Soft shell?

[super_jane]

Hello! I was watching a YouTube video and a girl tapped on the bosom of her adult tortoise shell underneath and it sounded hard as a rock. I did to my baby and it didn't really make a sound it's soft! I'm very worried! Help me!

 

[7oasty23]

Someone with more experience is going to respond, but hatchlings have soft shells from what I understand.

 

[kanalomele]

How old is your tort. Tell us about its housing,diet,sunshine, supplimentation etc..
The more we know the better we can determine if you have a problem.

 

[super_jane]

I got my tortoise the day of the Boston marathon but I don't know how old. It has the correct lighting because I got it from the pet ship. Alfalfa substrate. water and food changed daily.

 

[Jazz]

I got my tortoise the day of the Boston marathon but I don't know how old. It has the correct lighting because I got it from the pet ship. Alfalfa substrate. water and food changed daily.

alfafa doesn't make a good substrate because it tend to dry and easily get molded.give your enclosure detail,there are dozen expert around this forum to lend you their thought.

 

[abclements]

Hi Jane,

Can you please give us a run down of your enclosure. Telling us that your set up is fine doesn't help us get a grasp on what your enclosure is like at all. It scares me that you said he was on alfalfa because that means you were probably given poor/outdated information, at no fault to your own. Pet stores tend to give very poor advice on good husbandry. What we need, so we can help you, is a good list and some pictures. Here's a good starter list:

Substrate, 4 temps (basking, warm side, cool side, night time), what kind of lighting system you have, food (daily breakdown), humidity measurements, how often you soak him and size of enclosure/size of your tort.

Then some pictures showing how your enclosure is set up so we can see it visually.

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Also to mention a little bit about the soft shell part. If he is still small, he shell may have a little give and it should "spring" back to its normal position when released. (Don't push too hard though because it could be uncomfortable for your tort). It should not feel paper thin or leathery at all.

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[Tom]

The shell should feel kind of like the plastic of a butter tub lid. Some give, but not spongy.

Sounds like you got the typical bad pet store advice. Your tortoise should not be housed in a dry enclosure that simulates a desert. It should be housed in an enclosure that simulates the African rainy season. Warm, humid, drinking water, humid hide, an abundance of the right foods, warm NIGHT temps too, etc. And be sure you are not using one of those coil type bulbs for UV. They can damage tortoise eyes.

 

[super_jane]

Thanks for your help! I will have to get back to you with them temperatures because I have to purpose a thermometer! Also with the humidity! My apologies! Every morning I slice up a lot of leaves (not iceberg) and I have recently been doing chopped up mandarin oranges and kiwi: what should the substrate be? I also have an undertank heater!

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In meant purchase!

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I forgot to add that I sprinkle some Vitamin D and calcium power on the top

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Here what my bulb looks like!

 

[Tom]

They should not be getting fruit. Grocery store foods are not the best either. Weeds, succulents, grass and leaves are the way to go.

That set up will result in a pyramided young leopard. I hope we will be able to help you remedy the situation.

 

[abclements]

Everything Tom said. Your bulb is a coil bulb, and they have been known to blind torts so I would suggest getting a mercury vapor bulb. It provides both heat and uvb which is awesome! A little spendy but worth it. Unfortunately this means you're going to need to get a new fixture with a ceramic fitting. If you don't go with the mvb you can get a fluorescent uvb tube light and a ceramic heat emitter (heat, no light) and I would hook it up to a thermostat.

For substrate, I use coco coir. It comes in brick form and you wet it to expand it. Other people use cypress mulch and that works really well too. You want to keep these nice and damp, not wet and it will provide a nice humidity for your tort! Also to create you should cover your tank completely with a small cut out for your light and heat lamps.

Your hide looks ok.

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Your food and water dish may be too deep to be comfortable for your tort to use. I would use a flat rock/tile to feed him off of and then I would use one of those ceramic pot saucers that you can buy at home depot for just a couple bucks...

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Sorry, I just keep coming up with stuff after I hit send lol but I was just thinking that I should remind you that that tank won't last all that long for your fast growing tort. Just something to think about.

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[super_jane]

To be honest I'm not sure what a pyramided tortoise is!

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And thank you so much! I will do those things and get back to you! The only thing I love more than my tortoise is God! I want to do everything right I can!!! I feel guilty and ashamed that I had this type of care for her!

 

[theelectraco]

Also, those fixtures are not made to handle the wattage of basking bulbs like those.

 

[super_jane]

Also I have though about this! I planned on making a wooden box that was much bigger as it grew! When should I change the tank?

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If you are referring to the fact that I need to get a cermatic done then I'm on the case as soon as they confirm my following pictures! would this dome work for the bulb? And what other bulbs do I need? And what wattages? also is this a good feeding dish?

 

[abclements]

That ceramic fixture will work great for anything except a mercury vapor bulbs. The dish doesn't have a big enough diameter. But it will work fine for everything else.

The food dish looks ok. It looks like it only dips a tiny little bit, but it probably cost a lot more than a nice flat rock out of your garden. But that decision is always up to you. Basically I live by the motto, if it isn't easy to get in and out, they won't won't use it lol hope we've helped out a bit! As always, keep asking questions!

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[super_jane]

Thanks! I didn't realize you meant I could just get one out off garden! Will do! And could you send me a link token that would work? And what wattage?

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Also I will also need a UVB light too! Correct?

 

[abclements]

Here's a lamp fixture that works great for me.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AQCXM/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Here's a mvb that gives off heat and uvb (this would replace you're basking bulb and coil bulb)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AQDJK/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

And I would suggest getting a che for nighttime use, to keep the temp up a little bit

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001F9CV7K/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20



Or you could go with a different set up of a uvb tube light, and a che for heat. Here's a link to the tube light

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YJ3BE/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I use the 12 inch, but 18" is all I could find on Amazon...

Also here's the fixture I use. The dimmer is kinda cool but I really use it because it is designed to be in a humid environment...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001B5E824/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

It likes to turn on about 5 minutes earlier every day, so I just put it on a timer that makes it turn on at 7 every morning and I use the 14 hour run time setting... hope all of this helps and isn't too many ideas at the same time!

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[super_jane]

I didn't receive the link!

 

[abclements]

Which link didn't you get? There should have been 4 or so...

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[super_jane]

Any!!! Maybe take pictures of the site link and products!

 

[abclements]

That's a bummer! Ok I'll screen shot them for you! Give me a couple minutes.

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There you go! Hope these show up better for you!

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