Russian Horsefield Weight
Russian Horsefield Weight
Hi all, i have a 1 year old Russian Horsefield and i am a little concerned with his weight. He's a bit stubborn when it comes to food, his favourite is lambs lettuce. But i'm worried that he is underweight. How much should the average domestic year old RH tortoise weigh?
Re: Russian Horsefield Weight
Hi Ambrosius and welcome to The Tortoise Table!
It's difficult to put an exact number on how much he should weigh because tortoises are a bit like people -- some are just naturally bigger or smaller than others, and it also depends on much he weighed when he was hatched, but I would think that somewhere between 40g and 55g would be about right. What you are aiming for is for very slow growth -- if tortoises grow too quickly they can develop deformed shells, so if you weigh him monthly and aim for an average weight gain per month over the year of between 1g - 3g per month then you should be fine.
Regarding his food, lambs lettuce is OK, but it's what we call a 'wet' food and like lettuce it goes through their digestive system a bit too quickly (tortoises are designed to digest food slowly), so a more fibrous food would be better, and the greater the variety the better too. If he is fussy with food we have some good tips on how to change him over to a better diet in our article here (tortoises can be really stubborn, as I'm sure you've found out!): https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... -new-diet/ There is also one commercial food that we could recommend if you are interested. Is he getting a good calcium and vitamin D3 supplement along with his food?
You probably already have one, but in case you don't, here's a link to a good care sheet for Horsfields: https://www.tortoise-protection-group.o ... 014New.pdf
I hope that helps, and please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any more questions or problems (and if you have a photo of him, we'd love to see it -- we never get tired of look at photos of tortoises!).
Finally, a useless but sort of interesting bit of information. The reason that Horsfield tortoises don't have an 'e' in the middle of their name (like horse') is that the species was discovered by the 19th century naturalist Thomas Horsfield, whose name was given to lots of other plants and animals that he discovered.
Nina
It's difficult to put an exact number on how much he should weigh because tortoises are a bit like people -- some are just naturally bigger or smaller than others, and it also depends on much he weighed when he was hatched, but I would think that somewhere between 40g and 55g would be about right. What you are aiming for is for very slow growth -- if tortoises grow too quickly they can develop deformed shells, so if you weigh him monthly and aim for an average weight gain per month over the year of between 1g - 3g per month then you should be fine.
Regarding his food, lambs lettuce is OK, but it's what we call a 'wet' food and like lettuce it goes through their digestive system a bit too quickly (tortoises are designed to digest food slowly), so a more fibrous food would be better, and the greater the variety the better too. If he is fussy with food we have some good tips on how to change him over to a better diet in our article here (tortoises can be really stubborn, as I'm sure you've found out!): https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... -new-diet/ There is also one commercial food that we could recommend if you are interested. Is he getting a good calcium and vitamin D3 supplement along with his food?
You probably already have one, but in case you don't, here's a link to a good care sheet for Horsfields: https://www.tortoise-protection-group.o ... 014New.pdf
I hope that helps, and please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any more questions or problems (and if you have a photo of him, we'd love to see it -- we never get tired of look at photos of tortoises!).
Finally, a useless but sort of interesting bit of information. The reason that Horsfield tortoises don't have an 'e' in the middle of their name (like horse') is that the species was discovered by the 19th century naturalist Thomas Horsfield, whose name was given to lots of other plants and animals that he discovered.
Nina
Re: Russian Horsefield Weight
Thank you for your quick response I really appreciate it.
All information I have is from the breeder so I hope it’s all correct. My tortoise gets calcium dust and nutrabol 5 times a week as I was instructed. I didn’t know about the wet food issue, I’ll get right on changing that! He’s only 86g at the moment and he turned one last May. He also has a combi bulb provided by the breeder. I’ve followed everything the breeder says but I’m worried I’m not doing enough for him.
All information I have is from the breeder so I hope it’s all correct. My tortoise gets calcium dust and nutrabol 5 times a week as I was instructed. I didn’t know about the wet food issue, I’ll get right on changing that! He’s only 86g at the moment and he turned one last May. He also has a combi bulb provided by the breeder. I’ve followed everything the breeder says but I’m worried I’m not doing enough for him.
- Ambrosius and family
Re: Russian Horsefield Weight
Hi Ambrosius and family,
If your tortoise was a year old in May, then he is 18 months old, and 86g isn't underweight at all, so basically you're doing fine. In fact it's a teeny bit more than you would expect, so do be sure that he doesn't gain weight too quickly. As I mentioned earlier, aim for about 1g - 3g gain in weight per month.
Did you have a chance to read the care sheet that I gave a link to? If you have any questions about it, let us know.
It's great that you are giving the calcium supplement, but do be careful with how much Nutrobal you give. If I remember correctly, the dosage recommended by the manufacturer is 'one pinch per kilo of tortoise' -- which isn't very helpful when you have a small tortoise! So just a very tiny pinch (and if you wet his food before sprinkling any powder on it, then the powder will stick to the food and won't be lost). You can't overdose with the calci dust, and it's hard to overdose on Nutrobal, but it is possible, so just be careful with that.
Are you bathing him two or three times a week to ensure he's well hydrated? 15 to 20 minutes in a container that he can't see out of, like an old washing up bowl, with gently warm water that comes just up to is chin (or where the top shell meets the bottom shell is fine, and you might have to change the water a bit to ensure that it stays warm for the whole time he is in there.
What sort of temperature are you getting directly under the combi bulb, at about the height of his shell? You want to aim for 30C directly under that light (not measured by a thermometer mounted on a nearby wall), and 20C at the cool end.
If you'd like to send us a photo of his set-up, we could maybe make suggestions for little improvements, but it sounds to me like you are doing a good job with him.
Nina
If your tortoise was a year old in May, then he is 18 months old, and 86g isn't underweight at all, so basically you're doing fine. In fact it's a teeny bit more than you would expect, so do be sure that he doesn't gain weight too quickly. As I mentioned earlier, aim for about 1g - 3g gain in weight per month.
Did you have a chance to read the care sheet that I gave a link to? If you have any questions about it, let us know.
It's great that you are giving the calcium supplement, but do be careful with how much Nutrobal you give. If I remember correctly, the dosage recommended by the manufacturer is 'one pinch per kilo of tortoise' -- which isn't very helpful when you have a small tortoise! So just a very tiny pinch (and if you wet his food before sprinkling any powder on it, then the powder will stick to the food and won't be lost). You can't overdose with the calci dust, and it's hard to overdose on Nutrobal, but it is possible, so just be careful with that.
Are you bathing him two or three times a week to ensure he's well hydrated? 15 to 20 minutes in a container that he can't see out of, like an old washing up bowl, with gently warm water that comes just up to is chin (or where the top shell meets the bottom shell is fine, and you might have to change the water a bit to ensure that it stays warm for the whole time he is in there.
What sort of temperature are you getting directly under the combi bulb, at about the height of his shell? You want to aim for 30C directly under that light (not measured by a thermometer mounted on a nearby wall), and 20C at the cool end.
If you'd like to send us a photo of his set-up, we could maybe make suggestions for little improvements, but it sounds to me like you are doing a good job with him.
Nina
Re: Russian Horsefield Weight
Hiya sorry for my delayed reply.
The care sheet was very insightful thank you. I'm so pleased that he's not underweight. I have a logbook for him to keey track of how much he gains each month.
He's currently moving into a new vivarium and i'm looking for a more suitable mountable bulb as what he has right now can't be put on it. The enclosure i was provided was an open top one and i'm not happy with it because i worry about his temprature etc. What bulb do you recommend and will a thermostat be any good? His viv is from Exoterra and i have had a look at what they have but i need some advice on what is best.
The breeder provided the calcium/nutrabol mix. He said it was 75% calcium and 25% nutrabol and that it's needed 5 times a week.
He is having his regular baths as advised since i got him.
What foods are the best? I read that kale is quite good. But i'm unsure of what else to give him and how often?
My apologies for all these questions. I just am a little paranoid about all of his care. I want him to live his best life, i adore him.
The care sheet was very insightful thank you. I'm so pleased that he's not underweight. I have a logbook for him to keey track of how much he gains each month.
He's currently moving into a new vivarium and i'm looking for a more suitable mountable bulb as what he has right now can't be put on it. The enclosure i was provided was an open top one and i'm not happy with it because i worry about his temprature etc. What bulb do you recommend and will a thermostat be any good? His viv is from Exoterra and i have had a look at what they have but i need some advice on what is best.
The breeder provided the calcium/nutrabol mix. He said it was 75% calcium and 25% nutrabol and that it's needed 5 times a week.
He is having his regular baths as advised since i got him.
What foods are the best? I read that kale is quite good. But i'm unsure of what else to give him and how often?
My apologies for all these questions. I just am a little paranoid about all of his care. I want him to live his best life, i adore him.
- Ambrosius and family
Re: Russian Horsefield Weight
Hi Ambrosius,
I'm glad that you found the care sheet useful. I can't remember if it mentioned it, but please, please cancel your order for the vivarium if you can, as they are very bad environments for tortoises. I can point you to lots of articles on why vivariums are bad for tortoises (they are fine for many other reptiles, like lizards and snakes, but not for tortoises), but here is a quick summary of the reasons why they are not suitable:
1. Because of it's enclosed nature of a viv, even though it has air vents, you can't get suitable ventilation for a tortoise and you can't get a sufficient temperature gradient. They are ectothermic animals (meaning they don't produce their own body heat but rely on outside sources for heat, and they need to move from warm to cool areas throughout the day in order to thermoregulate. You want a temperature under the heat source at one end of the enclosure of 30C (measured under the lamp and at the height of the tortoise's shell), and about 20C at the other end, and this is very hard to achieve in a vivarium unless it is huge (like 6' or 7' long at least). There is also the problem of what you do on a hot summer's day if your room is hot, which in turn will make it way too hot in the vivarium. With a table you can raise the lamp higher to make it cooler in the table, but because of the lid on a vivarium you can't do that, and we know of cases where tortoises died of overheating.
2. Vivariums are usually fairly high sided, but not a huge amount of floor space. This is great for climbing animals like snakes and lizards, but tortoises need as much floor space as possible, and in fact many people incorporate a ramp going up to a second level in their tables so that the tortoise can get more exercise. They actually get quite bored and lethargic in small spaces.
3. It can sometimes be too humid in a vivarium for a tortoise. They do need a certain amount of humidity (and this can be very important when they are very young), but they tend to live in a dry environment in the wild and can choose to bury down into a more humid area, or bask in a dry area. That isn't possible in a viv.
Here is an article from the Tortoise Trust about the suitability of vivaria for tortoises: https://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/vivarium.htm and please read the section on 'Vivarium tanks'. Honestly we encounter more health problems in tortoises that are kept in a vivarium than in any other situation.
I certainly understand your concern about temperature, and this is why it is important to be able to raise and lower the heat bulb in your table. All you need is an overhead arm and the bulb hanging from a chain that can be lengthened and shortened. And of course using the right bulb. I find that a 100W bulb is fine all year round, and if it is cold in the room I lower it a bit and if it's very warm in the room then I raise it, or switch to an 80W bulb. It is not difficult at all to achieve the right temperature in a tortoise table, and I can't stress strongly enough that putting your tortoise into a vivarium is really asking for problems in the future.
Regarding bulbs, here is a link to an article on our site that has a section on lighting -- have a read and come back with any questions: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... r-housing/ Basically you have a choice of using an all-in-one mercury vapour heat/light/uvb bulb, or using any other type of bulb to provide heat and light and then a fluorescent UVB tube to provide the UVB. The mercury vapour bulbs are really excellent, but I prefer to use one bulb for heat and light and a separate tube for UVB, because that way, if I raise the bulb to get a cooler temperature in the table then I am also taking the UVB further away. It's just a personal preference and either method is fine.
Please cancel your order for the vivarium if you can, and if you have already received it, see if you can return it as not fit for purpose (you can cite the article by The Tortoise Trust as evidence). If there is no way to return the vivarium then we have an article on our website on how to convert a vivarium into a more suitable environment here: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... n-project/ and I've attached some photos of what other people did when they were stuck with an expensive vivarium but knew it wasn't suitable for their tortoise. If he is already in the vivarium then please take at least one door, and preferably both doors off if you can, and put up a barrier just high enough so that he can't walk out, as then he will at least have better ventilation.
I'm really sorry to be the bearer of disappointing news, but vivariums are really not suitable for tortoises and I hope that you can keep him in a table.
Nina
[attachment=0]Viv Conversion.jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]Viv conversion.jpeg[/attachment]
I'm glad that you found the care sheet useful. I can't remember if it mentioned it, but please, please cancel your order for the vivarium if you can, as they are very bad environments for tortoises. I can point you to lots of articles on why vivariums are bad for tortoises (they are fine for many other reptiles, like lizards and snakes, but not for tortoises), but here is a quick summary of the reasons why they are not suitable:
1. Because of it's enclosed nature of a viv, even though it has air vents, you can't get suitable ventilation for a tortoise and you can't get a sufficient temperature gradient. They are ectothermic animals (meaning they don't produce their own body heat but rely on outside sources for heat, and they need to move from warm to cool areas throughout the day in order to thermoregulate. You want a temperature under the heat source at one end of the enclosure of 30C (measured under the lamp and at the height of the tortoise's shell), and about 20C at the other end, and this is very hard to achieve in a vivarium unless it is huge (like 6' or 7' long at least). There is also the problem of what you do on a hot summer's day if your room is hot, which in turn will make it way too hot in the vivarium. With a table you can raise the lamp higher to make it cooler in the table, but because of the lid on a vivarium you can't do that, and we know of cases where tortoises died of overheating.
2. Vivariums are usually fairly high sided, but not a huge amount of floor space. This is great for climbing animals like snakes and lizards, but tortoises need as much floor space as possible, and in fact many people incorporate a ramp going up to a second level in their tables so that the tortoise can get more exercise. They actually get quite bored and lethargic in small spaces.
3. It can sometimes be too humid in a vivarium for a tortoise. They do need a certain amount of humidity (and this can be very important when they are very young), but they tend to live in a dry environment in the wild and can choose to bury down into a more humid area, or bask in a dry area. That isn't possible in a viv.
Here is an article from the Tortoise Trust about the suitability of vivaria for tortoises: https://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/vivarium.htm and please read the section on 'Vivarium tanks'. Honestly we encounter more health problems in tortoises that are kept in a vivarium than in any other situation.
I certainly understand your concern about temperature, and this is why it is important to be able to raise and lower the heat bulb in your table. All you need is an overhead arm and the bulb hanging from a chain that can be lengthened and shortened. And of course using the right bulb. I find that a 100W bulb is fine all year round, and if it is cold in the room I lower it a bit and if it's very warm in the room then I raise it, or switch to an 80W bulb. It is not difficult at all to achieve the right temperature in a tortoise table, and I can't stress strongly enough that putting your tortoise into a vivarium is really asking for problems in the future.
Regarding bulbs, here is a link to an article on our site that has a section on lighting -- have a read and come back with any questions: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... r-housing/ Basically you have a choice of using an all-in-one mercury vapour heat/light/uvb bulb, or using any other type of bulb to provide heat and light and then a fluorescent UVB tube to provide the UVB. The mercury vapour bulbs are really excellent, but I prefer to use one bulb for heat and light and a separate tube for UVB, because that way, if I raise the bulb to get a cooler temperature in the table then I am also taking the UVB further away. It's just a personal preference and either method is fine.
Please cancel your order for the vivarium if you can, and if you have already received it, see if you can return it as not fit for purpose (you can cite the article by The Tortoise Trust as evidence). If there is no way to return the vivarium then we have an article on our website on how to convert a vivarium into a more suitable environment here: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... n-project/ and I've attached some photos of what other people did when they were stuck with an expensive vivarium but knew it wasn't suitable for their tortoise. If he is already in the vivarium then please take at least one door, and preferably both doors off if you can, and put up a barrier just high enough so that he can't walk out, as then he will at least have better ventilation.
I'm really sorry to be the bearer of disappointing news, but vivariums are really not suitable for tortoises and I hope that you can keep him in a table.
Nina
[attachment=0]Viv Conversion.jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]Viv conversion.jpeg[/attachment]
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Re: Russian Horsefield Weight
Thank you so much Nina!
I’m glad I spoke to you before putting him in the vivarium! I do want to improve his temperature control.
We are going to sell the viv on as it’s unused and not good enough for him.
What do you think of the one I’ve attached?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08 ... 02YD&psc=1
Thank you.
I’m glad I spoke to you before putting him in the vivarium! I do want to improve his temperature control.
We are going to sell the viv on as it’s unused and not good enough for him.
What do you think of the one I’ve attached?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08 ... 02YD&psc=1
Thank you.
- Ambrosius and family
Re: Russian Horsefield Weight
i Ambrosius and family,
Whew, I'm so glad that you aren't putting him in the vivarium, and I hope you are able to recover your costs by selling it. What's his name, by the way (it just occurred to me that his name might be Ambrosius and he is writing to me on behalf of you and your family).
Re the tortoise table - I've not seen that particulasr one, so I've had a good look at it. The best thing I can see is the pole from which your light will hang is adjustable, and that is important, as many commercial tortoise tables have a fixed arm that you hang the lamp from, so you need to attach a chain to it so that you can raise and lower the light. It seems to be somewhat designed for the outdoors (you don't need mesh covering part of the table unless you have a dog who might get into it), but I guess it would work indoors. There are two main disadvantages:
1. It's not very big. It seems to be just over 3' long (a metre). This would be fine for a very young tortoise, but as he grows you would need to get a bigger table, so why not start with a bigger one now. I would say that 4' is a minimum length, and even that will get too small in time.
2. The sleeping area is too large. It's very odd, but tortoises like a cozy -- actually cramped -- space to sleep, I have an upper level in my table, accessed by a ramp, and my tortoises get lots of exercise running up and down the ramp. The area beneath the ramp functions as a sleeping area, and if I had to do it all over I would make the upper area smaller, as the space beneath it is wasted because not only is it too big for their liking, but half the time they don't choose to sleep there anyway. Actually mine really love to cram themselves into a flower pot on its side in the table, or just bury themselves under the substrate in the corner.
If you think of it, a tortoise table is just a box with no lid and sides high enough so that the tortoise can't climb out. If you know someone who could knock together something, you could design it yourself and have something really lovely. You can line it with that flexible pool liner material, so that it's easy to clean. Think of a set of bookshelves, lying on its back, with the shelves taken out. I just did a bit of googling and found this https://www.happytortoisehabitat.co.uk/ ... -for-sale/ -- there is one there with two levels and it's 4' long and is £104 -- so just a bit more tan the one you gave the link to, and another 4' one for £99 with more floor space and a smaller sleeping level. Here is on on Amazon for £83, but it still has a fixed arm and really it's just a box that would be so easy to make, or convert from some bookshelves or a old single wardrobe. If space is sort you can have an 'L'-shaped table that fits into a corner.
Size is fairly important for tortoises, because whereas lizards and snakes don't seem to need a lot of space, tortoises really do, and they can get bored and lethargic if they are in a small and uninteresting space (so lots of furniture -- rocks, plants, etc. is good too).
I've attached some photos of my table -- it's longer than you probably need (7' c 2") but I've also had a 4' table with a ramp in it and it does provide interest an exercise.
Regarding the temperature -- there should be no problem getting the right temperature in a table. All you need is a small area under the main light at one end of the table that is 30C and 20C at the other end. The tortoise will move then back and forth and thermoregulate. To increase or decrease the temperature you can just raise or lower the light.
Take some time and have a good think about it before you buy.
Nina
[attachment=0]IMG_9411 (Copy).JPG[/attachment][attachment=2]IMG_9953 (Copy).JPG[/attachment][attachment=1]IMG_9496 [Desktop Resolution].JPG[/attachment]
Whew, I'm so glad that you aren't putting him in the vivarium, and I hope you are able to recover your costs by selling it. What's his name, by the way (it just occurred to me that his name might be Ambrosius and he is writing to me on behalf of you and your family).
Re the tortoise table - I've not seen that particulasr one, so I've had a good look at it. The best thing I can see is the pole from which your light will hang is adjustable, and that is important, as many commercial tortoise tables have a fixed arm that you hang the lamp from, so you need to attach a chain to it so that you can raise and lower the light. It seems to be somewhat designed for the outdoors (you don't need mesh covering part of the table unless you have a dog who might get into it), but I guess it would work indoors. There are two main disadvantages:
1. It's not very big. It seems to be just over 3' long (a metre). This would be fine for a very young tortoise, but as he grows you would need to get a bigger table, so why not start with a bigger one now. I would say that 4' is a minimum length, and even that will get too small in time.
2. The sleeping area is too large. It's very odd, but tortoises like a cozy -- actually cramped -- space to sleep, I have an upper level in my table, accessed by a ramp, and my tortoises get lots of exercise running up and down the ramp. The area beneath the ramp functions as a sleeping area, and if I had to do it all over I would make the upper area smaller, as the space beneath it is wasted because not only is it too big for their liking, but half the time they don't choose to sleep there anyway. Actually mine really love to cram themselves into a flower pot on its side in the table, or just bury themselves under the substrate in the corner.
If you think of it, a tortoise table is just a box with no lid and sides high enough so that the tortoise can't climb out. If you know someone who could knock together something, you could design it yourself and have something really lovely. You can line it with that flexible pool liner material, so that it's easy to clean. Think of a set of bookshelves, lying on its back, with the shelves taken out. I just did a bit of googling and found this https://www.happytortoisehabitat.co.uk/ ... -for-sale/ -- there is one there with two levels and it's 4' long and is £104 -- so just a bit more tan the one you gave the link to, and another 4' one for £99 with more floor space and a smaller sleeping level. Here is on on Amazon for £83, but it still has a fixed arm and really it's just a box that would be so easy to make, or convert from some bookshelves or a old single wardrobe. If space is sort you can have an 'L'-shaped table that fits into a corner.
Size is fairly important for tortoises, because whereas lizards and snakes don't seem to need a lot of space, tortoises really do, and they can get bored and lethargic if they are in a small and uninteresting space (so lots of furniture -- rocks, plants, etc. is good too).
I've attached some photos of my table -- it's longer than you probably need (7' c 2") but I've also had a 4' table with a ramp in it and it does provide interest an exercise.
Regarding the temperature -- there should be no problem getting the right temperature in a table. All you need is a small area under the main light at one end of the table that is 30C and 20C at the other end. The tortoise will move then back and forth and thermoregulate. To increase or decrease the temperature you can just raise or lower the light.
Take some time and have a good think about it before you buy.
Nina
[attachment=0]IMG_9411 (Copy).JPG[/attachment][attachment=2]IMG_9953 (Copy).JPG[/attachment][attachment=1]IMG_9496 [Desktop Resolution].JPG[/attachment]
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Re: Russian Horsefield Weight
Hi Nina,
Ambrosius is indeed his name. He's a lovely little fella. All the photos i have are too large to attach apparently, so i will get a little photo of him to post. He's a bit sassy haha.
We have ordered him a house from the website you provided. We ordered the Penthouse table, but due to some complications they have sent the next best thing. So soon he will have a better and bigger encolsure. Did you say that a attaching a chain will help me adjust the lamp's height? We do have cats, even though he is in a diffent room away from them, we got the mesh cover for his enclosure too to make sure he is safe.
I will make sure the sleeping area nice and cosy for him. He will also have a ramp now too so multiple levels to play on. He loves his little bedroom. We also got two thermometers to attach, so he will have one in the cool end and another in the warm end.
Ambrosius is indeed his name. He's a lovely little fella. All the photos i have are too large to attach apparently, so i will get a little photo of him to post. He's a bit sassy haha.
We have ordered him a house from the website you provided. We ordered the Penthouse table, but due to some complications they have sent the next best thing. So soon he will have a better and bigger encolsure. Did you say that a attaching a chain will help me adjust the lamp's height? We do have cats, even though he is in a diffent room away from them, we got the mesh cover for his enclosure too to make sure he is safe.
I will make sure the sleeping area nice and cosy for him. He will also have a ramp now too so multiple levels to play on. He loves his little bedroom. We also got two thermometers to attach, so he will have one in the cool end and another in the warm end.
- Ambrosius and family
Re: Russian Horsefield Weight
I love the name Ambrosius (does it come from the Greek, meaning immortal or divine?)! If your photos are too large, just send them to me at nina@thetortoisetable.org.uk and I'll reduce them in size and post them here for your.
That's great that you've got him a table, and I hope he appreciates all the efforts you're making on his behalf!
Re cats -- they're not too much of a problem (unless they decide to use his table as a littler tray). It's dogs that you need to worry about, and if you don't have a dog then I think you'll be fine without any mesh.
What are you using for substrate? I think I probably said before that a topsoil/sand mixture is best and make it as deep as you can (at least 3" or 4", and he will love it.
Regarding a chain -- I just bought a length of chain from an ironmonger and wound it round the top of the arm on my table. Then I have an 'S' hook that I can use to shorten or lengthen the chain. I've attached a photo of one of my lamps with the 'S' hook and another photo of someone else's table showing lamps hanging by chains (her method is probably better than mine).
With the thermometers, are they ones that fix to the wall of the table or with a probe on the end of a cord? Those are better as you can hang them down from above so that they are almost directly under the lamp and at the height of Ambrosius's shell.
Do send me your photos, as I'd love to see the little man in all his glory, and I'll post them here for you.
Nina
[attachment=1]lamps hanging by chains.JPG[/attachment]
That's great that you've got him a table, and I hope he appreciates all the efforts you're making on his behalf!
Re cats -- they're not too much of a problem (unless they decide to use his table as a littler tray). It's dogs that you need to worry about, and if you don't have a dog then I think you'll be fine without any mesh.
What are you using for substrate? I think I probably said before that a topsoil/sand mixture is best and make it as deep as you can (at least 3" or 4", and he will love it.
Regarding a chain -- I just bought a length of chain from an ironmonger and wound it round the top of the arm on my table. Then I have an 'S' hook that I can use to shorten or lengthen the chain. I've attached a photo of one of my lamps with the 'S' hook and another photo of someone else's table showing lamps hanging by chains (her method is probably better than mine).
With the thermometers, are they ones that fix to the wall of the table or with a probe on the end of a cord? Those are better as you can hang them down from above so that they are almost directly under the lamp and at the height of Ambrosius's shell.
Do send me your photos, as I'd love to see the little man in all his glory, and I'll post them here for you.
Nina
[attachment=1]lamps hanging by chains.JPG[/attachment]
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Re: Russian Horsefield Weight
Hiya,
I have been super busy lately so I apologise for the delay in my reply. His new table arrived yesterday and he moved in same day.
His little head was up and looking around in bewilderment. It was so so cute.
I have emailed you photos of Ambrosius and in a separate email some photos of him in his new tortoise table.
I have been super busy lately so I apologise for the delay in my reply. His new table arrived yesterday and he moved in same day.
His little head was up and looking around in bewilderment. It was so so cute.
I have emailed you photos of Ambrosius and in a separate email some photos of him in his new tortoise table.
- Ambrosius and family
Re: Russian Horsefield Weight
Here for everyone to see is the absolutely adorable Ambrosius, and the great table that his new family got for him.
Nina
[attachment=0]m_Ambrosius0.jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]m_Ambrosius table.jpg[/attachment][attachment=2]m_Ambrosius table from above.jpg[/attachment][attachment=3]m_ambrosius table 3.jpg[/attachment][attachment=4]m_Ambrosius table 2.jpg[/attachment][attachment=5]m_Ambrosius near slate.jpg[/attachment][attachment=6]m_ambrosius in table.jpg[/attachment][attachment=7]m_ambrosius his new table.jpg[/attachment]
Nina
[attachment=0]m_Ambrosius0.jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]m_Ambrosius table.jpg[/attachment][attachment=2]m_Ambrosius table from above.jpg[/attachment][attachment=3]m_ambrosius table 3.jpg[/attachment][attachment=4]m_Ambrosius table 2.jpg[/attachment][attachment=5]m_Ambrosius near slate.jpg[/attachment][attachment=6]m_ambrosius in table.jpg[/attachment][attachment=7]m_ambrosius his new table.jpg[/attachment]
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Re: Russian Horsefield Weight
Oops, I just noticed that I missed some photos that Ambrosius's family sent to me -- here are some more of the very handsome Ambrosius and his new home.
Nina
[attachment=0]m_AAmbrosius3.jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]m_AAmbrosius2.jpg[/attachment][attachment=2]m_AAmbrosius1.jpg[/attachment]
Nina
[attachment=0]m_AAmbrosius3.jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]m_AAmbrosius2.jpg[/attachment][attachment=2]m_AAmbrosius1.jpg[/attachment]
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Re: Russian Horsefield Weight
Just wanted to add my 2 pence worth, if you find that you need to feed lambs lettuce or other types of supermarket produce during the winter months, you can add 60-80% Testudo Pre Alpin to 20-40% supermarket market produce.
If you have a small area that you can grow weeds indoors over the winter months this is the better option and you can bulk the diet out with Testudo Pre Alpin around 50% (not only would the latter option be healthier for your tortoise but also alot cheaper and not as many trips to the supermarket too.)
Nutrobal should only be used in very small amounts, don't for get that the digestive system is very slow in tortoises and they are very good at getting every last bit of nutrition out of what they eat. I only use Nutrobal two to three times a week and only a tip of a tea spoons worth, the rest of the week I use calcium dust.
If you have a small area that you can grow weeds indoors over the winter months this is the better option and you can bulk the diet out with Testudo Pre Alpin around 50% (not only would the latter option be healthier for your tortoise but also alot cheaper and not as many trips to the supermarket too.)
Nutrobal should only be used in very small amounts, don't for get that the digestive system is very slow in tortoises and they are very good at getting every last bit of nutrition out of what they eat. I only use Nutrobal two to three times a week and only a tip of a tea spoons worth, the rest of the week I use calcium dust.
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