Baby Hermann's Tortoise..Little Help..

[brookelena]

Hello! So my fiance and I just got a Baby Hermann's Tortoise today! We did tons of research and have made Pagoo a lovely little home.
I was just wondering about a few things.
When he first arrived I checked his eyes, nose, legs, etc. He's so tiny! Only 2 inches. Everything was good, and he wasn't shy!
He roamed his new home for a little, and ate some Kale. I then gave him a bath, and he went to the bathroom
I kept a close eye on him all day and he mostly slept under his heat lamp(90-95), every once in a while getting up to roam, or have a few bites of food. When he was awake he was active and alert.
I read that tortoise babies do sleep a good amount I just want to be sure.
At about 7:30 he burrowed under his cypress bedding and has stayed there since. Do you think he just did that because he was ready for bed? We didn't shut his lights off till 9:30.
Also, if as a baby he will sleep a good amount, when will he grow out of this stage?
Thank you!

 

[GBtortoises]

So far your baby Hermann's activities sound perfectly normal. What time do the lights come on in the morning and what type of lighting? A normal day length for a tortoise that fosters regular activity is anywhere from about 13-15 hours. Their activity level is based solely on their surrounding environment. Temperatures, light duration and intensity, humidity (or lack of), food availability and other more minor factors determine their actions. Baby tortoises sleep because they are growing and need to use the energy that they've consumed in the form of food and water in order to grow. By being too active they are expending that energy for activity, not as much for growth. Young tortoises also instinctively spend more time in hiding that adults for survival reasons. When they're small they're more vulnerable to predation. As your tortoise grows you should slowly begin to see a change in it's routine. It will most likely be more active and hide less. When it is out and about ensure that it has constant acess to drinking water in order to stay well hydrated. Some people also prefer to place their tortoises in a shallow container of water every few days seperate of the enclosure to give them more opportunity to drink. Because of their small body mass baby and young tortoises can dehydrate more rapidly than larger tortoises. Problems related to small tortoises not eating well or staying buried much more than normal can often be avoided by proper hydration, humidity levels and not being kept consistently too hot all the time.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi brookelena:

Glad to have you here with us!

 

[brookelena]

I turned the lights on at 9:00 this morning, he was still burrowed.I soaked him in lukewarm water for 15 minutes. I have a dish in the center of his home for water, he doesn't go in it on his own (this is just day 2 with him), only when i soak him. Is there another way I can be sure this little guy can have easy access to water?
i have a 25 UVB tropical fixture going along the middle of the tortoise table, and then for his heating spot I have just a regular 100w bulb. I'm very nervous about this bulb, I was just debating going to get a Mercury Vapor bulb, I've heard good things. But does a mercury vapor bulb need a specific lamp? I have a regular clamp lamp.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

Everything sounds great EXCEPT that he's sleeping directly under the heat lamp. If he is sleeping right under it all the time, that means the rest of the enclosure is probably too cold, and he could actually overheat from staying underneath it for too long.

Other than that, everything sounds normal. My little Hermann's burrows into the same burrow every night and then emerges at around 9 or 10am because he knows he's getting breakfast soon. I have gotten in the habit of not giving it to him at the exact same time every day though because that keeps him on his toes, literally! At around 9:30 he will wonder around his enclosure, wondering where his food is at, until I bring it. Good exercise, the way I see it.

Oh, and you just have to post pictures of your little guy. It's practically a forum rule

 

[Momof4]

Welcome!! We do love pictures!
One tip I have is let him be for a couple of weeks. As cute as he is, he needs time to adjust. I would only bring him out to soak. You could soak him and then put him in front of his food and walk away. When I got my hatchling I read that the less you bother them the quicker they settle and have a better chance of thriving.
I bet he's a cutie. You can use tiny pic to upload.

 

[brookelena]

This is Pagoo