Baby Hermann not eating

[dee1402]

Hey everybody!

I'm a first time owner of a pair of baby Hermanns (both a year old) and I'm being totally paranoid about them being healthy. I have a snake already so I'm familiar with reptiles but I just want to be sure of one or two things.

Firstly, they spend most of their time buried. Either in the warm or the cool side. I'm assuming that this is because they are babies and its normal?

Secondly, one eats like a little savage but I never see the other eating? The one that I don't see eating is also the one that hides more.

They are on coconut fibre, warm side 30degrees, have a 125w UV bulb about 2ft above their tub, they are eating weeds from the garden with calcium dust, and they have a bath twice a week.

Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi dee1402:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

 

[dee1402]

Hey, sorry. I'm Dee in Dublin My two Hermanns are Bump and Rexi.

I think I've just solved one of my problems... I've been sitting in the room with the torti's and I've just watched the foody one (Bump) eat ALL the food before the quiet one (Rexi) came out to feed! Lol. I ran out to get some more weeds and now they are both happily eating away.

 

[cherylim]

Hi Dee,

There's a possibility one might be bullying the other. You probably need to separate them. Pairs don't get on well very often, and it could really be affecting the health of the one being bullied.

 

[dee1402]

Hey Cheryl,

I'm not sure about the bullying. They often bury themselves next to each other and there's no biting or chasing that I've seen. Bump is the littler of the two and she's eating everything! How do I make sure Rexi is getting enough when I'm not around to watch them?

 

[cherylim]

Hey Cheryl,

I'm not sure about the bullying. They often bury themselves next to each other and there's no biting or chasing that I've seen. Bump is the littler of the two and she's eating everything! How do I make sure Rexi is getting enough when I'm not around to watch them?

Bullying doesn't have to be physical. It can be psychological intimidation so you don't see it, and it can be the smaller of the two that's bullying the larger one. If I were you I'd try separating them and see how it goes - you'll possibly see the quiet one liven up.

 

[cemmons12]

I would at least separate them while feeding if you can..

 

[GBtortoises]

It would be extremely unusual for a Hermann's that young to be dominating another one. Even if they are both males. Generally Hermanns males do not begin to show dominance over other tortoises (male or female) until they are at least 8cm and usually larger.
It is not that unusual for two or more tortoises kept in the same enclosure to grow at different rates as well as act differently and have different preferences. If you are worried that one of them is not eating correctly you might want to seperate them and closely observe the one that you are concerned about as far as how often it eats and how much food is consumed and/or left. It could also be that the tortoise is coming out and eating when you are not present. I often place a plate of food into an enclosure with babies in it. They are usually in their hides or buried. When I come back later in the day the food is gone!

 

[ascott]

There's a possibility one might be bullying the other. You probably need to separate them. Pairs don't get on well very often, and it could really be affecting the health of the one being bullied.

Very true, I agree you should take this into consideration, IMHO.

worried that one of them is not eating correctly you might want to seperate them and closely observe the one that you are concerned about as far as how often it eats and how much food is consumed and/or left.

If you elect to observe them and move them for feeding time, I would move the stronger one out of the enclosure for the feeding time, as you may not want to stress the shy one any more than necessary by moving, IMHO.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Get a good digital scale and weigh them often, to monitor their growth.

And definitely seperate them at feeding time...if nothing else, make a partician out of a piece of plywood.