Baby Learning to Eat?

[brookefenge]

I have recently brought home a 6 month old Hermann's tortoise and I think he might still be 'learning' how to feed himself (or herself). He goes over to his food and tries to eat it, without much success. Basically he bites on thin air and misses his food totally, occasionally getting a small bite. This goes on for some time! It's hilarious, cute and agonising to watch! But I am a bit concerned - I just want to reassure myself that there's nothing wrong with his eyesight or something and that he is merely adjusting. He is otherwise healthy, I've seen him drinking and his temperatures are as recommended. Has anyone else noticed this in young tortoises?

Many thanks

 

[Maggie3fan]

I have recently brought home a 6 month old Hermann's tortoise and I think he might still be 'learning' how to feed himself (or herself). He goes over to his food and tries to eat it, without much success. Basically he bites on thin air and misses his food totally, occasionally getting a small bite. This goes on for some time! It's hilarious, cute and agonising to watch! But I am a bit concerned - I just want to reassure myself that there's nothing wrong with his eyesight or something and that he is merely adjusting. He is otherwise healthy, I've seen him drinking and his temperatures are as recommended. Has anyone else noticed this in young tortoises?

Many thanks

Yes, most of us have. I am not sure whether this is wrong or right...it's right for me...I take whatever I'm going to feed young, small torts and cut it into bite sized pieces for them. Over the years with young tortoises, I have noticed that 'most' keepers just kinda put their greens in a pile, or just one or 2 large pieces of food and it just seems to me that when the food is cut up smaller they eat more. I take whatever greens, weeds or the like, put'em in a bowl, and scissor them. In fact, I have a small adult tortoise that I feed that way also. but like I said before that's just me, and it works for me and my animals...

 

[brookefenge]

Yes, most of us have. I am not sure whether this is wrong or right...it's right for me...I take whatever I'm going to feed young, small torts and cut it into bite sized pieces for them. Over the years with young tortoises, I have noticed that 'most' keepers just kinda put their greens in a pile, or just one or 2 large pieces of food and it just seems to me that when the food is cut up smaller they eat more. I take whatever greens, weeds or the like, put'em in a bowl, and scissor them. In fact, I have a small adult tortoise that I feed that way also. but like I said before that's just me, and it works for me and my animals...

Phew! Good to know he's not going blind ?. Great tip about cutting food up. I'll try that

 

[Maggie3fan]

Phew! Good to know he's not going blind ?. Great tip about cutting food up. I'll try that

I used to worry about the 'biting the air thing too', thinking about blindness, never figured out why they do that...just acting like babies is what I guess...

 

[Yvonne G]

Another thing to try is to place the pile of cut up food up against a wall so it can't move away as he bites at it.

I also like to cut the food up. It makes a whole lot of difference in the amount they eat. I can put down a pile of cut up food that's as big as he is or bigger, and it's WAY more food than if I put it in there in whole pieces.