Pancake Tortoise Care Malacochersus tornieri

Pancake Tortoise Care

The pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri) is found in rocky scrub in southern Kenya and northern and eastern Tanzania. Its name comes from the shape of its shell, which is flattened and flexible. Unlike most tortoises, which pull their limbs into their shell when threatened, the pancake runs for cover. It’s thought to be the fastest tortoise species alive!

A relatively small species, the upper shell (carapace) reaches a maximum length of 17.8 cm (7 inches). They live in loose groups around piles of rock, and their unique shape enables them to hide in the crevices in these rocks when trouble threatens. They also use these crevices to regulate their body temperature during the heat of the African day; in fact, although they don’t hibernate they do aestivate – which is the same thing, but to escape heat rather than cold.

Wild populations are in decline due to the deadly combination of habitat loss and collection for the pet trade; it’s more important than ever to make sure that you only buy true captive bred specimens. These should be microchipped and accompanied by the relevant Article 10 paperwork.

Pancakes are one of the few arid habitat tortoises that thrive in vivariums, although a well set-up tortoise table would be fine for them as well. They need a good source of UVB and a basking area large enough for them to expose their whole shells to the hot spot, rather than just a small area. They are also happy to live in groups, unlike many other species.

Feeding is relatively simple for them as long as you follow a few common sense rules. They do very well on a weed based diet, high in fibre and calcium, low in protein and phosphorous. Avoid fruit, and any greens high in oxalic acid (such as spinach) or goitrogens – chemicals that cause gout (most of the brassica family, cabbages, kale and so on). These food items are fine as a treat, but should be avoided on a regular basis. Plain calcium should be dusted on every feed, with a good quality multivitamin/multimineral powder added twice a week. Pancake tortoises feed enthusiastically, and seem to prefer to eat in the morning; they like to spend most of the day tucked up in their hides, but once they’re settled they will emerge to investigate whenever anyone comes near their home.

A word of warning – pancake tortoises are phenomenal climbers! They are adapted to spend their days scrambling around huge piles of sun warmed rock, so any open topped enclosure must have either a large overhanging lip or a mesh cover. Their flexible shell and long limbs allow them to flip themselves over much faster than more normal shaped species, another adaptation to help them cope with the inevitable falls that come with their acrobatic lifestyle.

Because of their unique shape, female pancakes lay one – or very occasionally two – eggs at a time, although they can do this up to five times in a season. They have an extremely variable incubation period; three to six months!

Common name: Pancake Tortoise

Scientific Name: Malacochersus tornieri

Location: Kenya and Tanzania

Habitat (wild): Arid environment, stone outcroppings called kopjes.

Captive environment: Table or vivarium

Preferred temperature range: daytime hot spot of 40 deg C under the basking light, background ambient of 35 deg C, cool end of 25 deg C. Temperature can drop to 20 deg C at night.

UVB: 10% or 12% tube, mercury vapour or metal halide bulb.

Substrate: Soil based

Lifespan: 35 years +

Settling in your new pet reptile

So you’ve done your research, you’ve chosen your new pet. You’ve bought the equipment you’ll need, you’ve set it all up and decorated it to your satisfaction. You’ve run the heating and lighting and you know your temperatures. You’re as ready as you’ll ever be, and so you set off for the reptile shop to collect your new pet.

It’s a tremendously exciting time; one of the most rewarding aspects of our job is seeing the sheer delight on someone’s face when they collect their new pet, whether it’s their first reptile or a species they’ve been hankering after for a while.

Off you go, new pet safe and secure in a box or bag, advice buzzing around your head like so much meaningless noise. You can’t wait to get home and start building that essential bond between pet and owner—

STOP.

Excitement notwithstanding, there are a few vital points to remember at this stage.

1.       This is a big day for you, but it’s a colossal upheaval for your new pet. Everything he’s become used to is changing; the sounds, the smells, the timing of lights on and off, the food will be different (albeit very similar). Imagine being set down in a strange city, where you can’t speak the language, and have no idea where you are. Even if everybody is very kind to you, it’s going to be pretty scary.

2.       Animals respond to scary situations in one of three ways – fight, flight, or freeze. Even a very confident bearded dragon that sat quite boldly in your hand at the shop may well thrash about and try to run away when handled for the first time in a new home. They have no idea that you’re their friend, and if you’re too insistent in trying to make friends then that’s when the fight reflex kicks in – which is no fun for anyone!

3.       Being stared at is, almost without exception, an unfriendly signal in the animal world. Captive bred animals may well be used to being looked at, but a direct stare for any length of time is going to make them very, very uncomfortable. It’s going to suggest that you’re either about to attack your new pet, or eat it. Neither option is going to make your new friend feel very happy about you!

I know it may seem like we’re being terrible killjoys when we advise you not to touch or stare at your new pet, but to keep any contact light and calm for the first week (and possibly longer, for some species). But truly, we’ve seen more problems caused by an over-enthusiastic welcome than we have from just about any other cause; most animals will very quickly figure out that the best defence is a good offense if they’re forced to. And then there are the truly sad ones where an animal simply shuts down in fear, hiding away and refusing to feed, until it becomes sick or even dies. It’s rare, but it does happen.

So how to avoid causing yourself and your new companion any undue stress on ‘moving day’?

Firstly, we’ll give you as much information as possible about your new pet. We get to know our residents pretty well, and will be able to give you individual advice on how to settle that particular animal in. All animals are individuals, so even if a species is normally very bold remember you may have a shy one!

The bag or box that we will give you to transport your new pet home is sufficient to keep them comfortable and secure for the several hours it will take you to get home and make sure their new house is all ready for them. Taking them out and stuffing them back in again is going to give them a stressful experience they may never get over, so put them somewhere warm and quiet and leave them alone.

When the time comes to put them in their new home, that’s when you can take the time for a little bit of a cuddle. They’re having a stressful day as it is, so a quick five minute handling session isn’t going to do them any harm – but keep it short!

The next bit is definitely the hardest. This is where the mistakes get made and the damage is done, so it’s very very important to try your very hardest to get it right.

The next bit?

Patience.

A little bit (or perhaps a lot!) of self control here will pay dividends in the long run. Yes, you want your new pet to respond to you. You want to see it eat, you want to interact with it – and all of these desires are fine. But back off a bit. Give your new pet a chance to observe the new sights and sounds and smells and figure out for themselves that they aren’t threatening, which most will do pretty quickly. If we say three days, we mean it; yes, there are animals that will settle in much more quickly, and will be demanding attention from the first night (bearded dragons are most often like this!), but most will take a little bit of time. We come up with the figures based on our past experience of the species, and our current knowledge of that particular animal – some are shy, some are bold, some are nosy.

Just check they’ve got access to water and food, make sure their temperatures are OK, then leave them alone. If you’re worried you can always call or email us!

Follow these few simple guidelines, and you should get your relationship with your new companion off to a flying start. Remember – patience!

UV lighting for nocturnal geckos, snakes and amphibians

To UV or not to UV?

There is an ongoing controversy over providing UVB light for nocturnal animals. The main point of the argument seems to be that the sun does not shine at night, so why provide artificial sunlight?

The trouble is that the question is not as simple as it first appears.

Very few animals never see the sun. At all. Ever. Some burrowing species, perhaps, or specially adapted cave geckos; species whose requirements are so specific that they don’t really fall under the discussion here, which is whether our common pet species should be provided with UV light. So which species are we talking about?

Crested Gecko 

The commonly kept nocturnal species include leopard geckos, crested geckos – most of the gecko family, with the obvious exception of the day geckos – skinks, corn snakes, royal pythons, king snakes, horned frogs, fire bellied toads, fire salamanders, and the various tree frog species.

Leopard Gecko 

Amphibians (frogs, toads, newts and salamanders) do seem to actively avoid strong UV light; a 2% UVB compact won’t do them any harm, but it doesn’t seem to do them any particular good, either. So it’s safe to say that, unless you are keeping them in a setup with live plants, that UV is very much optional.

Compact UV Lamp

Snakes vary tremendously in their exposure to natural sunlight. Most will occasionally be seen basking in the early morning sunlight to warm up after a night’s activity, although they will also make use of sun-warmed rocks (or road surfaces) after the sun has gone down. Different species have different activity levels at different times of day, so there isn’t really a rule of thumb that covers all snakes. However, it’s safe to say that by providing low levels of UVB you are replicating the occasional contact that they would have in the wild.

Albino Chinese Beauty Snake

Snakes have the added advantage in that their diet automatically provides them with levels of vitamin D3 from the liver of their prey; this has always been the argument against providing them with artificial light. However, by giving them the opportunity to ‘top up’ in the same way they would in the wild we can only improve their overall health and general wellbeing.

Mercury Vapour Lamp 

(Interestingly, my Mandarin Ratsnakes – a Chinese species renowned for their shy natures, and for remaining burrowed in leaf litter when given the chance – often come out to bask first thing in the morning when their lights come on. Because they like it cooler than a lot of other species, I use 2% UV compact bulbs, which don’t put out a lot of heat. So are they basking to gain benefit from the slightly raised temperature, or making use of the UV?)

Incandescent Lamp - Does not produce UVB

But it’s the nocturnal lizards where the discussion can get quite heated. It’s certainly true that leopard geckos have been kept and bred for many years without the use of UV light, and have done very well. Many of the largest, most successful leopard gecko  breeders in the world use rack systems where the geckos have no access to UV light, and they do just fine.

Anyone who has worked with reptiles has, however, seen the other side of the coin all too frequently. Sometimes, it appears that these nocturnal lizards simply cannot metabolise the supplements we give them to mimic exposure to UV light. So even if the animal’s food is supplemented regularly with the correct amount of the correct formulation of multivitamin/multimineral powders it can still get sick… and metabolic bone disease (MBD)is a terrible, sad, debilitating condition that will eventually prove fatal for the unfortunate creature that has it.

We occasionally see MBD I geckos kept without UV light but I can’t think of any cases we have seen where UV light was provided.

In the wild a lot of these nocturnal animals aren’t totally hidden away from the light. Crested geckos hide amidst foliage at the end of branches, with at least part of their skin accessible to sunlight filtered through the canopy. Leopard geckos can be seen with either their heads or tails at the mouth of their caves, taking advantage of early morning or late afternoon sunlight.  Many species will be found hunting at dawn or dusk, where they are again exposed to sunlight; in no way is this the same strength of sunlight (and hence UV) found when a bearded dragon is sitting in the full blast of the Australian sunshine at midday!

By providing access to lower levels of UVB light, whether it’s from a traditional style strip light or a compact lamp, your pet can regulate its level of UV in the same way that it regulates its temperature. And while you should still keep up with the supplements, you can be sure that your pet is actually getting the full benefit of them. We want our pets to be healthy and happy, and it really does seem that by providing access to UV light we are maximising the chances of this.

For more information on UV light and why we should be providing it for more animals than we used to think, please see http://www.uvguide.co.uk/  These guys really, really know what they’re talking about!

UV lights are available to purchase from our website or in store. 

There is a wide variety of lights available so if you need any help choosing the right light for your animal please call us on 01865 764269 or email info@evolutionreptiles.co.uk 

Why Captive Bred?

More and more stores – Evolution Reptiles included! – are now saying that they supply captive bred animals only. And you might be wondering why this is such a big deal, or perhaps surprised that there are any other types. So why do we, and others, say it?

For a long time, the technology simply wasn’t available to keep most species happy and healthy for any length of time – and breeding them was pretty much out of the question. Supplying from the wild was the only option; the statistics make for grim reading, but as time passed more and more species began to thrive, and even breed regularly. An animal born in captivity is always going to make a better pet than one that has had to survive on its wits in the wild; the captive bred animal is used to seeing, hearing and smelling humans at close quarters from the day it is born. Humans are just part of the scenery!

                                                 Bearded Dragon - Bred by Evolution Reptiles

At the end of the day, we want to supply people with happy, healthy pet animals that are not difficult to keep well.  With the improvement in available equipment (and some superb research into how reptiles use UV light (UV guide, Arcadia Reptile)) many species are simple to keep happy. A captive bred animal from captive bred parents will, when provided with the correct temperatures, lighting, and space, live out a full and happy life, interacting with the humans that surround it without becoming stressed.

                                                 Corn Snake - Bred by Evolution Reptiles

Stress kills. This is true of all animals – even us! – but it is particularly bad in highly strung animals like chameleons. Being taken from the wild, shipped to a holding centre, flown overseas, then another road trip to a wholesaler, then to a shop to be stared at by all and sundry is a very frightening experience for an animal. It’s a wonder so many survived at all.

                                                  Woma Python - Bred by Evolution Reptiles

But they did, due to the dedication and care of those who admired these animals, and a large number of species began to reproduce in captivity. Enough, in fact, to supply the pet trade; there is certainly a case to be made for bringing in a small number of animals from the wild to be used to prevent inbreeding, or to produce individuals that are larger/smaller/brighter coloured. But when it comes to simply being good pets?

Captive bred every time!

If you would like to learn more please come and speak to us.

Come and visit our store, 

Gut Loading Livefoods

Gut Loading

It’s something you read about in care sheets, it’s advised by your pet store, and frequently crops up in queries on forums. But what is gut loading?

Gut loading is a way of boosting the nutritional value of your insect livefood by feeding a high quality, balanced diet. There are several ways of doing this; commercial bug diets, fresh green foods, or dog food. The most successful method will differ by species, as an omnivorous species of insect will benefit more from a diet designed for omnivores than a herbivorous one will. So in short, ‘gut loading’ is just a fancy way of saying ‘feeding’!

But why do we do it? Is it important?

Insects, when they come from the supplier, are usually packed with bran in the boxes. This is sufficient to keep them alive for a limited time, but isn't terribly nutritious in and of itself. The suppliers need as many bugs as possible to reach the shop and, ultimately, the customer alive; if shipped with bellies full of food they are much more likely not to survive until they reach the end user. So, when you get them home, you need to fill them up so that they not only survive longer, but they are more nutritious for your pet. You are what you eat!

Fresh leafy greens are good, and have the added benefit that the insects will get all the water they need from them. Locusts in particular need fresh greens; as a herbivorous insect they will really benefit from the fresh feeding method. Fruit can be used, but remember that whatever you are feeding your bugs you are ultimately feeding to your pet, so go easy on the citrus fruits. Fish food can be useful, as this often has colour-enhancing ingredients which will be passed on to your pet. Dog and cat food is high in protein, and is especially good for cockroaches.

Several of the large supply houses make their own commercial gut load mix; these are often an easy way to bulk up your bugs before feeding. Using different brands in rotation will ensure that any minor shortfall in vitamins and minerals will be compensated for. There are now ‘jelly pots’ available for gut loading; these are basically protein and calcium, and ensure that the bugs are getting all the water they need without having a water bowl they can drown in.

Give your bugs at least 24 hours with your chosen food type before feeding them to your pet, and don’t forget to dust them with a good calcium supplement!

Buy your livefoods and insect foods online from Evolution Reptiles 

5 Reptiles you will love and 4 you won't

5 Reptiles you will love...

1. Bearded Dragons - 

Massively popular because they are great pets. Easy for kids to handle and very resilient. They are friendly, outgoing and enjoy interacting with their keepers 

2. Leopard Geckos - 

They are very simple to keep, handle very well. They are relatively small lizards so easy to house. They are available in a huge range of colours. An excellent first lizard.

3. Corns Snakes - 

They are very easy to keep well. Only grow to about 4ft long. They are very easy to handle and generally feed well. They are available in in a huge range of colours and patterns. 

4. Crested Gecko - 

These are cheeky geckos! Require less heating than the majority of pet species, in fact in most centrally heated homes they will need no additional heating at all. The other big plus point is that they can quite happily thrive on the fruit based meal replacement powders that are commercially available. No more bugs!

5. Royal Python - 

Of all the python species these are probably the most popular - and with good reason. They are calm and gentle and stay small, which means that their housing doesn't have to dominate the room. They are available in an enormous range of colours and patterns, and captive bred animals are usually good feeders. 

...And 4 that you won't.

1. Yellow-bellied Sliders

Which includes most of the mass captive farmed species of basking turtle. Whilst these guys have got absolutely delightful personalities, they grow very large and require a huge volume of water to stay healthy. They eat a lot, have very specific requirements for UV, lighting, heating, and diet, and don't like to be handled. 

2. Burmese pythons

Burms (as they're usually referred to) are great snakes with lovely personalities. The trouble is, that cute little 2 ft hatchling will hit 6 - 9 ft in a year, need to be fed on large prey like guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens, and eventually need at least an 8 ft vivarium. They eat a lot, and the mess they produce is epic! Females can top out at 18 feet long, which is a lot bigger in the flesh than you think it is. Big, long lived, and awkward to look after as adults because of their sheer physical size. These points are equally true for all the giant snakes.

3. Bosc (or Savannah) monitors

Often recommended as the best pet of the large monitor lizard species, these animals are often available cheaply as captive farmed babies. Like all the big monitors they are very intelligent, active, and inquisitive; they also have very particular needs when it comes to housing. Unless you can provide a zoo-sized enclosure, it's probably best to leave these guys alone.

4. Green Iguanas

Probably the most impressive lizard regularly available through the trade, and one of the least suitable for the average pet keeper. Just giving them the correct environmental conditions is difficult enough, and providing a balanced diet needs a good understanding of how nutrition works. Then there are the temperament issues, and the fact that an adult male can reach 6 feet long, and is well armed with talons, teeth, and a tail like an iron bar!

All of the above species can, in the right hands, be great pets. The trouble is, all of them need a huge commitment in terms of time, space, and money; all of them are cheap to buy, but none of them are cheap to house, heat, light, or feed. That £25 turtle could conceivably cost £1000 to house properly as an adult!

 

Reptiles and Temperature

Today I have been looking into average temperatures of Australia in different areas and it got me thinking, where are the temperatures measured?

It turns out that temperatures are always taken in the shade and at a height of 1-2m from the ground.

So how different are the temperatures on the ground in the sun?

When looking in to this for keeping reptiles in captivity, it just gives you a rough idea of what they might need and you have to then fine tune the temperatures depending on their behaviour. Too hot and the reptiles will hide and to cold and they will spend all day basking.

Also many of the species of reptiles that are kept in captivity have a natural range that will overlap with another species, but that does not mean that these two species are kept the same. Behaviour can differ, you may have a snake that spends the hotter parts of the day hiding and comes out in the cool hours and a lizard that loves to bask in the highest temperatures but seeks the cover when the temperatures drop.

The behaviour of the reptile can also help maintain their body temperature longer, basking in the sun then hide under a log, coiled nice and tight. Some reptiles will be better at this than others. A large snake could maintain the temperature for a long time where a Chameleon on a branch would cool more quickly only being able to hide amongst leaves out of any breeze.

Thinking about all of this makes me think that there is still a lot to learn.