Baby horsefield.

[Andy m]

Good afternoon all,
We've just got a baby horsefield yesterday.
We have come home today to find that he is still asleep in the hide and hasn't eaten.
I've just bathed him then put him back in the table but he just went straight to bed.

We have a 80w Mercury vapour bulb and the temperature is around 32 -38c.

Could you please advise on this and also could you tell me if my set up is correct?

 

[KarenSoCal]

Hello, and welcome to the forum!

The # 1 rule to remember with tortoises...they HATE change of any kind, no matter how small (the tortoise or the change).

Your baby was probably housed with his siblings, then plucked out of his familiar surroundings and subjected to travel. Then he finds himself in a new strange place, all alone, and a monster keeps looking at him. He doesn't know where to go or what to do.

I would hide too, first to catch up on sleep, and then because I was too scared to come out. Give him time, offer his food daily, soak daily, and otherwise leave him alone. He'll come out to explore, but will hide a lot for a while.

Now, for his enclosure. The very first thing I would do is put in some plants that will give hiding places and he can make comfy for resting. Good plants for this are pothos, boston fern, spider plant, and prayer plant. The pothos is great, it grows fast and makes a vine-like runner that pops up with roots, so it's easy to propagate. You do need to find plants that no pesticides/weed killer has been used. Cutting from friends and family are usually good.

The enclosure itself is not what we recommend for babies. I know you UK folk use open tables, but the babies do so much better in closed chambers. Enclosing it is the only way to maintain the high temps and high humidity that babies must have to prevent pyramiding and possible kidney damage.

Here is our up-to-date care sheet for your baby. I know it's different than what you've learned elsewhere, but read it and come back with questions. We will help you make changes.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

Here's some more info on closed chambers.

Closed "Chambers"

Been meaning to do this one for a while now... Over the years I have kept a lot of reptiles in a lot of different ways. I've learned a lot of stuff about a lot of species. Since finding and joining this forum almost two years ago, I've learned a TON more. Now I'm not just stumbling around...

www.tortoiseforum.org

And you can now buy beautiful closed chambers, or modify your own enclosure...

Hi! New here

Hey! I am looking for the "frequently asked questions" and do not see it. Can someone guide me? Thanks

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[Andy m]

Thank you so much and I will read through the care sheets and take it all on board.

Really appreciate the advice.