sulcata tortise

Question
Hi I have a baby tortise that is about 4mths old and is a little active and eats i guess pretty good but is making a strange popping noise and is sniffling a little I dont know what wrong with him any thing you think?

Answer
Hi Amy, The symptoms you describe are consistent with a respiratory infection. This is a very common health problem with all tortoises including sulcatas who don't tolerate cooler temperatures very well. The popping sound is caused by the mucous produced. A veterinary visit is strongly advised in these cases. Antibiotics are often prescribed.  You really want to avoid this becoming full fledged pneumonia which is much more difficult to treat and is a common killer of pet tortoises. The fact that your tortoise is still (a little) active and eating is a good sign that you have caught it early. In the meanwhile you can help boost his immune system by ensuring that he has access to a basking area temperature of 100F or 39C. The rest of the enclosure should be around 80F or 27C during the day. The temperature at night should not drop below 72F or 22C.