Elongated tortoise not eating and hiding most ofthe time

[Sowju]

Hi everyone,
I got 2yrs old male elongated tortoise from a guy 3days back. I am new to this pet raising at home and had so many queries that finally I thought to ask.
I got the tortoise(my daughter named it as OM) with an glass enclosure,a light anda heating pad below the glass aquarium.
The problem is i tried so many food (melons,romanian lettuce,apple, cucumbers, tomatoes, green cabbage) but OM doesn't like to eat anything and shows no interest even to go near the food dish. First 2days i fed him melons which he ate very little. But now he hides most of the time,doesnt eat,sleeps a lot and is not active at all.I even leave him indoor so that it can walk and explore the place and will feel hungry. OM even doesnt want to go near the water dish nor soaks in the water.
Friends please suggest what to do and where i am going wrong

 

[Huckleberry]

Hi Sowju,
What a beautiful little tortoise! Is he doing any better? Is he adjusting to his new home?
How warm is the cage?
I soak mine for 1/2 hour in warm water every evening (in a plastic tub), and then offer food afterwards. They are most active early in the morning and late in the afternoon/evening (crepuscular).
Have you tried other foods? My hatchling elongatas prefer mushrooms and snails over all other foods; they also eat pumpkin (cooked), hard-boiled eggs, ipomoea aquatica (aquatic morning glory), other greens, bananas, and jack fruit. Snails get them the most excited!

Good luck!

 

[Huckleberry]

Here is a useful article about their diet in the wild.
http://www.herpetologynotes.seh-her...al_Herpetology_Notes_Volume5_pages005-007.pdf

 

[Huckleberry]

Information overload: https://www.zfmk.de/dateien/atoms/files/ihlow_et_al._2016_indotestudo_elongata.pdf

 

[Tom]

Hi everyone,
I got 2yrs old male elongated tortoise from a guy 3days back. I am new to this pet raising at home and had so many queries that finally I thought to ask.
I got the tortoise(my daughter named it as OM) with an glass enclosure,a light anda heating pad below the glass aquarium.
The problem is i tried so many food (melons,romanian lettuce,apple, cucumbers, tomatoes, green cabbage) but OM doesn't like to eat anything and shows no interest even to go near the food dish. First 2days i fed him melons which he ate very little. But now he hides most of the time,doesnt eat,sleeps a lot and is not active at all.I even leave him indoor so that it can walk and explore the place and will feel hungry. OM even doesnt want to go near the water dish nor soaks in the water.
Friends please suggest what to do and where i am going wrong

It might be the red bulb. I wouldn't use a red bulb day or night. They need white light during the day.

Also, those water bowls are serious flipping hazards. Sink a terra cotta saucer into the substrate instead.

Where are you?