Baby Greek Tortoise Sleeps All Day!

MzNENA

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NEW TO FORUM -1st Day Owner Of Baby Greek Tortoise

Hello everyone. New to the tortoise forum, but already found a lot of useful information from this site that assisted me in setting up my new Ibera Greek tortoises enclosure, whom also just arrived today!!

Tortoise is so small yet so adorable! Only about 2 inches long, so unsure of age.
Asked for a male from site although I know sex isn't an easy thing to determine with baby turtles. Hoping he's a male lol

Named him Squirtle for now.
Have him in a plastic storage bin, purchased from Walmart, was a lot bigger than I expected compared to the baby tortoise.
Using a mix of 50/50 organic top soil & coconut fiber.

Came home to see him devouring his greens, but he spent the entire day afterward, only in his basking area & sleeping all day. Hoping this is just normal after his trip from Nevada, to Tennessee to Colorado lol (Fed Ex delivered)

Does anyone about know how long this period of sleeping & inactivity will last? And what I can do to make him or her a little more lively? Already soaked in luke warm water for 10 minutes today.

Photos attached below =)
 

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sibi

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RE: NEW TO FORUM -1st Day Owner Of Baby Greek Tortoise

Hi and welcome. Your baby is gorgeous! I would give babies a warm bath for at least 16-20 minutes twice daily. It's so important to keep this little guys hydrated. Post more pics when you get a chance. Your setup looks great. I would place his food dish a litter deeper into the substrate so that the baby can walk in and out easily.
 

MzNENA

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Re: NEW TO FORUM -1st Day Owner Of Baby Greek Tortoise

Thank you so much for the response! Will definitely sink his food dish! He was so much smaller than I expected, but fell in love as soon as he arrived lol
And will definitely soak him twice a day. Thank you for the advice!

It is nearing midnight here in Colorado & just came to check & saw he burrowed himself for the first time in his new home!
And sound asleep once again lol
 

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milkandsam

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Re: NEW TO FORUM -1st Day Owner Of Baby Greek Tortoise

Hi! I'm super new here and I just got a Greek about the same age as yours! This forum has been great for getting information, but it can definitely be overwhelming sometimes! Anyways, just wanted to say hi and welcome :):)
 

MzNENA

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Re: NEW TO FORUM -1st Day Owner Of Baby Greek Tortoise

Thank you very much & congratulations on the new tort! Do you have photos?
And I know what you mean. Did about a month or so of research before purchasing my little tort, but once I found the forums, I discovered new info I hadn't even considered & a LOT of it lol.

Just read yesterday about how humidity plays a pretty big role especially in a little tort's life, so the info just keeps coming in.
Thank you for the welcome!
 

MzNENA

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NEW TO FORUM -2nd Day Owner Of Baby Greek Tortoise

Another day!
When I awoke Squirtle was still asleep =/
Baby tortoise spends 90% percent of his day sleeping. I'm concerned but it's only his 2nd day here.

Soaked him this morning again for 15 minutes this time is what he allowed lol soaked his substrate as well.

When I set him down for his breakfast lol

Got into his food bowl himself & already eating when I hand him a lettuce piece

Walked around his enclosure for maybe 2 minutes but then immediately crawled over to his basking spot & sleeps the whole day away! :-/ Temperature in my basement stays at 74 degrees.

Temp under his basking light remains at about 86 degrees. Wondering when or if he will act more lively any time soon :-/ Is this normal??



Plastron & tail photos as well. I'm assuming he's just a few months old? Wasn't told his age & this is a quarter size comparison. Fingers crossed the baby tort turns out to be a boy :blush:
 

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MzNENA

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Hello everyone. Relatively new to the forums & already posted this information on a previous topic but decided to make a separate post as well.

Just received my baby Ibera Greek tortoise in the mail yesterday. I was at work most of the day but since having him he spends about 90% of his time
SLEEPING.
He (I'm hoping will be a male ) is eating VERY well. Place greens in food dish & food is entirely gone by the end of the day.
But other than that he spends his whole day under his basking light & or asleep.
Is this normal? Unsure of exact age, adding a quarter sized comparison photo.
A little concerned on how I can help him become more lively? :huh:

He is being soaked twice a day 15 min each time.
Mist his greens with water as well along with a calcium supp.
Temp of my basement stays at 74/75 degrees.
Basking light stays between 86-90 degrees.
Also has a UVB lamp.
Enclosure is a 66 liter storage tub
(baby tort was so much smaller than I expected lol)
50/50 mix of organic top soil & coconut fiber.
Substrate soaked daily.

FYI this is my very first tortoise that I bought for my 5 year old son as an early Christmas present all and any advice would be greatly appreciated lol

Photos of our cutie named "Squirtle" Included!
 

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StarSapphire22

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Congratulations! He's adorable.

Baby tortoises, much like baby humans, sleep a lot. Couple that with the fact that he's got a whole new environment and big scary human to get used to, you probably won't see him a whole lot at first. Mine only has a couple hours a day where he's really active, and then he's basking or sleeping. Give him some time, and I'm sure he'll come out of his shell soon. He sounds healthy, so I wouldn't worry. :)


You could try upping his temps by like, 2 degrees if you're really concerned. He may be just a tish on the chilly side. You're not cold by any means, he just might be more comfortable that way. Also, does his enclosure have a lid to help keep heat/humidity in a little?
 

milkandsam

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Re: NEW TO FORUM -1st Day Owner Of Baby Greek Tortoise

Here is my Thor! We have had him for about 2 weeks and are figuring him to be maybe a month or a half old?
I discovered the humidity a day or so after getting my tort too! It seems like no amount of research prepares you... Until you find this forum! :)
Anyways, just wanted to say hi, I'd be glad to try to answer questions.. Or even just hear them because more than likely I've had it too... Or will and would love to know the answer!! Haha
 

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MzNENA

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RE: NEW TO FORUM -1st Day Owner Of Baby Greek Tortoise

milkandsam said:
Here is my Thor! We have had him for about 2 weeks and are figuring him to be maybe a month or a half old?
I discovered the humidity a day or so after getting my tort too! It seems like no amount of research prepares you... Until you find this forum! :)
Anyways, just wanted to say hi, I'd be glad to try to answer questions.. Or even just hear them because more than likely I've had it too... Or will and would love to know the answer!! Haha

OMG!! He is so precious! And on top of that the name THOR is just adorable! Congratulations! Is there a way to guess the age somewhat of a tort? I'm guessing mine is a few months but purchased him from TortoiseSupply.com & wasn't told the age or sex. Know it'll be a while before I can find out the sex.

And thank you so much for being willing to answer any questions! We should definitely keep in touch with updates of both of our torts seeing as they're so close in age already :D:D
 

MzNENA

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Thank you greatly for the reply! Now understanding the similiarites between a baby tortoise & baby human. Makes a lot of sense seeing as he is in a new home & did travel a ways to get here. From Nevada to Tennesee then to Colorado (Fed Ex delivered) maybe he's still getting over the trip.

I do have a lid that came with the container that I've placed over it at night as temps drop just a bit more at night. There are no air holes on the lid that I've made yet so, I cover about 70% of the bin with the lid at night to keep in some heat & leave some of it open to allow oxygen in.
My baby tort also dug his first burrow last night & remains inside his burrow underneath the coconut fiber until the next day.
I also spray his enclosure with about a spray bottle full of water each day.

Will definitely look into upping the temps if possible. Not sure off the top of my head what basking bulb I have for him. But I think it was about a 50W that said on the packaging would keep temps at about 90 degrees 8 inches away from the enclosure & that's where I have it at the moment.
 

milkandsam

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Re: NEW TO FORUM -1st Day Owner Of Baby Greek Tortoise

I got mine from the same place! At first I thought he was a month or two old but then I posted this picture:
1387408187713.jpg
Because I was concerned about the black spot and was told that it might be where his yolk sac was attached! So then I started thinking he was probably pretty young. Just curious-where are you located? I've had humidity problems because it is so dry where I am.
 
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Yvonne G

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You definitely need to get a temp gun and check those temps in the habitat, all over, not just in one place. And if you are able to put the lid on the plastic tub at night, then your night time temps are probably too cool for a baby tortoise. The lid shouldn't be able to fit over the light/heat. What do you provide for heat at night? I don't think room temp is hot enough for a baby.
 

Jlant85

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Looks like i don't really have to say much here... lol... everyone already mentioned most of the things that needed to be said. Like Yvonne G said, you want to check all the temps. You'll want to check the day (Basking and surrounding temps) and night temp.

Another thing that really helped my tortoises is lighting (This is just my own personal opinion) Give them the impression of day and night.

Another reason why this is happening, its a defensive mechanism for baby tortoise to dig and hide from predators. So most of their young age they spend digging, sleeping and eating.
 

MzNENA

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Mine has the exact same markings on the underside his shell! A few more than shown in yours.
Hmm maybe I should have emailed the owners of Tortoise Supply to ask at what age mine was sold so I had a better idea. :-/ Lol

I have a big problem with humidity as well.
I live in Colorado. We're located quite far above sea level so it gets really chilly here & the air is dry. Where are you located??


Will do! So I'd need to purchase a temp gun to check surrounding temps as stated above? Live in Colorado and the temps here can be pretty brutal. We were in the negatives all last week.

What heating options are there for the enclosure aside from lighting? Seeing as I'm unable to just crank up the heat in my home lol
 

BeeBee*BeeLeaves

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Totally agree with what has already been stated. Temp guns are pretty vital. You would be surprised at how we think it is warm or cool enough and then the gun says something surprising. It will help a lot. Search temperature gun above to check out the various threads about them to help you decide on a brand. Hot and humid = healthy and happy. Baby tortoises need the warmth and the humidity will help them develop. You do not want little baby jerky tortoises. Soak are the best. It's like little spa time. Soothing. Once the babies are settled and feel comfortable around you and see you as the food god or goddess, they will start to evolve personality wise. Your babies are darling. Welcome to our new Greek geeks, LOL! : ) Oh and yes, this is the best place ever for research, education and awesome people willing to help. Woo hoo!
 

milkandsam

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I'm in Kentucky, so while our temps are around 30-40, the humidity in winter is just killing me!! I've never been so aware of the humidity in my area! haha!
 

StarSapphire22

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If her room temp is 74-75, I don't think night time heat is necessary. Mediterranean species can handle drops much much lower than that at night.

As far as your lid, I would recommend making a cutout for lights. Heres how I did mine.

1387479419922.jpg

I cut a square foot hole in my lid (my light is in a 10" dome) using a box cutters (a stronger tool is better if you have one...we didn't). I then sandwiched a square foot of hardware cloth between paint sticks for a frame and glued the sticks together with a super strong adhesive thats heat resistant. Originally, we then glued the frame to the lid, but the plastic bent too much and it popped off. Adhesive velcro worked much better, it can move with the plastic a little.

This will hold in heat and humidity better and prevent any escapes or other pets getting in. :)

I second the temp gun recommendation, as well. :)

If your baby is uber young, please make sure he gets warm soaks every day. Those little bodies can dry out and get dehydrated under those lights so easily.


Also, you mentioned your 50w bulb...are you providing UV light too?

My guess is a temp gun will tell you you're too cold. With no lid, and a lower wattage bulb, I don't think your enclosure is heating very efficiently.

I'm using a 100w Powersun on my enclosure, which I believe is of a similar size as yours. It's about 12" up.
 
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MzNENA

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Thank you so much! That is a great lid there. Mine looks exactly like yours so thank you greatly for that needed information! I'll get started on that soon.

Yes I am currently soaking the baby tort twice a day in room temperature water for about 15 min each time.

Here are the photos of the two bulbs I purchased from Petco.
Pretty muched purchased them on impulse seeing as a Petco employee was hovering around me & I didn't want his advice so I grabbed & quickly walked off lol May have needed to do a littler more research.

Bought two Flukers Clamp Lamps which are rated for up to 75 watt bulbs.
May need to repurchase to be able to use higher watt bulbs as well.


And another photo of our Tort "Squirtle" this morning. Had a smaller breakfast this morning. Didn't eat as much as the pervious morning. Had a 15 minute soak & then crawled over to his basking area to SLEEP :huh:. Is pooping really well. Find clumps of poop here & there. I also work most of the day so I've only seen him pee once lol
 

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milkandsam

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I think you will want to get rid of the uvb coil bulb. I think they have been known to cause a condition similar to snow blindness- too bright/concentrated/strong. I had one that looked like that as well (impulse buy... Didn't figure somebody would sell a product that was harmful...) I got a power sun that has heat and uvb all combined. I worry constantly about the night temps because my apt can get drafty and a little chilly... So I'm looking to get a ceramic heat emitter for nights at least for winter...
Hope this helps! Somebody more experienced feel free to back me up or object!
 

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