Russian land tortoise

Question
QUESTION: Lethargic, snotty nose, not moving much. Was fine two days ago has a
aquarium with airflow top with red bark we got from the pet store. Have
done warm soaks still no change. I can't find a vet In my area. I need to
know what I can do?

ANSWER: Hi Patricia,

If there's wheezing and gaping/yawning/stretching the neck out to breathe, your tortoise likely has a respiratory infection and needs to be treated with antibiotics.  However, if all you're seeing is a runny nose and lethargy, this may well very be caused by dehydration and being too warm.  The information the pet store gave you is entirely wrong, and the care needs to be corrected.

Tortoises don't do well in tanks, as they're much too small and it's difficult to provide a proper heat gradient.  You need something open and airy, and at least 4' x 2' for one tortoise.  You can build a tortoise table, use an old bookcase turned on its back, a stock tank, etc.  They need a basking area with a temperature of 90-95 degrees (measured on the substrate under the lamp, not air temperature), and a cooler area of 70-75 degrees.  Rather than bark, use a substrate of coir (ecoearth) mixed half and half with playsand and keep it slightly damp at all times to boost humidity a little (heat lamps are very drying).  Lack of humidity will cause lethargy and a runny nose.  Good UVB is also very important.  I would suggest using a mercury vapor bulb (heat/UVB in one; get the ZooMed Powersun) to provide both heat and UVB.

They need a good varied diet of leafy greens; no veggies, no fruit, no pellets.  Dandelions are good, but they need more than one type of greens--try turnip greens, mustard, collards, kale, spring mix (not too much), clover, chicory, chickweed, sow thistle, mallow, plantain, hibiscus, prickly pear cactus, etc.  

Try making these changes and see if it makes a difference--but watch for the other symptoms I noted above.  My guess is that just getting him out of the tank and boosting the moisture level will perk him up considerably.  Unfortunately, pet stores will often advise to keep the tortoise completely dry because they come from an arid environment.  While this is true, they also spend most of their time in burrows where they are able to conserve moisture.  No desert species spends their days sitting in the blazing sun and losing precious moisture.  If your tortoise has not improved within a few days, or you see other symptoms, please post back and I'll help you find a vet.  Also see www.russiantortoise.org for more care information.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: He does stretch his neck every now and then but not that often. If you
could help fnd a vet I have tried I live in Monrovia Indiana close to the
airport! Thank you for all your help!

Answer
Does he stretch his neck out and open his mouth?  That's what you want to watch for.  I couldn't find a vet in your town and I'm not sure where the nearest city is, so here's a list of vets in Indiana.  If none are close to you, post back and set it to private and I'll give you my email so we can figure out what to do for your guy.  

http://www.arav.org/ECOMARAV/TIMSSNET/amm/TNT_MDResults.cfm