Tortoise Squeaking

cotton

New Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2016
Messages
1
Hey, new to the community, thanks for any help. I bought a baby sulcatta tortoise about a month ago that is definitely less than a year old. He eats, poops, and pees fine, but in the early morning I'll often hear him make a very loud squeaking/crying noise that's pretty startling. His whole body also clenches, and it's been going on for about three weeks.

I already took him to a very well-reviewed vet that treats tortoises and owns some himself. He told me the tortoise seemed fine as far as he could tell, and the tortoise didn't cough or do anything in front of him. He told me I could go for the antibiotics if I wanted to, but I backed out since the needles seemed kind of drastic. Before I left he told me to keep his temps high (around 90) and start giving him calcium supplements, which I've begun to do every other day.

Could the nighttime temperatures be causing this? I have a ceramic heat lamp for his basking spot, but he tends to move around and sleep in colder areas, and I'm afraid of burning him by enclosing him near his basking area.

I also recently removed some really dry soil he used to sleep in and he's been getting better since, just not very quickly. When I notice him napping he'll usually be moving his head slightly like he's very lightly coughing, and sometimes he'll scratch his eyes.

I guess I just wanted to know if you guys would go for the antibiotics or wait it out, as well as any similar experiences. Thanks again for any help, I'll post pics/video later if anyone is interested.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

It sounds like you haven't read our care sheet. There is new information that changes the way we care for sulcata babies. We have now learned that since baby sulcatas hatch out during the monsoon season in Africa, our old way of keeping them hot and dry, is very wrong. Please read these threads and make some changes to your tortoise keeping husbandry. I think you will see a big difference in your baby once you've made the changes (and I'll bet the squeaking goes away too:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
 

Dizisdalife

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 24, 2010
Messages
1,754
Location (City and/or State)
California
Hi Cotton. Welcome to the Forum. Personally, I would wait on the antibiotics. However, I would make sure that the ambient temperature stays around 85°F, or 90° as your Vet suggested. And yes, the temperature at night needs to be 85°. Also, I would soak the tortoise in warm water (85-95°F) a couple of time a day. This will help to keep it hydrated.

And please read the care sheets Yvonne has listed. Squeaking noise is often a symptom of stress. The stress could be from the start of an Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) or any number of out-of-balance environmental factors, such as, heat, lighting,or diet.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,658
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Hello and Welcome. Great advice given. Once you get the enclosure changed up and corrected temps with the humidity and your tort seems to be back to normal, the over all temp can be dropped to 80 day and night along with the humidity of 80% and the basking spot 95-100
 

HI Tortoise Rescue

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2011
Messages
160
Location (City and/or State)
Oahu, Hawaii
I've also had juveniles that squeaked, & they still do now that they're grown. My educated guess is gas emission from their nether ends, but I refuse to follow that any farther!

Ken
 

New Posts

Top