrict air movement and hold in the evaporated moisture to create something similar to a natural burrow. Deep burrows stay very humid.
What part of the country are you in? Where ever he's been for the last year, its been too dry or he wouldn't be pyramiding. A proper humid hide box and some good humidity friendly substrate is about all you can do at this point. Good, varied diet, sunshine and exercise won't hurt anything either.
What part of the country are you in? Where ever he's been for the last year, its been too dry or he wouldn't be pyramiding. A proper humid hide box and some good humidity friendly substrate is about all you can do at this point. Good, varied diet, sunshine and exercise won't hurt anything either.
S
stells
Guest
Roachman26 said:
You seem to be concentrating on the humidity thing far to much... please bear in mind that pyramiding can be caused by a range of factors... not just humidity... i have tortoises i have grown from little hatchlings WITHOUT a humid area... that have grown nicely.... some species do benefit from it i agree but not all need it.... you can't pinpoint it on just ONE thing... and scare people into keeping a species of tortoise on a damp substrate and risk it getting a respiratory infection...
Sorry just gets my back up...
I was worried about the pyamiding because someone on a post told me i was risking wilsons health by not having a moisture box.. at the min i havent got one.. i suppose i just want to do the right thing for him.. he seems happy enough.. xx i bought some lime from you ebay shop.. didnt realise it was you from here till i just noticed i feel like if i miss something ill hut my little guy.. or gal actually lol xx
i feel like if i miss something ill hut my little guy.. or gal actually lol xx
stells said:
Sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree. I think lack of sufficient humidity is the sole cause of pyramiding, while diet and exercise are contributing factors. I don't think calcium, D3 or UV has anything to do with pyramiding. My experiences and observations all around the USA and Africa confirm this with out a doubt. I used to think, and tell people, exactly what you just said, but in the last couple of years, I've changed my mind about it. Typically, I hear the sentiment that you espouse from people who live in climates with either high or variable humidity. I would like to start a new thread on this in the debatable section for you and I and everyone else to exchange ideas and experiences on this matter. There are hundreds of years of tortoise experience compounded on this forum and sharing these experiences is what advances our knowledge. I know you have considerable experience with lots of torts and I want to learn what you know. Likewise, I'd like to share with you the specific experiences that have changed my point of view into what it is now. You can then either show me where my logic and conclusions are incorrect or possibly agree with me.
Further, fear of upper respiratory infection is one of the main reasons, I've always kept my desert species in the "beef jerky maker" style set-ups. I have never heard of any tropical desert species getting a URI from high humidity. Improper temps and husbandry practices, yes, but not solely from high humidity. Also, leopards are clearly one of the torts who do need it.
I'll also grant you that I've never been to, much less raised a tort in GB, so I will stop giving advice on this one since I din't know the climate or what challenges tortoise keepers face over there.
Good luck to you kimmikins with your tort, and, Stells, hope to see you in the debatable section with this one.
S
stells
Guest
I wish someone would tell my tortoises that are kept dry that they shouldn't grow smooth :lol:
Humidity... what do you think the humidity does to make the shell grow smooth.... it hydrates the tortoise.... what do you think soaking does... it hydrates the tortoise... keep the tortoise hydrated with regular soaks... no need for a humid hide.... bear in mind... you can't rely solely on a humid hide to hydrate a tortoise (just thought i would add that)
Some of my tortoises do have them... the Stars
The others don't.... but are kept hydrated... fed a good diet... good supplimentation... good UV source... outside access... growing smooth...
Another... a rehome... before coming to me... was kept more humid... but had a poor diet... no UV... no suppliments... no outside access...grown very deformed....
So my conclusion from my experience is.... just pinpointing humidity as THE cause of pyramiding... doesn't work
Humidity... what do you think the humidity does to make the shell grow smooth.... it hydrates the tortoise.... what do you think soaking does... it hydrates the tortoise... keep the tortoise hydrated with regular soaks... no need for a humid hide.... bear in mind... you can't rely solely on a humid hide to hydrate a tortoise (just thought i would add that)
Some of my tortoises do have them... the Stars
The others don't.... but are kept hydrated... fed a good diet... good supplimentation... good UV source... outside access... growing smooth...
Another... a rehome... before coming to me... was kept more humid... but had a poor diet... no UV... no suppliments... no outside access...grown very deformed....
So my conclusion from my experience is.... just pinpointing humidity as THE cause of pyramiding... doesn't work
I think it has to do with what type of tortoise you are talking about too. And having said that...
Let's move this debate to its own thread. This thread is supposed to be about Kimikins thinking her tortoise was drowning and her water dish.
Let's move this debate to its own thread. This thread is supposed to be about Kimikins thinking her tortoise was drowning and her water dish.
If you see the tortoise using that bowl... it's perfect.
I cut the bottoms off of glass babyfood jars along with other types of jars and smooth the sharp edges. I've been using this for many years for both feeding and watering.
The reason I like them is that the tortoise cannot climb in yet it can reach its head over the edge. You can adjust the height by burying the bowl so the tortoise can reach it but not too deep that the tortoise will track through it.
I cut the bottoms off of glass babyfood jars along with other types of jars and smooth the sharp edges. I've been using this for many years for both feeding and watering.
The reason I like them is that the tortoise cannot climb in yet it can reach its head over the edge. You can adjust the height by burying the bowl so the tortoise can reach it but not too deep that the tortoise will track through it.
kimmikins said:
OOO that made me laugh about the moving of the thread lol.. I think im going to make a little moisture box for wilson but then i do soak him everyday because he seems to like it.. he eats well after too and poops.. allows me to monitor him.. an i like it cause he comes to get warm on me after.. (hes just coming for the heat source i know) lol xxx
I think im going to make a little moisture box for wilson but then i do soak him everyday because he seems to like it.. he eats well after too and poops.. allows me to monitor him.. an i like it cause he comes to get warm on me after.. (hes just coming for the heat source i know) lol xxx- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
