一年了

轉眼間, 盾盾已來了一年, 現在已 155 g.

- 參考及有用連結 References and Useful Links

有用連結 (英文) Useful Links (English):

http://www.anapsid.org/sulcata.html

http://www.sulcata-station.org/index.html

http://www.taiwaiexotic.com/cr_tortoises.html
http://africantortoise.com/general_care.htm

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/sulcatacare.htm


有用連結 (中文) Useful Links (Chinese):
http://www.hkfishstreet.com/discuss/viewtopic.php?t=39958

中文論壇 Forums (Chinese):
http://www.ospets.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=19&page=4

此列會定時更新 This list will be update regularly.

溫度 Temperature

龜龜屬於冷血動物，需要外來熱力供身體運作。在大自然中，牠們會借用太陽的熱力，移到不同的位置，進出地洞等來調節體溫。晚上較涼時則會躲藏在日間被太陽曬暖的泥土中。牠們亦非常喜歡掘地洞，每天花大量時間掘出長長的地洞。
Tortoises are cold blooded animals and they require heat for their body to function. In nature, they regulate their body temperature by moving in and out of the sun or staying in their burrows during daytime. When it is cooler at night, they maintain their temperature by digging into soil which has been heated by the sun during the day. African Spurred tortoises spend much of the time digging their long burrows.

To mimic their natural environment, provide a cold spot and a hot spot for the tortoise. We mounted our lamps on two sides near Tun Tun's level. Each time we only turn on one lamp. There is also a cave so the tort can hide inside for cooler temp. Put up at least two thermometers near the tortoise level (make sure they cannot reach it though), one near the cold spot and one near the hot spot.

For me, the daytime temperature for the hot spot is around 30 – 33, cold spot is around 26-28C. For nighttime, hot spot around 26-29C, cold sport is around 25-27C. You may adjust the temperature by using different wattage ceramic heating bulbs or varying the height (put on top of the tank or mounted on the ceiling of the tank).

And remember, the temperature inside the cave is cooler unless you put the cave directly under the lamp. That will serve as another cold spot.

Tun Tun moves around to find a spot with temperature she likes. Sometimes she sleeps outside of her cave. Usually she stays inside though.

There are times I move sleeping baby Tun Tun into a colder or warmer spot. They suppose to do it on their own but she falls asleep after grazing (I can see her being very tired chewing the hay and fell asleep at her eating place). After she reached 100 g+, she is not as sound asleep and will move around to find a good spot.

Never use Heating pads and hot rocks for your tortoises as they may overheat. In nature, the heat source comes from the sun and the overhead heat is absorbed more effectively. Overheating is dangerous for your tortoise especially if you have a small tank. There is no way for the tortoise to move around to manage his body temperature.

底材 Bedding/Substrate (Eng. Only)

I used corncob for bedding since it is okay to be ingested. However, Sulcata Station asked us to avoid corncob because they “do not digest easily and can cause potentially fatal blockages if the tortoise eats enough of them”. I checked with the vet and he said it is ok to use corncob. Tun Tun eats at her eating tile usually so it should not be a problem. We may shift to grass hay when Tun Tun is older and the hay won’t be too sharp for her.

Corncob substrate is also easy to clean. We just need to scoop out the dirty part. Also it is free from small particles that may cause problem to Tun Tun’s respiratory system. I did not use paper pellets because they are similar in colour with Tun Tun’s feces so I miss a cleaning spot. And I worry about the small paper particles get into Tun Tun respiratory system.

When Tun Tun was very young and was on veggies, she ate her poo poo. I guess the indigestible thing still smells like veggies to her. I scooped out the poo poo a.s.a.p. to avoid her to ingest any corncob. I soaked her quite regularly and frequently so usually she did her business in water. Now that she has shifted to hay feeding, she shows no interest in her poo poo.

If you soak your tortoise regularly in a set time, he may defecate and urinate regularly during soaking so the substrate stays pretty clean. That is my experience.

Substrate should be changed regularly to avoid build up of microbes if your tortoise is messy. I would say every month to every 3 months depends on how clean your tortoise is.

More info:
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/substrates.html

性情 Temperament (Eng. Only)

Most of the time, Tun Tun is very timid, friendly and nosy. She may be frightened the first time she goes somewhere but will remember the place the next time and explore bravely.

She recognized the park the second time she went. She likes seeing the petals and will walk to places with bright colour. African spurred tortoises are quite visual and attracted to vivid images. One time I lined newspaper on the floor and let her walked on and she ran to the green section and took a bit in the air.

Tun told me that she is hungry by staying on her eating tile and looks up to me when I pass her. And she gives me a stare if I do something she does not like (e.g., wash her under warm tap water).

Sulcatas are active animals. They spend lot of time to burrow, climb and roam about, often in search of food. They are very strong animals and can be very destructive. An adult sulcata can move a piano. They can break down fences and even walls.

These animals are very visual and will get attracted to items with vivid colors (e.g., flower petals). Then they will try to move through anything between the attraction and themselves.

When the tortoises are in heat they can be very noisy. Both males and females get aggressive as they aged.

小心其他動物及跌到 Watch out for Other Animals and Falling (Eng. Only)

Keep your tortoise away from other animals especially dogs. After many years of living together peacefully still does not guarantee the safety of your tortoise. There was a case that after 7 years of living together, the dog suddenly saw the tort as a chew toy.

I have Tun Tun in her cage at a level my dog cannot reach. My dog does not jump (she never trained to and she has problem on her hip). I still hold her on the sofa and then watch Tun Tun if Tun Tun takes her walk in the house. When the weather is good, I just take Tun Tun out.

Be careful not to drop your tortoise or leave it in places where he may fall. Tun Tun walked to the flower without noticing she was on a table one time. I don’t know what will happen if I was not watching her all the time.

I am always near Tun Tun while she is at the park. In case the eagle or seagull is interested in her. She may walk into places with bird’s poo or eat the leaves (with pesticide?) on the ground. She also walks fast when she is out so if I don’t watch her carefully, she will disappear.

I read articles on owner not watching their tort while they walk and if they are walking in the house, it is likely that they will hide under the fridge where there is warmth. If they are outside, it is hard to find them.

獸醫檢查（三）Return Visit to the Vet (Eng. Only)

Her return visit to the vet was not really necessary. We were not sure if a second de-worm was needed. Anyways, the vet was happy to see Tun Tun‘s change and this time the de-worm was done on skin. The vet showed us the study on topical application and we chose not to have the injection. It can be applied on the shoulder or at the back. It is better to do it on the back cause if the tort retracts, the medicine will get into his eyes. That was what happened to Tun Tun.

The vet then needed to rinse Tun’s eyes with saline water. Poor Tun Tun. Although the vet was careless about this, we can still see his love to Tun Tun because he kept apologizing to Tun Tun in a very soft voice.

獸醫檢查（二）How Tun Tun Turned Out (Eng. Only)

It was after a few days I thought about the changes I had made to her environment before the time she stopped eating. I had cut out a long strip of opaque window sticker to block Tun Tun back’s view (to the park). It was because I read info on the web saying that will be safer for tortoises that they are not used to the concept of glass and may walk into it and hurt themselves. Then I removed the sticker. Tun Tun can walk and “climb” on the glass and she looked like she was running in the treadmill in a gym again. She loves doing that in the morning. We also take her out for a walk in the living room every night with the heater turn on. It was still too cold outside. I should pick my tortoise in the spring/summer instead. I got Tun Tun in late November although I know that is not a good time getting a baby tortoise. Even with all the equipments we had trying to mimic her natural environment, it will be hard for her to compact the weather when she is sick.

A few days after we removed the sticker and increased Tun Tun’s activity level, Tun Tun started eating again. Her weight went up slowly.

In conclusion, Tun Tun is very sensitive to any small change in her environment. When there is something wrong with your tortoise, you need to think carefully on what you did or did not do. These can affect the tortoise.

Hatchling Failure Syndrome (Eng. Only)

After I did some research on the web, I was suspecting Tun Tun had hatchling failure syndrome. I discussed this with the vet and he said it was possible. Luckily we found out the cause in a few days.

But here is some info on this topic.

http://www.sulcata-station.org/hatchfail.html

獸醫檢查（一）First Visit to the Vet (Eng. Only)

It was after we had Tun Tun for a month then she became “ill”. She had not eaten for a few days. I have no idea why she just stopped eating. I took her to the vet. The vet asked about the setting and her diet, her behavior etc. and everything seemed normal. Since African Spurred Tortoise is prone to respiratory infection and stones, the vet gave Tun Tun antibiotics for the respiratory infection and de-wormed her just in case. Some websites recommended to deworm a tortoise after getting them from a pet store. The vet also did an x ray of Tun to make sure there was no stone formation. There was no stone and since Tun Tun had not eaten for so long, she got gas in her stomach. The vet used a tube and inserted it into her stomach and forced feed Tun some vitamin and minerals. Or course Tun Tun did not like that.

The vet also commented that tortoise would do okay without eating for more than a week or so. But I still worried a lot as she shows no interest of food. Tun Tun had been a big eater all along. She adapted to the new environment so well and I was able to hand feed her veggies the first night she came.

The vet gave us some antibiotics to take home. We were supposed to inject that into Tun Tun’s shoulder every 3 days. Her skin is tough to puncture and we also need to be aware how much the needle can go in.

Tun Tun came from US captive breeder so it should be a safe source. Parasites should not be too much of a problem unless she contracted some disease from the pet store… I did not see her blowing bubbles from her nose… I went through all possibilities and could not find out the reason. Other than not eating, she seemed normal. She seemed very happy and active when going out for a walk too.

How Tun Tun Traveled to the Vet (Eng. Only)

It was winter when Tun Tun needed to travel to the vet. I bought a small deposable heat pad and wrapped it with a handkerchief. I tested the temperature making sure that it won’t burn Tun Tun. Then I put all these in a small paper box with holes we punctured with a pen on top and on the sides of a box. So Tun Tun could stay warm during the one hour trip. But we should not puncture holes near her level as the paper that stick in from the puncture may hurt her when we move. I also saw Tun Tun biting that paper bit during traveling too.

more on transporting tortoises:

http://www.tortoisegroup.org/index.php

暖燈及紫外線燈 Heat Source and UV Light (Eng. Only)

It is a good idea to expose your tortoise to some real sunlight even if you have UVB bulb. No UVB bulb can compare to the sun. Tortoise needs the sun and vitamin D to prevent Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). I have also heard that the sun exposure can accumulate. That means if a tortoise should bask 1 hr a day, it is the same as giving in 3 hours on two days and 1 hour another day in a week. I am not sure about if this is true though.





The following site is a very good one and it clears up my confusion on lighting. Please take your time to read it.





http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/lighting.html

During my visit to the vet, the vet told me that most UVB bulbs are not doing what they claimed on the labels. I also came across a site testing the bulbs.

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

Their reports on diff UVB light are very long. I never read them all. I just asked my vet to see if my light is ok. He got a meter to measure too. So I just stick to that brand. It is better to use a good brand. Also those mercury light bulbs that claim to provide heat and light are no good. They are not durable and will die after you turn on and off frequently. I bought many before knowing that and they only lasted for around a month.

So get a good brand for the UVB light bulb and have a separate heat source. Ceramic heating bulbs work really well and they last for a long time. Some people have thermostat to control the temperature in the tank.
You may use a timer to set the light to mimic the sunlight. I turn on my light at 7 am and shut off around 7 pm. Give them 8 – 12 hour of UVB exposure. Half of the time, Tun Tun stay in her cave though.
I have a UVA bulb for Tun Tun too.

More info:
http://russiantortoise.org/uvb.htm
http://zoomed.com/Library/ProductDBFiles/Reptiles%20and%20UVB.pdf (info on UVA and UVB)
http://www.hkherp.org/newforum/viewthread.php?tid=3499&extra=page%3D8 (Chinese 紫外线的波段-UVA/B/C/D)

- 洞穴＋反轉瓷磚 Cave + Upside Down Tile

我初時給盾盾買了一個小小的人工洞穴藏身，但幾個月後便不合用了。現在買給牠的那個比牠大很多，最少可用上半年。中午及晚間，盾盾都很喜歡躲在洞穴睡覺。盾臂龜在大自然中會自己掘地洞去躲避正午的太陽，只會在日間其他時段曬太陽。
Provide the tortoise a hiding place. I bought Tun Tun a small cave when she first came. Then she outgrew it in a few months so now I get her a very big cave which should last for at least half a year. Tun Tun loves to sleep inside the cave in the evening and her afternoon nap. In nature, they will burrow and hide there to avoid the sun. They do basking during daytime but will avoid the hottest sun around noon.

溫度低時，盾盾會在洞穴外睡覺以從暖燈中吸取更多熱力。有時太倦也會在洞口睡了。

Sometimes Tun Tun sleeps outside her cave to get more heat from the lamp when the temp is low. Sometimes she falls asleep just outside of her cave when she is very tired.

我在箱子中放了一塊反轉的瓷磚（較粗）供牠磨指甲及作吃東西的地方。牠肚餓時便在那裡伸伸頭望著我。
I also put an upside down tile (so the surface is coarser) for Tun to scratch on. That serves as an eating place for her as well.

準備到公園玩 Traveling to the Park (Eng. Only)

I bought a gas cushion basket and line it with a handkerchief and put Tun Tun in. In “cold” weather, I wrap a disposable heat pad with the handkerchief. Then I cover her lightly with a fish filter cotton. It only takes me 5 min to walk to the park downstairs. Tun Tun likes to go to the park and will get very excited in the elevator. You can see her walking very happily in the park.

I only take Tun out when the temperature reaches 23 or higher with no wind. Also if it is 23 C, I pick a time when the sun is high in the sky so the actual temperature may be around 25C.

In summer time, they can only go out in the early morning or in the late afternoon. Otherwise they might get a heat stroke and may get dehydrated easily. Tun Tun has not gone through her first summer but the sale person in the pet shop told me that it is hard to recover a tortoise with heat stroke. So we need to be careful.

濕度 Humidity (Eng. Only)

Most people suggested a dry environment to prevent pyramiding but studies suggest the opposite. Tortoises raised in environments with 45-99% humidity had less pyramiding than those raised in drier conditions. Well, it makes sense since the natural outside environment (desert) is dry but inside the burrow, it is very humid. Even the vet did not know about this and I printed it out for him.

High humidity should not be a problem unless you are fogging your tank. That will lead to other micro or ventilation problem for the tortoise. There are times when the weather is very humid, some people put in boxes of dehumidifier. Make sure the tortoise won’t eat the silicone.

The substrate should somewhat regulate the humidity too. Still watch out for mould/micro problem if it is very humid. When the weather is very dry, I put moistened cotton pad on top of Tun Tun’s cave to increase the moisture level of the air.

- 種植食物和車前草 Plant and Herb

天氣回暖後，我打算種這草給盾盾作零食。
When the weather is warmer, I am planing to plant this for Tun Tun as a snack.

***後記: 種子可能放久了，沒有發芽。
Unfortunately the seeds did not sprout when I tried planting them in the summer.





　
車前草有助排石，我用熱水浸乾車前草，取其汁液，放涼後給盾盾浸浴。

The herb Plantain supposed to help rid of stones . I soaked the dried form in hot water, get the extract and soak Tun Tun with it after it is cooled.

也找到新鮮的車前草，但不知是否適合盾盾。
I found the fresh form too but not sure if it is ok to give to Tun Tun.

- 疾病 Diseases

不是所有獸醫都懂得醫治盾臀龜，選擇時應找一位對爬蟲動物熟悉的獸醫，自己也盡力學習有關龜龜的東西。
Not all vets know how to cure tortoises. Be sure to pick one who is familiar with reptiles. Still, learn as much as possible from the web will help you to understand more about your friend.

盾臂龜十分容易患上結石，呼吸道及隆背的問題。
Sulcata are prone to stone formation, respiratory disease and paramading problem.

更多有關不同龜隻疾病的資料（中文）：
More on Diseases for Different Kind of Tortoises and Turtles
http://uwants.com/viewthread.php?tid=5918033&extra=page%3D1 (Chinese)

浸泡 Soaking (Eng. Only)

Soaking replenishes your tortoises with water and it stimulates them to pass out their waste. It also keeps their digestive and urinary tracts function properly. In a small container, put in some lukewarm water (around 30 C) to the lever no deeper than the juncture between the bottom shell (plastron) and the top (carapace) of the tortoise. Don’t drown the tortoise as they can’t swim. The container should be smooth with high edges preventing the tortoise to escape/fall. It should also be easy to clean. You will see your tortoise drinking from the water first. Tun Tun put her head in the water and not moving for quite a while. Then she may wipe her face in the water. After that she may climb on the edges or rest for a while then she may urinate. Sometimes she does not drink nor urinate but since her bottom can take up water, I just let her stay in the water for a while.

During the soaking, change the water when the water becomes cool or dirty. I put Tun Tun under tap water (warm water) for washing and moist a Q tip to clean her mouth and her bottom. For the shell, you may moist a cotton pad or use a very soft brush for cleaning if that gets dirty. Then I wipe her shell with a piece of tissue.

Sometimes if Tun Tun really can’t go poo poo, I flushed her bottom with warm water under the tap. That will stimulate her for poo poo and also urinate. But try to be patient with them as they are slow animals. Tun Tun loves to play with the water more than doing her business.

I also found that after Tun has her electrolyte bath, she will urinate/ poo poo faster. It may have something to do with osmosis pressure.

Electrolyte bath is not a must. But it can be used as a supplement. Since Tun Tun got her electrolyte from her last vet visit when she did not eat, I will just use it up slowly. Electrolyte bath supplements the tortoise with vitamins and minerals. It will not harm to give her even when she is healthy now.

In winter time, even with change in water in between, the water cools very fast. You may want to move the bathing container with the tort under the heating lamp. Just make sure the temperature is ok, not too hot that will burn the tortoise and remember to take the tortoise out. Tun Tun enjoys her spa a lot.

After soaking, use a tissue/ soft cloth to wipe dry a tortoise. I use the soaking time to clean up her cage, put in some new food, rest the lights a while and heating devices for a while. Then turn on the heating lamp and warm up the environment before putting her back in.

I soak my tortoise for 15 – 30 min. If she has finished all her business early, then I let her go earlier.

Tun Tun learns that I need to wait for her to finish her business before going to the cage and sometimes she gave me a naughty look that she had done nothing but playing in the water. One time she gave a “stare” when I was not as gentle as before. If I do something she does not like (e.g., lift her up in the air when changing the water), she will quickly moves her arms. It is funny that tortoises express their emotion differently.

Some websites suggest less frequent soaking is needed as a tortoise gets older. Soaking frequency will be reduced to every other day to once a week later in their life.

- 不冬眠 Don't Hibernate

盾臂龜不會冬眠。African spurred tortoises do not hibernate.

- 嘶嘶聲 Hissing

在一次浸泡時，我用暖水沖盾盾時牠發出嘶嘶聲。初時以為牠發惡，後來才知道牠只是覺得被威脅，把頭和手縮回身內令肺部壓縮，噴出氣體的聲音。現在牠習慣了，只會把手臂極速左右移動以示不滿。
Tun Tun first hissed at me when I put her under the warm tap water during soaking time. I used to think she is angry but later I found out she just felt threatened. The action of pulling her head and arms compressed her lungs, squeezed some air out and caused the hissing. Now she is used to that and will only move her arms up sideway quickly to show her discontent.

- 有規律的生活 Routine Life

盾盾的生活很有規律，每天差不多在同一時間睡覺和進食。每天早上和黃昏前吃東西，大約6:30pm便睡覺，中午太陽高掛時躲在洞穴內避暑。

Tun Tun’s life is very routine. She sleeps at around the same time everyday and expect for food in the morning and in the late evening. She sleeps at around 6:30pm and hides in her cave to avoid the sun in the mid day.

- 環境佈置 Decoration

幼龜可在室內飼養，但要小心佈置不會令牠們受傷。牠們喜歡攀爬，故不要讓牠們爬上佈置後有返身的機會，牠們不懂反轉，如不及時發現，會因缺水而死亡。同時不要放置不用適牠們食用的植物於箱子中。
As hatchlings, African spurred tortoise can be kept indoors. African Spurred Tortoises like to climb. If they climb onto something and fall on their backs. They are not able to flip over. If not rescued in time, they may die from dehydration. Choose the decoration carefully. Also do not put in any plants that are not suitable for their diet.

- 尿尿 Urinate

浸盾盾時，牠會尿尿，沙漠龜排出尿酸以減少水份流失。牠們亦會在遇見水源，飲水後才尿尿。尿酸較尿液濃縮，是少許啡色的液體和一些像蛋白的半固體（龜龜夠水份時），有時像一堆小石塊（不夠水份時）。

Tun Tun urinates when I soak her. After desert tort access to water, they will drink from it and then urinate. Desert tort pass out urine as a form of uric acid to save water. Uric acid (Urate) is more concentrated than urine. It is like a mixture of brown liquid and some egg white like semi-solid (when the tort is hydrated). Sometimes is like massive of stones (when the tort is dehydrated).

培養每天浸龜的習慣，如在每天早上同一時段浸泡更會使龜龜習慣只在水中如厠。
Form a habit to soak your tort regularly. It is even better to do it at the same time in the morning every day. Then they will only do all their business in water.

- 心理準備 Prepare for the Mess

盾臂龜是世界第三大陸龜，所有動物小時侯都很可愛，但長大後生活環境要求更大的空間，食量和便便份量更會倍增。如果你打算養牠們，便要作好心理準備。

African spurred tortoise is the 3rd largest land tortoise in the world. They are cute when they are small but they will be big. Then they will need more space. They will also eat more and produce huge amount of waste. Prepare for that if you decide to choose this species.

See tortoise in napkins! 日本人幫龜包尿布-01
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=540_qVUeCYw&feature=related

- 曬太陽的樣子 Basking Position

第一次看見盾盾曬＂太陽＂（燈）真的嚇我一跳。牠把頭和四肢完全張開，好像死了一般。其實牠只是盡量露出最大面積的皮膚以吸收最多的紫外光，製造更多的維他命Ｄ。牠會維持這個樣子一段時間，有時還會打瞌睡呢！
It did scare me the first time I saw Tun Tun basking. She stuck her head and limbs completely out under the UVB light. Just looked like she was dead. In fact, it was her basking position which allowed her to expose as much skin as possible to synthesize more vitamin D. Sometimes she falls asleep while basking and will stay in that pose for a long time.

- 獨立飼養 Solo Animals

盾臂龜長大後（不論雌雄）會變得有侵略性，所以最好獨立飼養。雄的還會打架，嘗試把對方反轉。小時候還可以，大了打架便要送其中一些給別人，生病時還需隔離，飼養前一定要想清楚。

It is best to raise African spurred tortoise by himself. Both males and females get aggressive when they aged. When males reach maturity, they will fight with others, trying to flip the other one over. People may do ok when the tortoises are very young but need to sell some of the tortoises once they start fighting. They also need to separate the tortoises when one gets sick. Think about it carefully before getting more than one tortoise.

- 通風 Ventilation

盾臂龜很容易患上呼吸系統的毛病，故需要通風良好的居住環境。如你的龜龜沒有進食或流鼻水，可能會和通風問題有關，那便要見獸醫了。 盾盾的玻璃爬蟲箱兩側都有扇頁通風，前面的窗門亦可打開。盾盾還小，不能爬太高，未有溜走能力，遲些便要加鎖了。

Ventilation is important for African spurred tortoises. They are prone to have respiratory disease. If you see your tortoise “blowing water bubble” from his nose /not eating, there may be problem with ventilation. Take him to a vet. My terrarium is a glass tank with slits on the side and I opened a bit of the frontal windows for Tun. She is still very small (can’t climb too high) so escape is not a problem. Later I may need to lock her windows.

在YouTube 看見一隻盾臂龜開門！
Video in YouTube showing a tortoise opening a slide door!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bFdJJOzzVg&feature=related

如果空氣太侷促，可外置風扇，但盾盾不太喜歡風扇的噪音。盾盾的箱子位於窗台，牠很喜歡望我樓下的公園，也愛聽小鳥的歌聲。

I also have fans for her if the air is very stuffy. Tun Tun does not like the noise though. I put Tun Tun on my windowsill and she loves seeing what is happening in the park and she loves listening to the bird singing.

- 水盤 Water Access

如選擇放水盤，請選一個淺身及邊位底和不割手的水盤，方便龜龜出入。如邊位過高，龜龜容易返身，自己又不能返回，會因此缺水致死。市面上有爬蟲專用的水盤，或可選用膠盤蓋子，。盾臂龜不會游泳，故水位不要太髙，每天/骯髒時換水便可。
You may put out a shallow dish of water for your tortoise. Make sure that the dish is safe for your baby tortoise. The edge of the dish should not be sharp and it should be low so the tortoise can walk in and out without flipping or hurting himself. If a tortoise flipped over and not being flipped back in proper position, he may die from dehydration. Yes, they can’t flip back on their own.　You may choose a water dish specially made for reptiles or use a flat lid from a plastic container. Fill it up with water and change the water every day/when it is dirty. Keep the water level low so it won’t drown the tortoise. The tortoise may drink from the dish and then pass his waste there.

如選擇不放水盤，就一定要浸龜。食物提供的水份並不足夠，特別是幼龜。幼龜很容易缺水，而盾臂龜又容易結石。盾盾小時每天浸泡，100 g 後才開始隔天浸泡。
If you choose not to put out a water dish, make sure you soak your tortoise frequently. Some people may think that if they feed the tortoise fresh food, the water from the food is enough for them. Not really especially for baby tortoises. Baby tortoises are more vulnerable to dehydration and remember African Spurred Tort are prone to stone formation. I soak Tun Tun every day when she was very young. Then every other day after she reached 100 g.

- 定期檢查表 Regular Checklist

每當行經籠子，養成檢查龜龜環境的習慣，例如：

• 溫度
• 濕度
• 龜龜是否安全, 有沒有反身, 鼻子有沒有吹泡泡等...

Form a habit to check on your tortoise whenever you pass him. Check the followings:

• readings of the thermometers
• reading of the hygrometer
• see if the tortoise is doing ok, not flipped over, not blowing bubbles from nose, etc.

浸龜時，留意龜龜的：

• 眼睛 (有沒有分泌物)
• 鼻子 (有沒有鼻涕，吹泡泡等等)
• 龜殼硬度 (有沒有變軟)
• 皮膚 (有沒有受傷)
• 指甲 (是否完整)
• 泄腔 (有沒有流血)，等等

While soaking, check these:

• eyes (heavy discharge?)
• nose (runny nose, blowing bubbles?)
• shell hardness (not soft and see if there is any change)
• skin (any lesion?)
• nails (all there?)
• cloaca (no blood), etc.
  

平日多觀察龜龜的：

• 步姿
• 飲食習慣
• 大小便頻率及其狀態*
• 定時量度和紀錄體重 (有沒有上升或最少保持體重)
• 有沒有便秘等等...

*便便的狀態可用作健康的指標。例如：肚痾可能是由於龜龜飲食不當或寄生蟲問題。 龜龜的大便應該是結實成形的，尿尿則以尿酸形式排出(濃度較高，因此損失的水分極少，牠們是沙漠動物呢)，呈半固態的白色狀態。若龜龜水份足夠，尿酸會較軟和浠(像蛋白)。相反，若龜龜缺水，尿酸會較硬和實 (像石頭, 但一按便散)。

And observe these:

• how he walks
• his eating and drinking habits
• frequency of passing out feces and urate and their forms *
• Weigh him regularly and record the wt (to see if he is gaining wt or at least maintaining his weight)
• any constipation, etc.

*The form of their dropping may indicate an health problem. For example, diarrhea can be caused by improper diet or intesinal disease such as excessive worm load. Droppings should be firm and well formed. Their urine is passed out as a form of urate (more concentrated) in order to save water as they are desert animals. Urate is in a white semi-solid form. It is soft and thin (like egg white) if the tort is hydrated, hard and thick (like stones but can be easily loosen when it is compressed) if the tort is dehydrated .

這些檢查均有助預先察覺到龜龜的健康狀態，龜龜和人類不同，要較慢才出現病徵。多了解龜龜的習性和生活習慣，留意有什麼變化，有問題及早看獸醫。注意不是每一位獸醫都對龜龜有治療經驗的，請小心選擇。

Do all these will help to detect any onset of sickness early. Unlike human, tortoises take a long time to show any symptoms. Know your tort's routine and behaviour. Any change may mean something. Take him to the vet if there is anything wrong. Not all vet are trained for reptiles. Be sure to pick one who is experienced in treating tortoises.

- 沙門氏菌帶菌者 Carrier of Salmonella

由於龜龜帶有沙門氏菌，請用指定器皿照料龜龜飲食，浸泡等。接觸完龜龜應用肥皂洗手，同時要定期消毒其器皿。

Use designated equipment to handle your tortoise for eating, soaking etc and wash your hand with soap after handling the tortoise. Clean the soaking equipment regularly to prevent salmonella contamination.

是男是女 Sexual Determination

小時侯較難分辨，大過１５吋後較易辨認。
It is hard to sex a tort when the size is small. Much easier when they are bigger (over 15 inches).

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/sexingsulcata.htm

Exercising your Tortoise

For lazy owners: 致懶豬主人
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjX5Zpkj6JQ

Tortoise Treadmill: 跑步機上
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74V1W3MvsJ8

- 睡眠時間 Sleep Pattern

盾盾初來的第一天下午五時便做豬寶寶了！真是日出而作，日入而息．．．

後來睡眠時間才改至六時至六時半。但每當牠聽到我的聲音便會掙扎起來，看看我做什麼，有沒有食物，是否去公園玩等．．．

When Tun Tun first came, she slept at 5pm!!! Then we adjusted her slowly to fit our schedule so we could see her more. Now she sleeps at around 6:30 – 7:00 pm. Tun Tun recognizes my voice and will struggle to wake up and come to me. She sees me as a sign of food or going to the park time, sometimes she is just nosy and wants to see what I am doing.

- 補充鈣 Ca Supplelment

龜糧跟牧草已成為盾盾的主要食糧，畢竟盾臀龜是應該吃這種高纖低蛋白食物，而盾盾排便量亦有所増加。間中我們會餵牠一些新鮮蔬菜和鮮草，每星期至每兩星期會在牠的食物中灑上一點爬蟲動物鈣粉以提供生長需要（標籤上說應每星期灑鈣粉，但我怕過量會導致結石）。另外，我會定期觸試盾盾殼子的堅硬程度，感受有沒有變化，定期檢查龜龜是一個良好習慣喲！

Tun Tun does well with the Timothy hay + commercial pellets. This high fiber diet is better for her and that is her main diet now. She passed out more waste ever since the diet change too. We still give her some veggies + fresh grass from time to time. We also give her Ca supplement once in a week to once every two weeks to support her growth. I gave less than the recommended amount (once a week) coz it is a balance of healthy growth and stone formation. I just dust her food with tiny amount of Ca powder. Also, form a habbit to feel the hardness of the shell of your tort regularly. You may do that while you soak your tort.

生長過快或過慢均對龜龜不好，生長過快（如給予太多食物）會令龜龜的肝和腎受損，壽命減短等。過慢較少發生，通常主人都是過度餵飼。

曾在一個台灣龜友討論區看到一隻龜龜停止生長，可能是由於主人是夜班工人，故很晚才餵牠和照料牠。網主是一位有經驗龜友，亦未曾遇過這種情況，只好建議早上餵飼和盡量跟隨龜龜的天然習性飼養，最後結果我不清楚。

It is better to have a steadily slow growth instead of fast growth. That is the way they should be. Too fast growing means damage to the tortoises’ liver and kidney. Also shorten their lives.

Growing too slow rarely happens to these pets as they are often overfed by owners. Of course that is not good too. I remember seeing a thread in a Taiwanese forum that an owner complainted that his tort was not growing. That guy fed the tort very late at night since he worked nightshift. Basically a complete change of a tort's habit. I don't know how the tort end up but the host (an experienced tort keeper) suggested the owner to try to follow the tort's natural pattern of life (e.g., feed in the morning) as he had never seen this situation before.

- 轉食物 (牧草) Diet Change (Commercial Pellets + Timonthy Hay)

最初，盾盾不愛吃牧草。我買了些牧草，並把牧草剪細，然後用來餵給盾盾。 牠只是嗅一嗅，沒有其他行動 ，盾盾視牧草為底材多於食物，我們唯有試其他方法。後來在網上找到一些陸龜飼料,便買給牠再試，先用水浸軟龜糧，後給盾盾。不過盾盾對它亦沒有興趣，始終只愛新鮮蔬菜。

Initially Tun Tun did not like eating hay. We got her some Timothy hay and cut it into small pieces. She sniffed at it and just did not take it as food. So we tried to find other alternatives. After searching in the net, we found some commercial pellets for Tun Tun to try. We soaked the pellets in water to soften them a bit. The pellets smelled really good but Tun only loved her fresh vegetables.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


其間我們繼續嘗試餵牠牧草和龜糧，一直都沒有成功。直至盾盾體重升至100 克，牠才突然愛上龜糧，但對牧草仍舊沒有興趣，故我們只有把牧草混於浸軟的龜糧中，逼牠進食. 盾盾突然的口味轉變跟我另一隻寵物(飛河龜)很相似，可能與年齡有關。從此，我們便餵牠龜糧+牧草。

We tried feeding Tun Tun commercial pellets a few time but Tun still did not see it as food. Same for Timothy hay. It was after she was over 100 g and we gave it a try again. We soaked the pellet in small amount of water to soften it first. Then we put it on Tun Tun eating tile. She loved it this time. The sudden taste change may have something to do with her age since my fly river turtle, Fei Fei, suddenly change his taste buds too. So now we feed her pellet and mix it with Timothy Hay.


在尋找牧草給盾盾時找到一些餵給小兔和倉鼠的日本牧草，它們較我早前買散裝牧草的幼細和軟身，顏色亦較綠，更合盾盾幼嫩的喙子，但價錢較貴。我們先拿去較利和粗身的牧草，只選幼身的細至 1-1.5 cm，存放在儲物袋內，餵盾盾時才與浸透的龜糧混和。

When I looked at rabbit/hamster food at a pet store, there was a Japanese brand of hay that is smaller in size. The hay is finer (not as coarse) and greener in colour. Of course it is more expensive but it is not as tough as the first bulk pack we got so it will be easier for Tun’s beak. We cut them in 1 – 1.5 pieces removing the very sharp or hard stems store it in a zipping bag. That will be mixed with moisten commercial pellets prior to feeding.

- 高纖維低蛋白質餵飼 High Fiber Low Protein Diet

盾臂龜需要高纖維素，低蛋白質食物以維持健康 。這是他們在大自然的食物，適合他們的身體構造 。

It is important for African Spurred Tortoise to have a high fiber, low protein diet. That is what they have in nature and that is what their bodies are built for.



給予高蛋白質食物會令他們隆背 ，生長過速則導致腎臟和肝臟問題 ，生命因而縮短 。所以 ，別以為是一件好事。

It is believed that high protein diet is related to pyramiding problem in African Spurred Tortoise. Too much protein will also make them grow too fast. Growing too fast is not a good thing. Think about the kidney and liver damage in the long run. And shorter life span.

(左) 我在一個爬蟲動物協會的籌款項目看到這隻龜龜。牠重15 磅, 7 歲，非常健康，沒有隆背，主人一定很用心照顧牠，是一隻幸福的龜龜。
(Left) I saw this beautiful tort on a fund raising event for reptiles. She? is 7 years old and weighs 15 lbs. The owner takes very good care of the tort. She looks healthy and no pyramiding.

(右) 我在一個爬蟲公園看到這隻可憐隆背龜龜，我想牠是被遺棄的，之前的主人不懂照料，現住在爬蟲公園。隆背龜龜不但有隆起的殼，內臟可能已受損。
(Right) I saw this tort in a reptile park. I think he was abandoned and now lives in the park. This poor baby has pyramiding problem. Notice the lumps on his shell. Unforturnately, for pyramiding, not only the external is affected. Irregular growth may happen within the body too.

- 初期食物 (龜重< 100 g) Initial Diet (wt < 100 g)

蔬菜 Veggies

盾盾初來時 76 g，由於寵物店一直餵飼蔬菜，暫時只好跟隨，雖然知道牠們較適合用牧草餵詞。另外, 盾盾亦不肯吃其它東西。

When Tun Tun first came, she only weighed 76 g. I fed her veggies to begin with since that was what she used to have in the pet shop although I knew that African Spurred Tort would do better on hay. Besides, she had no interest in other foods

至於蔬菜，由於盾臂龜很容易有結石問題，絕對不能餵十字花科菜 (如菜芯、芥蘭、西蘭花、白菜、椰菜花等... 它們均有四片花瓣排列成十字形的花)。至於豆類亦不合適，因蛋白質太高。

African Spurred Tort are prone to have stone problem. Do not feed them Cruciferae (a.k.a. crucifers, Brassicaceae, charaterized by the four petals making a cross on their flowers). Examples include choy sum, kale, broccoli, bok choy and califlower. No beans either. They are too high in protein.

有關十字花科菜 More on Cruciferae:

Chinese

http://www.leafvein.net/plant_page/Cruciferae.htm

English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables

水果水份太高，未能提供足夠纖維素, 暫時也不行。我在初期 (龜重100g 前) 只餵油墨菜 Indian Lettuce、唐生菜 Chinese Lettuce 及羅馬生菜Roman Lettuce (不要和生菜Lettuce混淆呀)。盾盾很喜歡吃油墨菜 ，可能因味道濃吧！

Fruits are too high in moisture (not enough fiber), she may have some later in her life but not now. I only fed Tun Tun Indian Lettuce, Chinese Lettuce and Roman Lettuce until she weighed more than 100 g. Tun Tun loved Indian Lettuce probably because it was stronger in flavour.

由於幼龜喙子不能切割太硬的東西，蔬菜洗淨瀝乾後可剪至 1 - 1.5 cm，同時需把莖部及較粗葉脈移除。跟據台灣龜友經驗，喙子受傷後就算有手術做也不會縫針，只等天然癒合。蔬菜洗淨後才剪則可減少維他命C流失。

Baby tort can injure their beaks from biting food that are too hard. The beak does not always recover though. Even if you take the injuried tort to the vet, the vet may not be able to do anything (e.g., stitching is not possible) but to let the wound heal naturally. I removed the stem and the main vein from the leaves and cut them into bit size pieces (1-1.5 cm) for Tun Tun just in case. Prior to that, I washed the veggies carefully. If cutting is done before washing, more vitamin C will be lost during the process. So wash the veggies first, drain, then cut.

對於幼龜，有機菜是一個較好選擇。 盾盾這麼小(體重)，相信少量農薬亦對牠有影響吧，故我會盡量餵牠有機菜，或澈底洗淨和浸泡非有機菜才給盾盾。有時我會預早洗淨蔬菜，瀝乾水份後放於膠盒，儲存在冰箱中，蔬菜一般可存放數天，餵盾盾前才把蔬菜剪細。

Feeding your tort with organic green is a good idea as they are free from pesticides. Tun Tun was so small in size so even a small amount of pesticide could do damage. I fed her organic vegetables whenever possible. Or I washed and soaked my veggies very well before giving it to Tun Tun. Sometimes I prepared my veggies ahead of time. I washed and drained the veggies and put them in a plastic container. They can be stored in the fridge for a few days. Prior to feeding, I cut the leaves into small pieces.

盾盾小時候不是吃得很多，一日少於三塊葉子，相對其體型才算大食吧！通常牠於每天早上及黃昏約六時至六時半進食，進食時間非常有規律。
Tun Tun did not eat much when she was small. Well, relative to her size, she ate a lot. Baby Tun Tun ate less than 3 leaves a day. She ate in the morning and in the early evening (around 6 – 6:30 pm). Her lifestyle is quite routine.


以手餵飼能使龜龜更快信任主人，盾盾第一天以能用手餵飼，當然牠較大時, 我可要小心手指。

Hand feeding builds trust between the owner and the tort. Tun Tun was able to be hand fed the first day she arrived. Only need to be careful with your finger especially when the tortoise gets big.

- 為龜龜寫blog ....... A Blog for My Tortoise Finally

首先介紹我的龜龜：

Introducing...

盾盾 Tun Tun = 非洲盾臂龜 /蘇卡達 , 約 1 歲 ♀? ， 108 g ， 養了 5 個月 (Nov. 2008 - April 2009)

Tun Tun is an African Spurred Tortoise (G. Sulcata). She (should be a she) is around 1 yr old. She now weighs 108 g. I have kept her for 5 months. (From Nov. 2008 to April 2009)

雖然在飼養前已做了不少資料搜集， 期間仍遇上不少問題。在搜集龜龜資料時，發現網上很多資料不符，很多時候唯有取中間位。

Although I had done quite a lot of research in the net before having her, I still face many problems. The info I found on the web were often contradicting so I took the middle ground.