Hi new here with a baby greek

ChinoCochino33 · May 13, 2022

Hi there so this is my first tortoise (baby Greek named Amadeus) I’ve only had him for a few days and I made the mistake of buying a glass terrium. I’ve been online researching all day but I have a bit of questions I can’t really find online.. like I feed him only 4 things ( bok choy, cucumber, apples and Grass from the lawn) I’m not sure if that’s enough of a variety for him and he also doesn’t eat all of it so maybe it’s to much I also don’t know if the grass is actually safe. I do plan on moving him to something better than a glass tank but so far he hasn’t really been showing signs of stress.. he walks around a bit and looks around but he sleeps underneath the heat lamp and when he does pace I let him outside and watch him walk around.. Kinda just overwhelming myself since he’s my first tortoises so asking for some advice I guess I want him to live a long good and happy life

TaylorTortoise · May 13, 2022

Look at that cute little face!!!! aw aw aw
can you post pictures of the entire enclosure please?

Sarah2020 · May 13, 2022

You can get background paper to attach to the outer sides so they can not see out. On one site you can make paper hand high so you see in and their line of vision is blocked other than looking up. I have a glass fronted vivarium with sliding doors and have taped up around hand high and works a treat. Other 3 sides and top and bottom are wood. Hope that helps. Please read the care sheet as heat, light, diet, substrate etc.. all important.

ChinoCochino33 · May 13, 2022

TaylorTortoise said:
Look at that cute little face!!!! aw aw aw
can you post pictures of the entire enclosure please?

Haha that you he’s so cute also Sorry for the glare

ChinoCochino33 · May 13, 2022

Sarah2020 said:
You can get background paper to attach to the outer sides so they can not see out. On one site you can make paper hand high so you see in and their line of vision is blocked other than looking up. I have a glass fronted vivarium with sliding doors and have taped up around hand high and works a treat. Other 3 sides and top and bottom are wood. Hope that helps. Please read the care sheet as heat, light, diet, substrate etc.. all important.

Thank you that did help.. what care sheet are you talking about?

Sarah2020 · May 13, 2022

ChinoCochino33 said:
Thank you that did help.. what care sheet are you talking about?

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Written by a tortoise breeder and a great guide to help you.

LJL1982 · May 13, 2022

You really need to have a look at the care sheets on this forum. They will help a lot. Also take a look at the Tortoise Table Plant Database (Google it) it will give you a good idea of what is safe for a mediterranean tortoise of which Greek is a type to eat.

A couple of points:

Greeks cannot eat fruit because of the sugars.

Greeks need a low protein diet.

Greeks thrive on weeds. You can use the plant database above to check which ones and to what extent of the diet.

Supermarket food should be a last resort as should commercial pellets as these are higher protein.

Tortoises will eat some grasses in the wild, such as Timothy Grass, which is more like a Hay, but this should be very secondary to weeds, and can cause issues in smaller tortoises if too sharp or coarse. Similarly lawn is not ideal at all.

When you post on the forum, remind others where you are, as I can recommend some quick wins food wise if you really can't find weeds for example of you are in the UK, but then that's no use if you are in the US (and in the UK noone can't find weeds right now 😆)

Finally, there are a number of foods such as tomato, spinach and broccoli which cannot be fed due to various chemical levels that affect organs and hormones. Again the plant database will tell you the reason it can't be fed. Some plants like lettuce just aren't nutritious enough.

Main point on enclosure is to check the care sheets and think about getting humidity right for a baby to avoid pyramiding of their shell as they grow....

And keep asking questions on here, it's very welcome and forum users are both friendly and knowledgeable.

L

ChinoCochino33 · May 13, 2022

Sarah2020 said:
The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Written by a tortoise breeder and a great guide to help you.

Ohh thank you so much

ChinoCochino33 · May 13, 2022

LJL1982 said:
You really need to have a look at the care sheets on this forum. They will help a lot. Also take a look at the Tortoise Table Plant Database (Google it) it will give you a good idea of what is safe for a mediterranean tortoise of which Greek is a type to eat.

A couple of points:

Greeks cannot eat fruit because of the sugars.

Greeks need a low protein diet.

Greeks thrive on weeds. You can use the plant database above to check which ones and to what extent of the diet.

Supermarket food should be a last resort as should commercial pellets as these are higher protein.

Tortoises will eat some grasses in the wild, such as Timothy Grass, which is more like a Hay, but this should be very secondary to weeds, and can cause issues in smaller tortoises if too sharp or coarse. Similarly lawn is not ideal at all.

When you post on the forum, remind others where you are, as I can recommend some quick wins food wise if you really can't find weeds for example of you are in the UK, but then that's no use if you are in the US (and in the UK noone can't find weeds right now 😆)

Finally, there are a number of foods such as tomato, spinach and broccoli which cannot be fed due to various chemical levels that affect organs and hormones. Again the plant database will tell you the reason it can't be fed. Some plants like lettuce just aren't nutritious enough.

Main point on enclosure is to check the care sheets and think about getting humidity right for a baby to avoid pyramiding of their shell as they grow....

And keep asking questions on here, it's very welcome and forum users are both friendly and knowledgeable.

L

Oohh Okok thank you I’ve been trying to research what is good for Greek tortoise specifically but couldn’t find anything so this helps a lot thank you.. I live in Burlington Canada

TaylorTortoise · May 13, 2022

ChinoCochino33 said:
Haha that you he’s so cute also Sorry for the glare

Great set up start! You just need to get a food dish for food.

ChinoCochino33 · May 13, 2022

TaylorTortoise said:
Great set up start! You just need to get a food dish for thank you that bowl in the back Is a good dish and I just bath him for a bit in a different bowl.

TammyJ · May 13, 2022

Hi there. That care sheet "The best way to raise any temperate species" is exactly what you need to follow for your little guy. Best and most accurate information! From long experience (not me!) and caring heart.

Lyn W · May 14, 2022

Hi and welcome if you follow the caresheeet linked above your tort should thrive.
Closed chambers like vivs are recommended for babies because they make it easier to control the temps and humidity, so as already suggested, if you block 3 of the sides and maybe add a lid and some tort safe plants to make him feel more secure you may be OK for a while.
The water dish you have has steep sides that could be a tipping/drowning hazard for a little tort - many of us use cheap terracotta plant saucers with gently outward sloping sides and when they are sunk level with the substrate they are easier and safer for torts to access and exit. You can also use one for food.
Your substrate is looking rather dry but the caresheet will offer advice about that.
A good diet is also listed in the caresheet and you may find www.thetortoisetable.org.uk useful for finding safe food, you just have to look for the ones with best nutritional value for torts.
Are you using a combination mercury vapour balance bulb in the holder on top of the tank? If so those aren't recommended anymore because they have been found to dry and damage tort shells - again see the caresheet for advice on heating and lighting.
Many of us have made mistakes and been given old incorrect information when we started out, but with the help of TFO we've been able to turn things around before our torts have been affected too much.

TeamZissou · May 14, 2022

ChinoCochino33 said:
Hi there so this is my first tortoise (baby Greek named Amadeus) I’ve only had him for a few days and I made the mistake of buying a glass terrium. I’ve been online researching all day but I have a bit of questions I can’t really find online.. like I feed him only 4 things ( bok choy, cucumber, apples and Grass from the lawn) I’m not sure if that’s enough of a variety for him and he also doesn’t eat all of it so maybe it’s to much I also don’t know if the grass is actually safe. I do plan on moving him to something better than a glass tank but so far he hasn’t really been showing signs of stress.. he walks around a bit and looks around but he sleeps underneath the heat lamp and when he does pace I let him outside and watch him walk around.. Kinda just overwhelming myself since he’s my first tortoises so asking for some advice I guess I want him to live a long good and happy life

This looks like a marginated tortoise to me. Can you post a photo of the plastron (bottom of the shell)?

You can also compare yours to the babies in this thread. Look for the triangular patches instead of splotchy spots:

Which Baby Tortoise Do I Have? - A Pictorial Guide

Which Baby Tortoise Do I have? -A Pictorial Guide to Differentiating Baby Mediterranean Tortoises By Chris Leone “HermanniChris” www.gardenstatetortoise.com www.hermannihaven.com BabyTortoisesHatching by GardenStateTortoise, on Flickr We’ve come a considerable distance in understanding...

tortoiseforum.org

Hi new here with a baby greek

ChinoCochino33

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TaylorTortoise

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Sarah2020

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ChinoCochino33

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Sarah2020

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The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

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The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

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TaylorTortoise

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Which Baby Tortoise Do I Have? - A Pictorial Guide

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