Possible cold?

[Samanthamae]

I have two 7 month old russian tortoises. I got them from a family friend who has been raising tortoise for 29 years. They have both been healthy and eating well. I noticed that one if them is making a squeeking noise and scratching his face. I think when I looked closer, I saw a bubble from his nose but I'm not sure. They have a long Tupperware container (fits a Christmas tree). They have untreated wood bedding. I don't know the exact name if it but it comes highly recommended. They have a mixture of greens daily, with calcium powder few times a week. I don't have a thermometer in there which I will be getting tomorrow. They have a custom box they sleep in. They get daylight and nightlight. They have a water dish that they sometimes soak in. I gave him a soak today and am wondering if he got too cold.

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[leonardo the tmnt]

I have two 7 month old russian tortoises. I got them from a family friend who has been raising tortoise for 29 years. They have both been healthy and eating well. I noticed that one if them is making a squeeking noise and scratching his face. I think when I looked closer, I saw a bubble from his nose but I'm not sure. They have a long Tupperware container (fits a Christmas tree). They have untreated wood bedding. I don't know the exact name if it but it comes highly recommended. They have a mixture of greens daily, with calcium powder few times a week. I don't have a thermometer in there which I will be getting tomorrow. They have a custom box they sleep in. They get daylight and nightlight. They have a water dish that they sometimes soak in. I gave him a soak today and am wondering if he got too cold.

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Hi he probably got to cold. Russians can usually tolerate different temps but since this one is a baby it is different. Do they have uv/light and a source of heat? Also wood chip bedding isn't recommended I would go with coco coir or Cyprus mulch it holds humidity and they can dig in it. Did you soak him in cold or warm water?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Samanthamae and welcome to the Forum!

You mention that you have a day light and a night light, but what kind of lights are they? Do they keep the habitat warm enough? Warm enough is about 100F directly under the light, with it fading to around 80F on one end and down to room temp on the other end. It can be a bit cooler at night, but for babies, not much.

Scratching at the face is sometimes an eye irritation, or maybe something stuck inside the mouth. I doubt its a respiratory infection.

 

[Tom]

Yep. We need to know your four temps first and foremost. Warm side, cool side, basking spot and night?

Also, Russians can be very scrappy and do not usually get along very well in pairs. Small groups are usually okay, but one on one usually leads to stress and other issues. It he wild the less dominant one would choose to leave the territory and vicinity of the other one. In our enclosures, they don't have this choice and it can severely stress them. This long term chronic stress can hamper their immune system and lead to all sorts of problems. The dominant one doesn't necessarily even have to "do" anything. Just his presence is enough. Most people come back and say something like, "Oh but the cuddle under the heat lamp and sleep together at night...." The less dominant animal is daily forced to choose between his aversion to the other animal and his need to eat thermoregulate and sleep in a secure feeling area. They will tend to do much better in their own enclosure with no competitors, where they can feel like the king of their own castle.