been gone for a while, now really confused!

[Alan1]

I like the Wegehaupt theory that drinking/not drinking is a major factor in whether the tort develops a bumpy shell or not. He said those ones that had bumpy shells were in areas that lacked a drinking supply. Doesn't mean he's correct about it causing bumps of course, there's nobody can correctly claim they are right

[TortBabe]

I feed a few pellets in winter too, having originally thought I would never do so. I have a few babies that were really not gaining weight, and thanks to Dannys advice to feed a few pellets they are finally growing well

[Ozric Jonathan]

Originally Posted by JoesMum

Maybe... maybe not. The humidity of their 'native territory' is not continuously as humid as some keepers seem to keep their babies IMO.

This is a whole separate subject of course!...but I find my very young tortoises spend a lot of their time hidden away. They come out to get warm and look for food and maybe water too and then they go back into their hides.

In the wild, it's nearly always the larger tortoises that are seen and the hatchlings are very difficult to find because they are hiding from danger.

But I agree its not humidity like tropical and dark forest species need.

[EJ]

The times they are a changin'...

Tortoise husbandry will never be static. As more people get into the hobby and new products are developed there are going to be new methods. Only time will tell if these new methods are beneficial or harmful.

The points you listed I belive will only be benificial.

I always say that if your tortoises are healthy and developing normally... don't change a thing.

Originally Posted by alicia

Hi everyone,
Ive been a member on this forum for a long time, and I first started coming on here for help when i owned my very first tortoise about 5 years ago i believe?...
anyway, after joining I learnt so much and took in all the information on all species of tortoises, diets, housing and general care. I thought after all my research I had my tortoises care down to a tee!
I gradually started to stop using this forum and would pop on every now and then, however recently ive been on here more and more again, it seems as though whilst ive been gone so much of the advice I was given and have used has changed.

what I'm basically trying to get at is this.....

what are you guys using as your new 'guidlines' for med tortoises.
I'm getting really confused over the whole humidity information as I always thought meds would be bathed frequently, but spraying the housing? surely RNS can be caused by all this soil spraying? and possibly mold?
another thing is (sorry about this guys) but a pelleted diet?
there doesn't seem to be any one not using pellets anymore!
ahhh, confused!!!

I know my tortoises are healthy and hopefully happy! but i want to do the best for them so would really appreciate some advice on these subjects.

thank you
xx

[alicia]

thanks for all your comments everyone

and kelly don't worry! i'm starting to get addicted to this site again haha, its so easy to spend a few hours on here everyday

I see where the views on humidity have come from now, as you say, in the wild tortoises when young are possibly spending a lot of time under small shrubs ect where the moisture would be, however obviously wild tortoises will then wonder off to find food or to bask. I think i may possibly introduce a humid hide but for some reason i'm still not 100% convinced about spaying their whole enclosure daily.
my two have always had fairly smooth growth but recently my biggest spur thigh Tinsel has started showing signs of pyramiding.
i've not done anything different with his husbandry compared to my other tortoise Brandy, but brandy has remained the smaller, better grown tortoise.

i'm interested to see other peoples results in a few years after keeping their juvenile tortoises in more humid conditions, has anyone had any results even in the last year or so?

[Lyn]

Alicia, I have four tortoises all raised the same and all have pretty smooth growth apart from one who is a little bumpy so you're not the only one It used to really bother me but she appears happy and healthy.

[jo__]

My two have been rasied exactly the same, however while one is quite lumpy bumpy (the male) the other would almost make wild torts jealous she is so smooth! They have different parents, so could either be related to that or differing growth rates due to their sex, who knows!?!

Jo

[TaylorWRP]

As Stells stated times change and so does everything around it, something may work for one tortoise and its owner yet it may not work for others.

In all honesty I used pellets with my hermanns over winter if they did not hibernate and I still use pellets with my horsefield tortoise. It is a good alternative to no-weeds over winter or when weeds are not about so much. It also adds a bit of variety to everything being green all the time. The majority of the time it is a weed/plant based diet...it just when weeds are scarce the torts get abit of pellets thrown in. :P

I would agree with the spraying - my hermanns enjoyed a good spray and so does my horsefield. I will spray only twice a week mind not daily. This usually does the job for my tortoise(s).

I guess each to their own?