tee_tee_bee
New Member
Hello. First timer here. I very recently acquired a Russian tortoise that I was told is probably around 4 years old. We’ve had her since December 31st. I’ve enmeshed myself on a crash course in learning absolutely as much as I can about Russian torts to make sure we give her a great home. Of course, my learning started after my husband surprised me with our tort, Pinecone (PC). So I felt behind the game – no clue about her background, etc. Guessing from all my reading she’s probably wild caught and I feel bad about that. Also they sold my husband a 30 gal tank to start and told him it would last her a couple of years. Bawh. We immediately ordered her a 2’x4’ tortoise habitat to test it out, durability etc, since this model you can buy a 2nd one and connect them. We’d had it a week and think we’ll get the 2nd one soon.
I wanted to ask some of you with a lot more knowledge about PC’s shell health. Attached is a picture. One of the front scutes is chipped off pretty bad. It seems to have happened a while ago and has already healed. I’ve been watching it and checking it though. Never any discharge, softness, etc. What I’m more worried about is the peeling between the scutes. Reading more and more, I’m thinking this is just a sign of longer term dehydration but I’m not sure. I also read about the light being too close, which could burn the scutes but I don’t think that’s the case here – plus this seems more long term than something we could have done in 18 days with her. Also I have read about bacterial or fungal infections to the shell causing peeling but from what I read that’s usually localized to areas. PC’s peeling seems to be slight, not big chips coming off, but all over her carapace between the scutes. Her plastron doesn’t seem to have any issues or dryness. I think that when we got PC, she may have been somewhat dehydrated. Her skin was pretty flakey – face and legs. Looking at her now that seems to have gone away. Yay. I’ve been reading some about shell conditioners and oils but want to make sure that I’m not masking a bigger problem before trying that out.
I know from reading the more info the better so: We give her three soaks a week about 20 – 25 mins. I brushed the her carapace w/ a soft toothbrush for the first time last night. After her soaks we let her dry out and explore & exercise on the living room floor on an old beach sheet in a penned in area for a while. She’s a good eater, all greens - no fruit. We give her a mix of greens daily. In the rotation are collards, mustard greens, swiss chard, escarole, endive (her fave), mizuna, dandelion, various lettuces and cucumber slices as a treat once a week. I toss the daily greens with Herbal Hay from Tortoise Supply to up her fiber content. A sprinkle of calcium powder three times a week and a sprinkle of multi vitamin powder once we week, different day. I did buy the Broadleaf Testudo seed mix from Tortoise Supply that we’ll plant soon. Luckily, we have a couple of community garden plots with tons of greens growing to get us started.
Her substrate about 3 or 4” of repti bark in the main area (3’x2’) and in the hide area (1’x2’) there is about 5” of coco coir and 1” of repti bark that used to be on top but got mixed in from me trying to keep the coco coir from drying out completely. SoCal is dry. There is also a 1” coco coir mat on the bottom of the whole enclosure.
We have a few thermometers and humidity gauges at various points in her enclosure. I try to keep the humidity at 50 to 60% but it’s difficult in her main area w/ the heat and our general dry weather. It’s usually in the 40s in the main and between 50 and 60% in the hide. I also check surface temps a temp gun to make sure each area is in the right range. We try to keep her basking plate (a flipped over terracotta saucer) at 90 – 100 F surface temp. She does frequent the plate, when not digging, napping or grazing.
All in all, I think we’re doing good by PC. I’m just a little worried about the peeling between the scutes and would love any feedback.
I wanted to ask some of you with a lot more knowledge about PC’s shell health. Attached is a picture. One of the front scutes is chipped off pretty bad. It seems to have happened a while ago and has already healed. I’ve been watching it and checking it though. Never any discharge, softness, etc. What I’m more worried about is the peeling between the scutes. Reading more and more, I’m thinking this is just a sign of longer term dehydration but I’m not sure. I also read about the light being too close, which could burn the scutes but I don’t think that’s the case here – plus this seems more long term than something we could have done in 18 days with her. Also I have read about bacterial or fungal infections to the shell causing peeling but from what I read that’s usually localized to areas. PC’s peeling seems to be slight, not big chips coming off, but all over her carapace between the scutes. Her plastron doesn’t seem to have any issues or dryness. I think that when we got PC, she may have been somewhat dehydrated. Her skin was pretty flakey – face and legs. Looking at her now that seems to have gone away. Yay. I’ve been reading some about shell conditioners and oils but want to make sure that I’m not masking a bigger problem before trying that out.
I know from reading the more info the better so: We give her three soaks a week about 20 – 25 mins. I brushed the her carapace w/ a soft toothbrush for the first time last night. After her soaks we let her dry out and explore & exercise on the living room floor on an old beach sheet in a penned in area for a while. She’s a good eater, all greens - no fruit. We give her a mix of greens daily. In the rotation are collards, mustard greens, swiss chard, escarole, endive (her fave), mizuna, dandelion, various lettuces and cucumber slices as a treat once a week. I toss the daily greens with Herbal Hay from Tortoise Supply to up her fiber content. A sprinkle of calcium powder three times a week and a sprinkle of multi vitamin powder once we week, different day. I did buy the Broadleaf Testudo seed mix from Tortoise Supply that we’ll plant soon. Luckily, we have a couple of community garden plots with tons of greens growing to get us started.
Her substrate about 3 or 4” of repti bark in the main area (3’x2’) and in the hide area (1’x2’) there is about 5” of coco coir and 1” of repti bark that used to be on top but got mixed in from me trying to keep the coco coir from drying out completely. SoCal is dry. There is also a 1” coco coir mat on the bottom of the whole enclosure.
We have a few thermometers and humidity gauges at various points in her enclosure. I try to keep the humidity at 50 to 60% but it’s difficult in her main area w/ the heat and our general dry weather. It’s usually in the 40s in the main and between 50 and 60% in the hide. I also check surface temps a temp gun to make sure each area is in the right range. We try to keep her basking plate (a flipped over terracotta saucer) at 90 – 100 F surface temp. She does frequent the plate, when not digging, napping or grazing.
All in all, I think we’re doing good by PC. I’m just a little worried about the peeling between the scutes and would love any feedback.