Baby Horsefield

Rocky2018

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Hi, We brought a baby Horsefield 3 days ago and he seems to be hiding in corners of his new home for the majority of the day.
Is this normal or do I need to be concerned?
 

Gillian M

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Hi, We brought a baby Horsefield 3 days ago and he seems to be hiding in corners of his new home for the majority of the day.
Is this normal or do I need to be concerned?
Hi and a very warm welcome to the forum.

Would you please post pics of your tort and his enclosure so as to enable us to help you more easily.

One thing I do know: torts do not like change. Therefore, they need time to adapt.
 

Rocky2018

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We are using a Komodo dessert sunlight tube bulb 15w uvb. The lady in the shop said this be sufficient but I’m not sure it’s warm enough
 

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vladimir

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That looks like a coil / CFL style UVB bulb. It does not produce enough heat to be effective and those type have been known to cause issues with the tortoises eyes.
 

Rocky2018

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Hi and a very warm welcome to the forum.

Would you please post pics of your tort and his enclosure so as to enable us to help you more easily.

One thing I do know: torts do not like change. Therefore, they need time to adapt.
 

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TriciaStringer

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He is adorable! It is common for them to hide and takes a while to get used to change. It is instinct for them to hide when very small because they don’t want to be eaten. You might want to put a terra-cotta pot on it’s side buried in the substrate a little. He would like hiding in it. Also, the water container you have is a tipping and drowning hazard. A simple terra-cotta plant saucer works great. Bury it down also so he can walk right in. Enjoy your new baby!
 

LaLaP

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Welcome to the forum! I have a horsefield (Russian) too and am a new tortoise parent. This forum is a great place for info and you'll find lots of nice people here.
Have you read the caresheets and the threads titled " beginner mistakes"? You'll find them in the section for specific species under Russian Tortoise. You'll find everything you need to know to help your little guy adjust quickly and be healthy and happy so you can start getting to the fun stuff... getting to know and love him!
There was an adjustment period for my tort when I first brought him home. He didn't eat for 3-4 days and wasn't that active. Seems like it takes them a little while to feel comfortable. Make sure he is warm enough and you are feeding the right food and soaking him. You'll be seeing his personality before you know it :)
 

Rocky2018

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He is adorable! It is common for them to hide and takes a while to get used to change. It is instinct for them to hide when very small because they don’t want to be eaten. You might want to put a terra-cotta pot on it’s side buried in the substrate a little. He would like hiding in it. Also, the water container you have is a tipping and drowning hazard. A simple terra-cotta plant saucer works great. Bury it down also so he can walk right in. Enjoy your new baby!
Thanks for the advice, thats put my mind at rest a little, I’ve been stressing out thinking there was something wrong.
 

Rocky2018

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Welcome to the forum! I have a horsefield (Russian) too and am a new tortoise parent. This forum is a great place for info and you'll find lots of nice people here.
Have you read the caresheets and the threads titled " beginner mistakes"? You'll find them in the section for specific species under Russian Tortoise. You'll find everything you need to know to help your little guy adjust quickly and be healthy and happy so you can start getting to the fun stuff... getting to know and love him!
There was an adjustment period for my tort when I first brought him home. He didn't eat for 3-4 days and wasn't that active. Seems like it takes them a little while to feel comfortable. Make sure he is warm enough and you are feeding the right food and soaking him. You'll be seeing his personality before you know it :)
Thanks for the advice, where do I find the care sheets?
 

T Smart

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Thanks for the advice, where do I find the care sheets?

This is the article mentioned above.

Beginner Mistakes

https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

Also, I attached two more that might be of help!

1. Baby Russian Tortoise care sheet (also for other herbivorous tortoise species)

https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...r-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species).107734/

2. Russian Tortoise Care Sheet

https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Russian-Tortoise-Care-Sheet.80698/
 

SweetGreekTorts

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Congrats on the new member to your family! So adorable. I love Russian Tortoises, very hardy and have quite the personality (which you'll see once yours has finished getting comfortable with its new home).

: )
 

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