Tortoise for Dummys Follow up from yesterday (and pics!)

Hey there again! I got pics now! Remember, I joined yesterday cause we got our daughter a Greek tortoise for her birthday yesterday. SHE LOVES HIM was over the moon when we surprised her! Now for my inquisition of you guys for your knowledge.

I still haven't seen him eat. I replaced the spinach w/ kale and collard greens and put a few cut up seedless grapes on top. He's moved around his cage, displaced the plants but that's about it. Hasn't gone in his water either. I soaked him yesterday in warm water for about 15 min.

The basking side is about 95 degrees and the cooler side is between 75-80.

From the pic, do I need to switch the water w/ the hidey log so the water would be closer to the basking spot?

Of the two that were at the store, this was the smaller one, and I gather from all the info I read HERE yesterday, he's probably a few years old.

How's the tank look? Anything I could get to stimulate his appetite? He's the cutest thing! My daughter loves him and is deciding on a name. Squirt is the front runner so far.

Give him time to settle in. Sometimes it takes weeks or even a month. Keep soaking every day to every other day so you know he's staying hydrated. So glad she was thrilled.

what about him eating? Once I see him eat, I'll feel so much better.

thanks!

It looks pretty good! I guess you will be building an outdoor enclosure for the warmer months. That would be a great father daughter project. He really is cute! FYI- there are soooo many torts named Squirt on here.
Look through the enclosure section to get ideas for his summer home. If you live in a warmer climate he could stay out year around.

Personally, I like the name Harry. lol We live in southern az, so the summer months will be like 100+ lol. Any suggestions on getting him to eat?

I'm a worry wort when it comes to our pets. lol

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Also, should I put something around the front of the tank so he won't bang into it trying to climb it or get out? I have a desert scene around the back and one of the sides but I think I need something in front as well.

I would not worry. They can go for a very long time w/o eating. Just soak him everyday in warm water and leave him be. It will take time to warm up to his new home. Just put the food down and one day you will catch him eating and exploring. I like the name Harry. Have your daughter go thru her favorite actors or charactors she likes. One will stick. Sounds like you like this guy too

Everything looks great, your tortoise is really cute. It is so great that your daughter loves him and because I did not say it in your other threads... Hi & Welcome!!

Thank you! She has named him "Mr. Pickles". No idea how she came up w/ it but it's sticking. lol Should I cover up the tank around the sides so he can't see out? The entire top is a metal mesh w/ great ventilation, there's also ventilation where the double doors are. I sent hubby out to get some Spring Mix I kept reading about. We live in southern AZ where cacti are abundant, I read that cactus is good for them but what kind specifically?

Should I switch the hidey log and the water? The water would be closer to the basking spot that way. I have taken a liking to the little guy. I get attached really easy. When we had rats (they live less then 5 years) I cried for days after they died. I played w/ them every day, raced them to the docs when one of them had an upper respiratory infection and gave him meds w/ a dropper every 4 hours for days. lol

I've read everything I can find on tortoises, the good the bad.....diet etc. While I know the tank isn't the absolute best for them that the outside is, I got the biggest tank I could find. In the summer, hubby said he'd make an enclosure. I'd be worried about him out there tho, there are coyotes and hawks have been known to swoop down and pick up puppies from backyards here! that would freak me out.

Was thinking about doing a tortoise table and my other daughter would love the tank for a lizard. lol But for now, he'll have to stay where he is and I can improvise the best I can.

Hello and welcome. Tort tables can be a fun, cheap and easy project. You can usually find a free book case on C/L to start it. I used cinder blocks for legs and painted it all to match. I am not a builder type, but if you are you could really do some thing neat

Daughter caught him eating!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH! finally. He ate a grape and some of the kale we had in there. I soaked him for about 20 min in warm water while daughter watched and talked to him. lol

Gotta a funny question, what does turtle poop look like? How big is it? Been waiting for him to go either in his baths or the tank but haven't seen anything. Is it green? black? Does it stink real bad? I know, weird question.......lol

Thanks for all the help guys. O yeah, I asked this before, do I switch the water dish w/ the hidey log?

bump for some help?????????????

Hi there!
Mr Pickles is very handsome!! His home looks great! His poopy could b any color....black brown white green. It should not smell

Not sure about tort poop, I know it can vary greatly based on diet. Just so you know, you probably shouldn't be feeding him grapes, they have too much sugar. Other than that seems like your doing fine, and it will take time for your tort to settle in. Don't worry if it hasn't pooped yet, it will eventually.

When I first got my tortoise, she didn't eat much (or at all) for a little while, that I know of or saw. They just sometimes take a while to settle in. But trust me, he'll be eating up a storm soon enough.

Looks great. Where'd you get a tank like that? It looks perfect, and I love the square shape.

Don't feed grapes he can get hooked on them.also diarea!cha cha cha! Lol

Thank you! I know I shouldn't do the grapes but it got him eating actually. I took them out after I saw him eating most of his food this morning. I got the spring mix and realized that he ate after we turned his light on this morning. So I'll make sure to have his food changed BEFORE he gets up so he can have the cool fresh stuff, if this is going to be his pattern.

That tank is by "exo-terra" They have ALL SIZES, this is the large "low" tank. The only one bigger was the large "wide". It was a lot taller then the one I got. Didn't think he needed a tall tank. Most pet stores should have them. It has a metal mesh top for ventilation w/ locks and two double doors that also lock on the front. I did end up putting a wall background around the sides and a cut up brown bag on the front so he couldn't see out. He keeps climbing the walls. Once I did that he hasn't done it so much.

Also, should I switch the water and his hidey log so the water will be closer to the basking spot? The right side of the tank is a nice 95 degrees and the cool size about 75-80. The humidity is about 75-80 as well.

What fruit would you recommend to give on occassion, like for a treat?

thanks again for all your input!

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Just found him sittin in his food bowl chowing down! woo hoo! He ate almost all of the spring mix! I feel so much better now. He's a piggy! Afterwards I think he pooped or peed in there as well, it was all wet gross looking so I changed the food and cleaned out the bowl again. He's basking under the light right now.

THANK YOU ALL for your advice and letting me pick your brains and be a paranoid torti mommy for a bit...........

A lot of tortoises never willingly bathe. Although I don't have a Greek, my Hermann's is one of the Mediterranean types, and she NEVER bathes on her own. She DOES march through her water dish as she roams her enclosure! But she definitely acts like she's just walking through an obstacle.

Yes, Mr. Pickles stomps over EVERY thing. I had all the plants nice and neat in there, the bedding was nice............higher on the warm side and a lower incline on the cool side and he's pushed, stomped, trampled over EVERYTHING.

O one more thing! Can I ask you guys! He hasn't use the hidey log. It's big enough where his shell doesn't get stuck but he still hasn't used it. Any suggestions on what I should use? What do you use? Thanks again!

I had 2 really nice hides for my Hermann's tort, and she NEVER used them. She loves to hide behind a big Boston fern that's in her enclosure, and she's dug herself a big hole down into its roots, where she likes to sleep. She also likes to burrow down into her substrate to where you can't see her! Although I WANTED her to like the cool hiding places I bought for her (because that would prove I'm such a good tortoise-mommy!), I MOST want her to be happy, healthy and stress-free. So if she prefers hiding behind plants and in holes, that's ok with me. I finally removed the 2 hides.

Ha ha ha!Mr. Pickles I love that name!