Yearling with shell peeling

[Tort baby momma]

Hello all, I'm a new member to the forum but I've read many of your threads and find your information to be the best. I have kept my baby leopard tortoise per your instructions since I received him (or her). But I've noticed some shell peeling that has me concerned. Please see pics and comment accordingly. First he or she is now a little over a year and I'm thinking a male but would love your comments. Second, I live in Illinois and our weather is iffy so the enclosure is also pictured with the uva/uvb and night lighting, on coir bedding, he/she gets a bath daily and is fed a variety of acceptable grocery greens with grass topping twice daily.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi and welcome to the Forum!

I see a few things that I would change if this were my set up. You said you've read our info on raising baby leopard tortoises, however, I'm sure our info tells you to keep them moist and humid - in other words, moist substrate and a covered enclosure. Also, if the substrate was moist like it should be, you wouldn't be able to be using cardboard for hiding places.

I would change out the substrate to eliminate the chance of him trying to pick out those white specs and eat them. Small grade orchid bark is a good choice, or else coco coir.

We recommend using clay plant saucers recessed into the substrate for water. The sloping sides eliminate the danger of the baby tipping over on his back in the water when he climbs out. (and a flat tile or broken cement for feeding)

All your heat seems to be at one end. That's the trouble with those dual fixtures. You want the whole habitat to be warm, not just the sleeping end.

If you're using a coil-shaped compact fluorescent bulb for UVB, remove it and get either a Mercury Vapor Bulb or a regular tube-type fluorescent bulb.

I think once you give him a more humid environment you will stop seeing the dry, peeling areas on the shell.

 

[Tort baby momma]

Yvonne - Thanks for the info. The enclosure actually has a top but for the picture the top was removed. Yes, I replace those cardboard boxes all the time. So now I have plastic ones. The substrate is coco coir and the white specs are the sphagnum moss he has dragged around. He is much taller that the water dish so he can't flip but I'll get the clay plant saucer.
I thought he was supposed to have a gradient of temperatures in his habitat, but I will add a CHE to the left side.
No coil shaped bulbs or fluorescents only PowerSun and a Nocturnal IR heat lamp.

Do you have experience with supplements? I am confused as to whether or not Repashy covers all mineral and vitamin supplementation. THANKS!

 

[Careym13]

Welcome to TFO!! In my closed chambers I use CHEs (2) set on thermostats for day and night heat. That way you can control temps everywhere in the enclosure and the torts can sleep in total darkness, which is preferred. I can't speak to what is best, but what has worked well for my Leopards for almost 3 years is a product called MinerAll by Sticky Tongue Farms. I also use Herptivite multi-vitamin and in winter months when my torts can't go outside I use calcium with d-3 once a week or so. I alternate the MinerAll and the multi-vitamin since they are a similar product. So basically I supplement once a week, sometimes twice if my guys haven't had access to plenty of weeds, etc. I also throw in Mazuri and/or grassland tort pellets once a week or so. I'm not familiar with Repashy, but if you want to use it I'd compare the ingredients with other similar products then decide what you think is best.

 

[Tort baby momma]

Careym13: Thanks, I'm happy to be here. (Lots of great people and fantastic information!!!) I've compared the info and read the threads on here and it seems like Repashy is MinerAll and a multivitamin and vitamin D combined (but doesn't say D3). I am hoping for confirmation, suppose I should've started a new thread?

 

[Tort baby momma]

Welcome to TFO!! In my closed chambers I use CHEs (2) set on thermostats for day and night heat. That way you can control temps everywhere in the enclosure and the torts can sleep in total darkness, which is preferred. I can't speak to what is best, but what has worked well for my Leopards for almost 3 years is a product called MinerAll by Sticky Tongue Farms. I also use Herptivite multi-vitamin and in winter months when my torts can't go outside I use calcium with d-3 once a week or so. I alternate the MinerAll and the multi-vitamin since they are a similar product. So basically I supplement once a week, sometimes twice if my guys haven't had access to plenty of weeds, etc. I also throw in Mazuri and/or grassland tort pellets once a week or so. I'm not familiar with Repashy, but if you want to use it I'd compare the ingredients with other similar products then decide what you think is best.

Careym13: Thanks, I'm happy to be here. (Lots of great people and fantastic information!!!) I've compared the info and read the threads on here and it seems like Repashy is MinerAll and a multivitamin and vitamin D combined (but doesn't say D3). I am hoping for confirmation, suppose I should've started a new thread?

 

[Tort baby momma]

Hi and welcome to the Forum!

I see a few things that I would change if this were my set up. You said you've read our info on raising baby leopard tortoises, however, I'm sure our info tells you to keep them moist and humid - in other words, moist substrate and a covered enclosure. Also, if the substrate was moist like it should be, you wouldn't be able to be using cardboard for hiding places.

I would change out the substrate to eliminate the chance of him trying to pick out those white specs and eat them. Small grade orchid bark is a good choice, or else coco coir.

We recommend using clay plant saucers recessed into the substrate for water. The sloping sides eliminate the danger of the baby tipping over on his back in the water when he climbs out. (and a flat tile or broken cement for feeding)

All your heat seems to be at one end. That's the trouble with those dual fixtures. You want the whole habitat to be warm, not just the sleeping end.

If you're using a coil-shaped compact fluorescent bulb for UVB, remove it and get either a Mercury Vapor Bulb or a regular tube-type fluorescent bulb.

I think once you give him a more humid environment you will stop seeing the dry, peeling areas on the shell.

Yvonne - Thanks for the info. The enclosure actually has a top but for the picture the top was removed. Yes, I replace those cardboard boxes all the time. So now I have plastic ones. The substrate is coco coir and the white specs are the sphagnum moss he has dragged around. He is much taller that the water dish so he can't flip but I'll get the clay plant saucer.
I thought he was supposed to have a gradient of temperatures in his habitat, but I will add a CHE to the left side.
No coil shaped bulbs or fluorescents only PowerSun and a Nocturnal IR heat lamp.

Do you have experience with supplements? I am confused as to whether or not Repashy covers all mineral and vitamin supplementation. THANKS!

 

[Careym13]

Careym13: Thanks, I'm happy to be here. (Lots of great people and fantastic information!!!) I've compared the info and read the threads on here and it seems like Repashy is MinerAll and a multivitamin and vitamin D combined (but doesn't say D3). I am hoping for confirmation, suppose I should've started a new thread?

D3 is needed if your tort doesn't get access to sunshine. How often does your tort get outside?

 

[Tort baby momma]

D3 is needed if your tort doesn't get access to sunshine. How often does your tort get outside?

For at least an hour a day in the summer but in the winter not at all. I read Tom's "How to Raise a Healthy Leopard Tortoise 2.0. I was following that where he states that the D3 doesn't matter, as long as they go outside and have proper indoor UV lighting.

 

[Careym13]

For at least an hour a day in the summer but in the winter not at all. I read Tom's "How to Raise a Healthy Leopard Tortoise 2.0. I was following that where he states that the D3 doesn't matter, as long as they go outside and have proper indoor UV lighting.

Excellent, that is a great guide to follow. I still use the calcium with D3 once in a while over the winter, but if your getting him outside most of the year and have the proper UV you should be in good shape!

 

[Tort baby momma]

Excellent, that is a great guide to follow. I still use the calcium with D3 once in a while over the winter, but if your getting him outside most of the year and have the proper UV you should be in good shape!

Yippee! I'm trying to stick to his guide as best I can. His info makes more sense than the info I get at my local reptile store. I'm asking him about the Repashy, and if he doesn't know it. I'll just buy the RepCal (for calcium), the MinerAll (for mineral supplementation), and whichever vitamin supplement he recommends. I am ordering the CHE's today, but am unsure as to which wattage to get. I don't want it to be too hot. Any suggestions. The light fixtures are typically 2ft or a little higher over the enclosure for proper heat now. But need to get rid of those red IR bulbs.

 

[Careym13]

Yippee! I'm trying to stick to his guide as best I can. His info makes more sense than the info I get at my local reptile store. I'm asking him about the Repashy, and if he doesn't know it. I'll just buy the RepCal (for calcium), the MinerAll (for mineral supplementation), and whichever vitamin supplement he recommends. I am ordering the CHE's today, but am unsure as to which wattage to get. I don't want it to be too hot. Any suggestions. The light fixtures are typically 2ft or a little higher over the enclosure for proper heat now. But need to get rid of those red IR bulbs.

I use 100W CHEs in my closed chambers, the 150 is overkill for my set-ups. Are you planning to use a thermostat to control the CHE?

 

[Tort baby momma]

I use 100W CHEs in my closed chambers, the 150 is overkill for my set-ups. Are you planning to use a thermostat to control the CHE?

Yes! Do you have a recommendation with the thermostat too?

 

[Careym13]

Yes! Do you have a recommendation with the thermostat too?

I've used several different kinds and my new favorite is called Jump Start. I get them from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZZG3S/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

 

[Tort baby momma]

I've used several different kinds and my new favorite is called Jump Start. I get them from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZZG3S/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Sorry for so many questions. Do I get 1 thermostat per CHE or does it control more than one per enclosure?

 

[Careym13]

Sorry for so many questions. Do I get 1 thermostat per CHE or does it control more than one per enclosure?

No problem! I use one for each CHE. There are thermostats out there that have more than one receptacle, but I've not tried any of them. Plus I like to have them set at different temps depending on the location of the CHE and/or if its for night heat.

 

[daniellenc]

If you want to use only use one thermostat Ranco makes amazing equipment and can be ordered wired to it's own power strip running multiple heaters all at once. I've used the same one for well over 10 years!!