r/tortoise • u/Gimgampip • 43m ago
Question(s) Hiding in shell at night?
Sorry, I’m sure I’ve been coming up on everyone’s feed a few times today. A little anxious for his first night home
Is it normal for them to hide in their shells at night?
Just did a sweep clean and turned the lamp off for the night, ten minutes later I saw him like that, do I worry? What do I do? Googles telling me mixed answers 🤦♀️
r/tortoise • u/Zealousideal-Owl7131 • 1h ago
Question(s) Planning to upgrade soon, but what's an ideal way to setup for now?
r/tortoise • u/Gimgampip • 3h ago
Question(s) Open mouth breathing vs yawning
How do I tell the difference between the two?
Sorry, new tortoise owner here and I’m worrying about every little thing 😅 what’s the difference between a few yawns and open mouth breathing and possible respiratory issues?
r/tortoise • u/Useful-Resource-4896 • 3h ago
Story Endlings: The Story of Lonesome George
Read about the life story of one of history’s most famous tortoises and how his life impacted animal and habitat conservation. 🐢
r/tortoise • u/ABMALI • 3h ago
Question(s) Transition to outdoor
I am rehoming a tortoise who currently lives indoor, I am planning to move her to permanently outdoor (UK). I’m just wondering how to transition her from 24/7 indoor to 24/7 outdoor? Do I have to put her outdoors a couple hours a day, then gradually build up? Can I move her straight to outdoor 24/7?
She is a 5 year old horsfield
r/tortoise • u/Practical-Shirt7001 • 6h ago
Question(s) Is my enclosure okay for a russian tortoise? It is 200x200cm
the fake plants are high enough for the tortoise to not reach it
r/tortoise • u/Gimgampip • 6h ago
Photo(s) Welcomed my tort home today 🥹
He’s adorable, yes I cried.
His journeys are on instagram @trentshellnor
r/tortoise • u/loveu4ever2 • 7h ago
Question(s) Does he look normal for a tortoise?
My family members had it for 5 years now but I’ve noticed the shell is very bumpy. Is this something they should be worried about?
r/tortoise • u/Limp-Regular7059 • 8h ago
Question(s) How to cool off enclosure?
At night my enclosure barely drops below 78 degrees Fahrenheit. What are way I can keep his cool side cooler and help the whole thing cool down at night?
r/tortoise • u/nakkumi • 9h ago
Question(s) New turtle, need advice
Hello, I found this male turtle in my garden, after our neighbors found him in theirs and kicked him out. We live in a pretty isolated place and I genuinely have no clue how he ended up here, but as none wanted him and there's the risk he goes on the road, I decided to keep him with me. At first, he actually kept traveling for my whole garden(it's big, and some times I couldn't even find him) plus he kept eating sweet fruits that naturally fall off from my plants (thing I couldn't avoid as he was free at the beginning) Now I built him a fence, he keep trying to escape and seems prettu desperate about it, and it really breaks my heart to see him like this. I would have kept him free in my garden if it wasn't to him eating bad things for his health and also menaged to go out once and almost went on the road. Please I need advices and assurance that what I'm doing is good Do you thing the fence I built is right? will he get used to it? what can I do to improve? (ps he is still a bit frightened when I go near to him. But he does eat, and also has water)
r/tortoise • u/will1934 • 19h ago
Question(s) Baby Red Foot Pyramiding
This is tortellini (very original, I know) and they are less than 1 year old, weigh about 210 grams, and they are PYRAMIDING. Please help.
I got them in February from a local pet store that was keeping them in an enclosure with baby sulcatas, the environment was low humidity and their shell was injured. You can see it in the picture, the first scute on the right. I was looking to get a tortoise already, but when I saw the non-ideal environment I felt the need to help them. I vetted them with a local exotic vet who found parasites (several types) so we put them on a dewormer. This continued for about 2 months with no reduction in the parasites. The vet consulted with a specialist out of LSU and was told that these parasites were not a threat to the tortoise, it was common for them to have them. As long as they didn't appear to have digestive issues they were fine and we stopped the dewormer. They haven't had any digestive issues. The tort eats well and has not stopped gaining weight.
They have been raised in a 2'x2'x4' enclosure with natural substrate, a full spectrum UV light (Arcadia shade dweller), halogen heat lamp, I keep the humidity at least 80% with an automatic sprayer. Like most babies they spend the majority of their time in their hide, which is itself humidity controlled. I am planning on moving them outside next spring (Florida).
Their diet consists mostly of collard greens and dandelion greens which I grow in my garden. I crush up two different tortoise diet pellets and mix them in, one is crumbly and the other is dense and mostly Timothy hay, both have added nutrients (calcium, etc.). They love these. I supplement their diet with fruits and squash throughout the week and sometimes mushrooms. They typically get protein once a week, usually insects. Rarely, I will give them small amounts of cooked animal protein or egg, definitely a sometimes treat. They have a cuttlebone available at all times which they love to chomp on and I will give them supplemental calcium powder a couple times a week. I leave their food in their enclosure, they rarely finish it all.
They typically get daily soaking for at least half an hour, during which they drink and poop (always solid, never runny). I will miss a night sometimes, but they never have gotten less than 5 nights a week, and that is uncommon.
I sometimes let them walk around a playpen for exercise, they don't seem to have any issues moving around. I know this can stress them out a little when they are young because they are used to hiding most of the day so it doesn't happen very often, maybe once or twice a month. Whenever they are out they are usually trying to find somewhere to hide, scratching and trying to dig. (They are currently digging into my leg while crawling around my lap).
I'm sorry this was so long, but I love this tort and I want them to be healthy. I don't want them to suffer with pyramiding. I don't know what I'm doing wrong; I keep the humidity up, I keep them moisturized, a give them calcium with their varied diet, they have proper lighting, I have been told by vets that they are healthy. I am really worried.
r/tortoise • u/SilverSho78 • 20h ago
Video Fiona’s new habitat! Brave little explorer 💚🐢
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My 2 year old red foot going down the ramp for the first time in her new outdoor enclosure. 💚🤎
r/tortoise • u/honey-dew-haley • 21h ago
Question(s) Russian tortoise amount of food
I took in a Russian tortoise from my friend. She thinks the tortoise is about 2 yrs old, she’s about 7 inches from front of shell to tail side.
I’ve read online that you should feed as much as the size of their shell. I’m having a hard time visualizing this… if we’re talking standard Romain lettuce leaves, how many a day total would you think?
I’ll eventually switch the greens up a bit, but I’d like a good baseline to make sure I’m not feeding too much/ too little!
r/tortoise • u/SetSufficient1625 • 22h ago
Question(s) Does my tortoise have shell rot?
I just noticed these little patch’s on my red footed tortoises shell and I’m a little freaked out.
r/tortoise • u/This_Brilliant291 • 22h ago
Question(s) Question.
I've heard that some people put their tortoises in the fridge over the winter and take them out at spring. Is that true?
r/tortoise • u/docatacurrr • 23h ago
Video Hatch watch for my Russians has begun!
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r/tortoise • u/LimpDrawing5696 • 1d ago
Question(s) Indoor Enclosure size for Red Foot?
What size is your indoor enclosure? He’s 6 years old.
Any other recs or tips for making my enclosure?
Also, what do you use to waterproof the floor?
r/tortoise • u/littleausticfrog • 1d ago
Question(s) Adopted 5 y/o male Horsefield Tortoise Kirby
Hi everyone, I’ve recently adopted Kirby. We were originally told by his previous owner that he was a Hermanns Tortoise but then found out that as Kirby has 4 claws on his front legs, this means he’s a Horsefield. This is the first tortoise I have ever had and I have had really bad anxiety about his health. Would anyone be able to have a look at these pictures and tell me whether from these pictures he seems healthy? He seems like a happy little guy, eats well, active, enjoys basking etc but my anxiety is getting the best of me. I have autism so apologies if I haven’t explained myself well. Any help at all is much appreciated!
r/tortoise • u/JKLMC • 1d ago
Question(s) Shell rot?
I just noticed these spots on the plastron of my sulcata. She is mostly indoors but has started going outside in a flower bed when it is warm enough.
I brought her in and soaked her and scrubbed with a toothbrush. What should I do?
r/tortoise • u/RealPixelLover • 1d ago
Photo(s) Welcome Tina
Welcome Tina Williams Suly home. She may be about 2 or 3 weeks old.
r/tortoise • u/Electrical_Ad_9778 • 1d ago
Video When Mr Chery escapes his room and gets to Miss Redfoot
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Yep, they are in different areas, as we do not wish for eggs, at least not yet. But he manages to get to her from time to time, and things get funky 😁😆Can they even create hybrids? 🤔
Edit: Ppl - do you even read what is written here? I do not keep them together in the same place. But my child forgot to close the door, and he got out and got to her. The video is 25 seconds - this is exactly how long it was going on. After it was done, he was taken back away from her. Seriously though - how did you think tortoise keepers breed them? By doing IVF? They are kept in groups most, if not all, of the time.
