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.

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.

- 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

- 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.