Something coming out
- Thread starter manonT&T
- Start date
First have you tried just wiping it away to be sure it's not just on his nose?
Second,I almost think if it were actually coming out, the tortoise would be rubbing its face/nose to try and remove it.
If it doesn't wipe off, slowly and gently see if you can pull it out.
Second,I almost think if it were actually coming out, the tortoise would be rubbing its face/nose to try and remove it.
If it doesn't wipe off, slowly and gently see if you can pull it out.
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
When zooming in, it’s looks like it’s on their beak, not nose, try gently wiping to see if it comes away
Just wipe it off.
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Probably a piece of food😂
Whilst you’re here, I don’t suppose we could get some information on how you keep them? It’s good to know when new members join🥰
What are your temps like? Ie basking area?(directly under the bulb? Overall day temps? Night temps?
What kind of lighting do you have?
Any indoor uv? If so what kind? Packaging photos are handy
How’s your humidity?
What size set up do you have?
How’s their diet been?
Any answers to those questions would be great, Along with any photos you can get of your enclosure😊
Whilst you’re here, I don’t suppose we could get some information on how you keep them? It’s good to know when new members join🥰
What are your temps like? Ie basking area?(directly under the bulb? Overall day temps? Night temps?
What kind of lighting do you have?
Any indoor uv? If so what kind? Packaging photos are handy
How’s your humidity?
What size set up do you have?
How’s their diet been?
Any answers to those questions would be great, Along with any photos you can get of your enclosure😊
It was a strange thing that was stuck! I've had them 3 years and haven't hibernated them yet. They seemed to be ready to do so last winter but I wasn't confident enough.
Basking area is around 30degrees. Can't remember the brand of the bulb but it was what was advised from the tortoise den. They go outside if over 15 and come in at night. They have a 7 foot enclosure with grass and pebbles with plenty of places to hide and a little shed for them to burrow, but will have an extension this summer will be around 12 foot.
They eat mainly lettuce and flowers such as clovers, pansies, dandelions, I have grown tortoise friendly flowers that I bought from the tortoise den. They are bathed every other day.
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your reply!😁
Your outdoor enclosure sounds perfect! I’d love a photo?
I’m going to include some information below on an example of an appropriate indoor set up should your indoor space need any tweaking😊it includes the correct levels and equipment etc including the appropriate indoor uv
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. They are a non light emitting bulb. 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. If in a cooler climate you’ll probably need these.
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, there’s lots of conflicting information telling people to keep their uv on for 12hours a day, it stems from the thought that as soon as the basking bulb, ie the ‘sun’ comes on, that uv must be on too, fact is UV rays don’t peak till around midday for a few hours, many member have used UV solar meters to confirm this. Tortoises in the wild don’t get blasted with 12hours of UV, therefore it’s not necessary in captivity. I’ve attached examples of the two brands to go for(I personally recommend the Arcadia)and some examples of how to mount them. If yours get out for plenty of natural sunlight, you probably won’t need this,
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, you don’t want dusty substrate, that can cause respiratory problems. Check your monitors and substrate to do the pours as and when needed. I recommend having digital monitors that read both temperature and humidity.
I’d personally recommend you make your own base to go as big as you possibly can for the space you have, roaming room is vital for tortoise health. The closer you can get to an 8x4 size the better. But again with your big outdoor space, you’ll get away with some a little bit smaller, they’ll need the roaming room though🙂
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. I’d use chains so your lights aren’t just hanging by the wires. Never rely on just the clamp fittings some come with.
For a water dish a shallow terracotta saucer is considered safest, they have grip in the event your tortoise flips themselves, most pet store options are a known hazard.
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🙂you can use them to scan the whole parameter.
Some of the enclosure examples are too small but they’re there to give you an idea🙂
Also you may find this link below useful for some food ideas! you can buy seeds online and plant in organic soil(free of chemicals) in a planter the tortoise doesn’t have access to, and forage from them as they grow😊
Also perhaps you’ll find this thread below useful to read through on the brumation side of things😁
tortoiseforum.org
Your outdoor enclosure sounds perfect! I’d love a photo?
I’m going to include some information below on an example of an appropriate indoor set up should your indoor space need any tweaking😊it includes the correct levels and equipment etc including the appropriate indoor uv
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. They are a non light emitting bulb. 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. If in a cooler climate you’ll probably need these.
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, there’s lots of conflicting information telling people to keep their uv on for 12hours a day, it stems from the thought that as soon as the basking bulb, ie the ‘sun’ comes on, that uv must be on too, fact is UV rays don’t peak till around midday for a few hours, many member have used UV solar meters to confirm this. Tortoises in the wild don’t get blasted with 12hours of UV, therefore it’s not necessary in captivity. I’ve attached examples of the two brands to go for(I personally recommend the Arcadia)and some examples of how to mount them. If yours get out for plenty of natural sunlight, you probably won’t need this,
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, you don’t want dusty substrate, that can cause respiratory problems. Check your monitors and substrate to do the pours as and when needed. I recommend having digital monitors that read both temperature and humidity.
I’d personally recommend you make your own base to go as big as you possibly can for the space you have, roaming room is vital for tortoise health. The closer you can get to an 8x4 size the better. But again with your big outdoor space, you’ll get away with some a little bit smaller, they’ll need the roaming room though🙂
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. I’d use chains so your lights aren’t just hanging by the wires. Never rely on just the clamp fittings some come with.
For a water dish a shallow terracotta saucer is considered safest, they have grip in the event your tortoise flips themselves, most pet store options are a known hazard.
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🙂you can use them to scan the whole parameter.
Some of the enclosure examples are too small but they’re there to give you an idea🙂
Also you may find this link below useful for some food ideas! you can buy seeds online and plant in organic soil(free of chemicals) in a planter the tortoise doesn’t have access to, and forage from them as they grow😊
The Tortoise Table - Home
The Tortoise Table plant database and resource site for Tortoise owners
www.thetortoisetable.org.uk
Also perhaps you’ll find this thread below useful to read through on the brumation side of things😁
Tom's Brumation Thread
Every fall we get bombarded here on the forum with all sorts of questions and problems regarding hibernation and tortoises "slowing down" for winter. The purpose of this thread is to talk about all aspects of this subject, to dispel some of the myths and mysteries, and give a "how to" list of...
tortoiseforum.org
