Yesterday I assembled the new zoomed tortoise habitat for my Russian tortoise.
Here is the link to this zoomed house.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3006741
Before leaving for office I made a substrate of sand+ timothy hay(first mistake) and left my tortoise in his new house(second mistake). Then I left for office. I came back from office after around 9 hrs and found my tortoise flipped directly under the UV lamp. He had pooped all his body and was looking very dehydrated. He had small wounds on his limbs as he might be desperately trying to flip and the edge of shell might be cutting off his skin. By the time I saw him, he was looking absolutely scared.
I am completely responsible for this mishap. I should not have left him in his new house without testing it out. I should have moved him to his new house in the week end so that I could have observed him through out the day. Also if the substrate was made out of sand+hay+stones+top soil+ coco coir, I think things would have been different. Also the thickness of his substrate was less than 1 inch.His substrate was almost flat. So he did not get the elevation he would have got with a thick substrate.
So today (as its still a week day) I have brought him back to his old house. I have made a 2 inch think bed with Sand+ organic soil+hay+ river stone+coco coir. The thickness of his bed is more in the basking spot because if he flips under the lamb , that could take his life. I have washed his wounds with luke warm water and given him more hiding spots.
Here is the link to this zoomed house.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3006741
Before leaving for office I made a substrate of sand+ timothy hay(first mistake) and left my tortoise in his new house(second mistake). Then I left for office. I came back from office after around 9 hrs and found my tortoise flipped directly under the UV lamp. He had pooped all his body and was looking very dehydrated. He had small wounds on his limbs as he might be desperately trying to flip and the edge of shell might be cutting off his skin. By the time I saw him, he was looking absolutely scared.
I am completely responsible for this mishap. I should not have left him in his new house without testing it out. I should have moved him to his new house in the week end so that I could have observed him through out the day. Also if the substrate was made out of sand+hay+stones+top soil+ coco coir, I think things would have been different. Also the thickness of his substrate was less than 1 inch.His substrate was almost flat. So he did not get the elevation he would have got with a thick substrate.
So today (as its still a week day) I have brought him back to his old house. I have made a 2 inch think bed with Sand+ organic soil+hay+ river stone+coco coir. The thickness of his bed is more in the basking spot because if he flips under the lamb , that could take his life. I have washed his wounds with luke warm water and given him more hiding spots.
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