1 yr old with a soft shell

by Lisa
(Las Vegas, NV)

We have a 1 yr old desert tortoise that came out of its burrow and is walking, but he should be hibernating with the other 2 we have, same age, and when I went to put him back in his burrow, his shell is really really soft...whats wrong and what should I do? Please help.

Comments for 1 yr old with a soft shell

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Nov 21, 2010

Soft Shell in Hibernating Tortoise
by: Shelly

First, don't try to make this little guy go back into hibernation. He is too ill and will almost surely die.

Now that he is up, you have a chance to save him. He needs to be kept warm and fed a proper diet. He also needs sunlight, not sunlight filtered through a window. If you keep him inside, you will need to provide a UVB light to replace the sunlight. Then he needs to be fed a diet with sufficient calcium. If you make a cuttle bone available, he will probably use it. You can also scrape the cuttlebone onto his other food.

If you can't keep this animal in your house, provide a dog house heated by lamps. This link should help you. http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/lighting.html

Keep it slow and steady.

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