Question
Deformed Tortoise
I have a russian tortoise and her shell is deformed from not enough calcium and uvb light. will her shell improve? or is the deformation 100% permanent?
AnswerHi Ginger,
A lot of it depends on the age of the tortoise. The shell that already exists won't change. If it's a hatchling or juvenile, it will grow quite a bit more and if given correct care the new growth will be smooth and the overall appearance will be more normal. If a subadult or adult, additional growth will be more minimal and the deformed appearance really won't change much--BUT the overall health of the tortoise will be improved, of course.
Here's my basic care information on Russian tortoises. Providing enough humidity and a good diet that doesn't include vegetables or fruit is very important, as is adequate UVB lighting. Please ask if you have any other questions.
Tortoises don't do well in tanks. They need good air circulation and the glass walls are a problem because they'll try to go through them. The enclosure should be something large and open. For a single tortoise, I'd recommend at least 3' x 4'. You can build a tortoise table, use an old bookcase turned on its back, or something else, but give your tortoise as much room as you can manage. If you have a yard, you can build an outside pen for the warmer months so your tortoise can get natural sunlight and fresh air. This is the ideal situation.
Substrate--the substrate I use is a half and half mix of coir (bed-a-beast/ecoearth) and playsand, kept slightly damp at all times. This holds humidity and allows the tortoise to burrow. Using a substrate with some humidity duplicates the conditions in their burrows in the wild, where they spend a majority of their time. The heat lamp is extremely drying, so the humidity is important. You'll need to check the substrate every few days (stick your finger down into it) and add water as needed. Make sure there's a shallow dish of water large enough for the tortoise to get into completely. Don't use calcisand, reptile carpet, crushed walnut shells, or anything else a pet store tries to sell you.
Basking/UVB lights: The only bulb I recommend is the T-Rex Active UVheat bulb, which has heat and UVB in one. Excellent bulb and very durable. You can get them at www.carolinapetsupply.com. You need a basking temp of 90-95 degrees and a cooler area of 70-75 degrees so your tortoise can regulate its temperature.
Diet: Leafy greens, no veggies, no fruit, no pellets. Turnip, mustard, dandelion, collards, endive, raddichio, spring mix, etc. are all good, along with weeds such as sow thistle, chicory, chickweed, mallow, plantain, clover, hawkbit, and grape/mulberry leaves, hibiscus, nasturtium, viola, rose petals, abutilon, etc. Put a cuttlebone in the enclosure so the tortoise can self-regulate calcium intake.
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