Hermann hatchling questions

how often do you feed your hatchling? I've read once a day, twice a day and skip every other day. The breeder I got them from said to skip every other day but they seem hungry.

Also I read to mix the coir with water instead of misting it, do you mix it with your hand everyday?

Is it normal for them to lie under the basking light for hours?

Thanks in advance.

I don't have Hermanni, but my desert tortoise hatchlings end up quite often on their backs if I don't feed them daily. If there's a no food day, they scramble around and climb stuff they shouldn't, and I can only assume they're looking to get out so they can go find food. I don't know about babies in the wild because I've never been in the wild with babies, but in my opinion, a baby will go in search of food daily. I don't think its right to hold food off.

Also, maybe your ambient temp in the enclosure isn't warm enough. Get one of those point and shoot temp readers and check the temp all over the whole enclosure at floor level. It should be about 80F for babies (or better still, check Chris's care sheet for Hermanni babies pinned at the top of the Hermanns section to get the temperature).

Okay, Thanks for the advice. I ordered that temperature gun and it's arriving tomorrow.

tgirl23 said:

how often do you feed your hatchling? I've read once a day, twice a day and skip every other day. The breeder I got them from said to skip every other day but they seem hungry.

Also I read to mix the coir with water instead of misting it, do you mix it with your hand everyday?

Is it normal for them to lie under the basking light for hours?

Thanks in advance.

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Hello, I own two young Hermanni`s and I feed them every day. They eat like "little elephants" and that is a sign for a healthy tortoise I think. Babies must eat every day to grow. I would not skip any day of the week.
Hermann tortoises need humidity but not wet ground. I mist the soil of the enclosure of my little ones every day and they soak every morning in warm water of their water dish. Misting with a flower sprayer should be enough for humidity. Buy an hygrometer. The humidity should be at 55 - 65 %.
My little torts like their basking spot too. They spend a lot of time with basking, then eating and climbing and exploring. They are funny little torts.

Bee62 said:

Hello, I own View attachment 222248 two young Hermanni`s and I feed them every day. They eat like "little elephants" and that is a sign for a healthy tortoise I think. Babies must eat every day to grow. I would not skip any day of the week.
Hermann tortoises need humidity but not wet ground. I mist the soil of the enclosure of my little ones every day and they soak every morning in warm water of their water dish. Misting with a flower sprayer should be enough for humidity. Buy an hygrometer. The humidity should be at 55 - 65 %.
My little torts like their basking spot too. They spend a lot of time with basking, then eating and climbing and exploring. They are funny little torts.

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Your tortoises are too cute! What are their names? We have 2 little ones too. I usually mist it down several times a day. I will get the hygrometer. Glad to hear basking is normal. These are our first hatchlings and I just want to make sure everything is set up perfectly for them. Thanks for the tips!

tgirl23 said:

Your tortoises are too cute! What are their names? We have 2 little ones too. I usually mist it down several times a day. I will get the hygrometer. Glad to hear basking is normal. These are our first hatchlings and I just want to make sure everything is set up perfectly for them. Thanks for the tips!

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Hi, the names of my torts are Lena and Lenus. Can you upload pics of your torts and their enclosure please ?

tgirl23 said:

how often do you feed your hatchling? I've read once a day, twice a day and skip every other day. The breeder I got them from said to skip every other day but they seem hungry.

Also I read to mix the coir with water instead of misting it, do you mix it with your hand everyday?

Is it normal for them to lie under the basking light for hours?

Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

They should be fed as much as they want to eat of the right foods every day. The right foods are broadleaf weeds and certain leaves and flowers.

I dump water into the coir as needed to maintain my desired level of dampness. Having an open topped enclosure makes this very difficult. If you cover all or most of the top, it will hold in the heat and humidity much better, which makes your life easier and your tortoises life better.

If they are staying under the basking lamp for hours it is a sign that the basking area isn't warm enough, or that ambient in the room is too cool. It is not good for them to do that because it desiccates their carapace and causes pyramiding. Find out what your basking temp is directly under the bulb and adjust as needed. Warming up ambient temps will probably help too.

This is them in the bath. And the other is of their enclosure. For the photo I took the top off but I normally keep it on except for the part where the lamp goes through. I bought one of those temp guns. The temp is in the upper 90s under the basking and 70s on the other side. They have 10.0 Reptisun. I tried to follow all the advice I read on their care from Chris as well as the care sheet on Russians by another member. I ordered seeds from tortoise supply that Ive planted and I'm growing clover for them. They are very active little fellows, walking around, and sometimes burrowing. When I put food down they come a running. It's so darn cute. They are suppose to be for my kids but I find myself quickly loving these little guys.