# Hermann tortoise won't eat weeds



## Kori5 (Oct 25, 2015)

Hello!

I'm a new member of this forum and also a new hermann owner. In July, we adopted a male hermann, aprox.15 years old from our neighbours who didn't want him anymore. He lives in our spacy garden with a lot of sunlight and weeds. This year I decided not to hibernate him so he's in a terarrium 100x40 with uvb and heat lamp, coconut coir. The temperature of the room is about 26 C, under the basking spot it reaches 33 C. I soak him everyday and he drinks water.
The problem is...he won't eat weeds everyday! I give him dandelions clover hibiscus etc. but he eats sometimes and sometimes not. His previous owners were feeding him pretty bad, tomatoes lettuce so maybe he's used to that food? I asked the same question on other forum and a kind lady responded that he will eat when he gets hungry and it may take to a month. He seems healthy, walking around and climbing. Also, I let him walk my bedroom, its small and clean. This happens when I'm home studying.
What to do, any advice? He's 14 cm long and weights 645 g. Is that ok?


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## Yvonne G (Oct 25, 2015)

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

It's ok to buy dark, leafy greens from the grocery store. Buy a head/bunch of one type, say, escarole, this week, then next week buy a different type. Some other choices would be dandelion, clover, honeysuckle, leafy salads, watercress, curly kale, brussel tops, spring greens, coriander, parsley, rocket, carrot, parsnip, courgette, pre Alpin and bell peppers. The bulk of the vegetation should be leafy greens.


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## Kori5 (Oct 25, 2015)

Thank you! So I tried baby lettuce, radicchio and endivia from store and the scenario is usually: he eats some and then tomorrow doesnt want to try it. Then he gets really hungry and eats everything dandelions clover etc. What do you think about his measurments?


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## dmmj (Oct 25, 2015)

the kind lady on the other form is right a healthy tortoise won't starve itself.I would try offering different greens from the store mustard, turnip radish, theres lots of different ones you can try you may find one that he likes


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## Kori5 (Oct 25, 2015)

I'll go to store tomorrow and buy some salad mix. My other problem is that he won't stop climbing in his enclousure. So when he g_e_ts active I let him walk around my small bedroom. Some people say it's not recomended but he seems happier this way beacuse he's used to a large garden and this is small compared to it. I have a adjustible uvb and heat lamp which I install in one corner where his hiding spot is and after he walks around he sits there, goes into his little house, sleeps etc.


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## Tom (Oct 25, 2015)

Kori5 said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm a new member of this forum and also a new hermann owner. In July, we adopted a male hermann, aprox.15 years old from our neighbours who didn't want him anymore. He lives in our spacy garden with a lot of sunlight and weeds. This year I decided not to hibernate him so he's in a terarrium 100x40 with uvb and heat lamp, coconut coir. The temperature of the room is about 26 C, under the basking spot it reaches 33 C. I soak him everyday and he drinks water.
> The problem is...he won't eat weeds everyday! I give him dandelions clover hibiscus etc. but he eats sometimes and sometimes not. His previous owners were feeding him pretty bad, tomatoes lettuce so maybe he's used to that food? I asked the same question on other forum and a kind lady responded that he will eat when he gets hungry and it may take to a month. He seems healthy, walking around and climbing. Also, I let him walk my bedroom, its small and clean. This happens when I'm home studying.
> What to do, any advice? He's 14 cm long and weights 645 g. Is that ok?



His enclosure _is_ too small, but the solution is not to let him wander the room which is dangerous, the solution is to make him a proper large tortoise table or closed chamber. It should be 122x244cm at a minimum for an adult hermanni. They need room to move, but in there own enclosure.

Raising your basking temp a bit might help. Try for 36-37 directly under the bulb.

What type of UV bulb are you using? The coil types can burn their eyes. This frequently kills their appetite, and also makes them want to leave the area.

Its oaky if he doesn't want to eat every day as we enter fall. That is pretty natural as they want to hibernate. If you don't want to hibernate him, keep the temps and lighting up and in time he will realize its not time to hibernate and normal appetite will return.

Weight sounds fine for that size. Is it a Western? I'd love to see pics.


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## Kori5 (Oct 25, 2015)

His uvb is exo terra reptile uvb 150 10% and it is placed on 35 cm height. I've been using it for 10 days because he was outside during previous days due to sunny weather. But this diet thing was a problem since we got him, usually he was in the garden so we couldn't keep track how much he ate. Since I moved him to my bedroom I started worrying although his weight is stable.
I am planning to build a bigger enclousure, I'll do my best because my room is really small. He'll be in the garden when the winter passes so this is only temporary.

Actually he is a hermann subspecie, hermann hercegoviniensis or dalmatian if you prefer. I'm from Croatia and they are our authentic animals . Photos are poor qualitiy i'll get some better but her's a video of him walking.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Kp4FRDfUUsdmYwczltdG1DY2M/view


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## 4jean (Oct 25, 2015)

He is beautiful!!


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## Kori5 (Oct 26, 2015)

Thank you .I'll post photos this week so you can se his carpace plastron.


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## Kori5 (Oct 26, 2015)

Should I keep him in his enclousure then although it is a little small and he is constantly climbing? The thing about the climbing is that he does that even in our spacy garden. We found him in and on our compost, on my moms pots. He really is active. Maybe his apetite is lacking because he was roaming around my bedroom and wasn't under the uvb/basking spot near enough? I will build him something bigger, just need advice what to do in days to come .


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## Kori5 (Oct 26, 2015)

I also tried baby carrot soak last week and today.


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