Tortoise Beak
- Thread starter Repguy27
- Start date
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
The top beak is relatively overgrown, but more pressing is the bottom is a severe underbite, this could do with looking at by a vet that has experience with trimming their beaks, even an avian vet might be able to help. This will likely take multiple sessions as it’ll have to be done in stages, so his bite can slowly realign.
I believe an underbite can sometimes be an indication that something isn’t quite right nutrition wise.
As you’re new here, I don’t suppose you’d mind giving an insight into his housing/care? No pressure, but the more we know, the more tips&pointers can be offered if needed
What are your temperatures like all over? Ie basking temp(directly under the bulb), overall day temps(middle and cooler side), night temps?
What kind of basking bulb is being used?
Do you use indoor uv? If so what kind?
How’s humidity?
What’s his substrate? Looks like cypress
What’s his diet been like with you?
A photo of the full set up is always great! Welcome to the forum
I believe an underbite can sometimes be an indication that something isn’t quite right nutrition wise.
As you’re new here, I don’t suppose you’d mind giving an insight into his housing/care? No pressure, but the more we know, the more tips&pointers can be offered if needed
What are your temperatures like all over? Ie basking temp(directly under the bulb), overall day temps(middle and cooler side), night temps?
What kind of basking bulb is being used?
Do you use indoor uv? If so what kind?
How’s humidity?
What’s his substrate? Looks like cypress
What’s his diet been like with you?
A photo of the full set up is always great! Welcome to the forum
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum!
Repguy27
New Member
The top beak is relatively overgrown, but more pressing is the bottom is a severe underbite, this could do with looking at by a vet that has experience with trimming their beaks, even an avian vet might be able to help. This will likely take multiple sessions as it’ll have to be done in stages, so his bite can slowly realign.
I believe an underbite can sometimes be an indication that something isn’t quite right nutrition wise.
As you’re new here, I don’t suppose you’d mind giving an insight into his housing/care? No pressure, but the more we know, the more tips&pointers can be offered if needed
What are your temperatures like all over? Ie basking temp(directly under the bulb), overall day temps(middle and cooler side), night temps?
What kind of basking bulb is being used?
Do you use indoor uv? If so what kind?
How’s humidity?
What’s his substrate? Looks like cypress
What’s his diet been like with you?
A photo of the full set up is always great! Welcome to the forum
Thank you for the reply.The top beak is relatively overgrown, but more pressing is the bottom is a severe underbite, this could do with looking at by a vet that has experience with trimming their beaks, even an avian vet might be able to help. This will likely take multiple sessions as it’ll have to be done in stages, so his bite can slowly realign.
I believe an underbite can sometimes be an indication that something isn’t quite right nutrition wise.
As you’re new here, I don’t suppose you’d mind giving an insight into his housing/care? No pressure, but the more we know, the more tips&pointers can be offered if needed
What are your temperatures like all over? Ie basking temp(directly under the bulb), overall day temps(middle and cooler side), night temps?
What kind of basking bulb is being used?
Do you use indoor uv? If so what kind?
How’s humidity?
What’s his substrate? Looks like cypress
What’s his diet been like with you?
A photo of the full set up is always great! Welcome to the forum
She is in a 5'x3' open top emclosure. I used to keep her in a 6'x2' pvc enclosure with computer fans but built the other one as she was always trying to climb out the front of it and was getting too big to move around as well with the depth. The soil is reptisoil with some tortoise hay mixed in. I am gonna be switching her substrate though back to cypress mulch, which is what she used to have, because it is so dusty it creates a mess inside. Humidity hivers around 50%. Basking temperature is just over 100 degrees, the bulb is a zoo med repti basking spot light, and the ambient temperature in the room is about 76 or so.
Diet wise, I leave either zoo med grassland tortoise pellers or the mazuri ones. I rotate out her greens with dandelion greens, kale, bok choy, watercress, arugula, raddichio, romainne lettuce, butternut squash, zucchini, cucumber, raspberries, and strawberries. The fruit is a small portion of the food with most of it being leafy greens. Once in a while, she will get other stuff like dragonfruit. One or twice a week her food is dusted with rep cal herptivite multivitamin, and zoo med calcium powder with or without D3. Once in a while, I will put zoo med tortoise flower toppers on too.
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Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Thank you for sharing some more information, it’s great for offering some tips/pointers
Yeah the 3ft width is better than 2ft. Because of your climate I’m guessing she has a bigger area set up outdoors, otherwise I would suggest expanding this one whenever you’re able, there’s lots of creative ways to do so. But if she’s only on there during cooler weather, looks good to me
Yes I’d 100% switch back to cypress, or even orchid bark. The reptisoils are mixed with sand which can pose an impaction hazard, and it creates a horrible muddy consistency when trying to add any moisture. Agree with the dust point too. I think you’ll be much happier with the bark. I wouldn’t bother with the hay, this species isn’t a grass eater, and tbh I wouldn’t want to encourage substrate eating.
All your levels sound good, and diet sounds ok, personally(and I know this is a tricky one cause it’s so tempting wanting to treat them) I would avoid the fruit altogether, they simply can’t digest the sugars properly, don’t get me wrong, the very occasional strawberry shouldn’t cause major harm, but if you’re wanting to give the occasional treat, I’d probably look into a fruit lower in sugar.
You can look to kapidolofarms.com for all sorts of great dried leaf options to add in too, tortoisesupply.com has some great seed mixes to grow your own weeds. Their “Testudo Seed Mix" is good from what I hear.
Feel free to give these links a read for some enclosure inspo
This one covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc, with visual examples on mounting your lighting), sizing(you can get away with slightly smaller indoors if you can build a larger outdoor space when weather permits), appropriately maintaining the humidity, safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, and a really handy diet link to check out
Housing adult Russian and Hermans indoors
Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information an example of an appropriate indoor set up for an older Herman/russian. As much as it’s encouraged to have tortoises in a safe outdoor enclosure, I understand being from the uk myself, that some climates make it difficult to...
tortoiseforum.org
This includes lots of inspiration for an adult set up both indoors and out! The indoor bit has some good ideas to tackle indoor space whilst still providing the needed roaming room! Check comments too, I’m always adding to it, I have a huge back log I need to add
Enclosure inspiration
Howdy folks! Hope everyone is well! As you all know, I’m a big fan of making threads that cater more towards visual learners like myself, I’ve really been wanting to create a thread full of adult enclosure inspiration for a while now, I’ve managed to find some great references over time! I do...
tortoiseforum.org
Lastly, this one here is always good to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying
Common keeping errors
Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...
tortoiseforum.org
Hope you like them
Repguy27
New Member
Thank you for the information. I do not keep her outside. I do not trust predators like raccoons and every time I have taken her outside, she goes to the nearest cover and won't come out of her shell. I have taken her twice in the last 4 months to a reptile vet near me for beak trims, but they do not think there is an issue with her bite. I am very concerned about the underbite. Aren't they supposed to have an overbite? I may need to find another vet. I haven't had much luck finding one in the area besides them.
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
No problem! Perhaps you might find some of the ideas in the indoor section of the enclosure inspiration thread to create some sort of expansion
there’s actually some really good predator proof options in the outdoor bit tooUsually if they’re running for cover, it’s because the area feels too open and has her feeling a bit vulnerable, hides and plant coverage definitely helps. If she’s not used to going out much, it probably stresses her because it’s like a new territory.
I’m baffled they think her beak is normal, but then again most vets really don’t know tortoises very well
I’d definitely try and get a second opinionThis will likely need doing in stages, if done in one go, her alignment will be completely off.
Their top beak rests ever so slightly over their bottom beak, here’s a reference below
Repguy27
New Member
I was surprised too, as I thought they were supposed to have an overbite. Maybe they just did not want to be bothered. I will look into other options for vets
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
They probably figure if shes eating fine, then there’s no issue to fix. But if left it’ll just continue to get worse, she’s adapted to eat with it for now, but it could get to a point where that ability is hindered. I hope you find a better place, there is a vet list on the forum, the posts are quite old so I’m not 100% sure if they’re still recommendable, could still be worth looking at though
Tortoise Vet List
tortoiseforum.org
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- May 19, 2015
- Messages
- 3,378
You might find an avian vet who would be able to do it ,since they would be used to doing beak trims.
Angie
Repguy27
New Member
I have another option I will call tomorrow, the exotic vet is gone for today. Failing that, I will check on that list
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2013
- Messages
- 5,059
Here are 4 exotics vets who are within 25 miles of Tampa:
| 4 Record(s) Found Sort by: Name: A-Z Name: Z-A Group: A-Z Group: Z-A Distance: Closest Distance: Farthest Show map
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