Tortoise-world Forum

okay seriously i need to stop adding more pics =P in new btw hi!! Oh yes, and the substrate that its using right now? I wanna change it to soil/sand but i was told at a young age this is best for gripping?! confused!

He's Beautiful!

(01-07-2010 03:34 AM)naddy Wrote: [ -> ]okay seriously i need to stop adding more pics =P in new btw hi!! Oh yes, and the substrate that its using right now? I wanna change it to soil/sand but i was told at a young age this is best for gripping?! confused!

I'm a bit usnure of what you mean by 'the substrate its using right now'. The best possible substrate for gripping is soil. It is also best for thermoregulation.
This is not a critisism but if you look at your tortoises areas of new growth they are set lower than the original growth, this means that it's started to pyramid. With soil and the oppportunity to bury itself completely in the soil, this should be less noticeable with new growth. If the substrate you are using is very dry and it's indoors then this can be a problem as any moisture in the tortoise itself is absorbed into the dry substrate causing poor shell growth - I would go for soil any day and water it as you would a plant pot.
Take care
Sue

(01-07-2010 03:34 AM)naddy Wrote: [ -> ]okay seriously i need to stop adding more pics =P in new btw hi!! Oh yes, and the substrate that its using right now? I wanna change it to soil/sand but i was told at a young age this is best for gripping?! confused!

(01-07-2010 04:39 PM)wizzasmum Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-07-2010 03:34 AM)naddy Wrote: [ -> ]okay seriously i need to stop adding more pics =P in new btw hi!! Oh yes, and the substrate that its using right now? I wanna change it to soil/sand but i was told at a young age this is best for gripping?! confused!

I'm a bit usnure of what you mean by 'the substrate its using right now'. The best possible substrate for gripping is soil. It is also best for thermoregulation.
This is not a critisism but if you look at your tortoises areas of new growth they are set lower than the original growth, this means that it's started to pyramid. With soil and the oppportunity to bury itself completely in the soil, this should be less noticeable with new growth. If the substrate you are using is very dry and it's indoors then this can be a problem as any moisture in the tortoise itself is absorbed into the dry substrate causing poor shell growth - I would go for soil any day and water it as you would a plant pot.
Take care
Sue

thank you! and no i want criticism i want to know what i can do to make sure hes healthy. what do you mean by the sentence "if you look at your tortoises areas of new growth they are set lower than the original growth"? like the outside of the scutes things are bumpy but the middle bit isnt? when i first got him he was like that, its started to even out a bit but i will switch to soil tonight and hopefully that helps =]

Hi, and a warm welcome from me and mine. Welcome to the nutty world of tortoise keeping. Your little one looks fine. Please ask as many question as you like.

(01-07-2010 10:21 PM)naddy Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-07-2010 03:34 AM)naddy Wrote: [ -> ]okay seriously i need to stop adding more pics =P in new btw hi!! Oh yes, and the substrate that its using right now? I wanna change it to soil/sand but i was told at a young age this is best for gripping?! confused!

(01-07-2010 04:39 PM)wizzasmum Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-07-2010 03:34 AM)naddy Wrote: [ -> ]okay seriously i need to stop adding more pics =P in new btw hi!! Oh yes, and the substrate that its using right now? I wanna change it to soil/sand but i was told at a young age this is best for gripping?! confused!

I'm a bit usnure of what you mean by 'the substrate its using right now'. The best possible substrate for gripping is soil. It is also best for thermoregulation.
This is not a critisism but if you look at your tortoises areas of new growth they are set lower than the original growth, this means that it's started to pyramid. With soil and the oppportunity to bury itself completely in the soil, this should be less noticeable with new growth. If the substrate you are using is very dry and it's indoors then this can be a problem as any moisture in the tortoise itself is absorbed into the dry substrate causing poor shell growth - I would go for soil any day and water it as you would a plant pot.
Take care
Sue

thank you! and no i want criticism i want to know what i can do to make sure hes healthy. what do you mean by the sentence "if you look at your tortoises areas of new growth they are set lower than the original growth"? like the outside of the scutes things are bumpy but the middle bit isnt? when i first got him he was like that, its started to even out a bit but i will switch to soil tonight and hopefully that helps =]

What I meant was that the new growth that you can see around the edge of each scute is deeper down on the shell, rather than lying level. When this continues it becomes a pyramid if that makes sense. It's seen more clearly when looked at from the side rather than above.
Hope this helps

He is absolutely adorable! :-)

Hi and welcome your baby is lovely

Hi and welcome to tortoise world.

Thankyou alllll I never thought Id be this obsessed with him!