Baby tortoise ate newspaper

[SaraJ]

I have an African spurred baby tortoise and he’s about 3 months old, weighs about 4-6 oz. about 4 hours ago I caught him eating a piece of news paper that should’ve been hidden better under his Mulch bedding, the strip was about 2 inches long and 1cm wide. His diet is good, I feed him lettuce, chopped up carrots, strawberries. I give him gentle baths every so often and his lighting is at point. His tank is 40 gallons.

 

[nicoleann2214]

I have an African spurred baby tortoise and he’s about 3 months old, weighs about 4-6 oz. about 4 hours ago I caught him eating a piece of news paper that should’ve been hidden better under his Mulch bedding, the strip was about 2 inches long and 1cm wide. His diet is good, I feed him lettuce, chopped up carrots, strawberries. I give him gentle baths every so often and his lighting is at point. His tank is 40 gallons.

Maybe try using a tarp instead of newspaper, also you should feed strawberries sparingly. Read some of @Tom ’s articles on diets for baby sulcatas they come in handy.

 

[SaraJ]

Maybe try using a tarp instead of newspaper, also you should feed strawberries sparingly. Read some of @Tom ’s articles on diets for baby sulcatas they come in handy.

Will the newspaper hurt him?

 

[nicoleann2214]

Will the newspaper hurt him?

I’m not sure, that’s a question for @Tom ,good luck!?

 

[rideburton87]

Your tort will be fine eating the news paper, but it can't become part of his diet. As far as his diet goes, he shouldn't be eating fruits, and i'm not sure about the carrots. When my Sulcata was young I would feed him spring mix, mazuri food pellets, dandelion greens in the winter (Chicago) and in the summer only grasses and weeds from outside. There are threads on here specific for your tortoise and care and I would highly suggest reading up on those.

 

[SaraJ]

Your tort will be fine eating the news paper, but it can't become part of his diet. As far as his diet goes, he shouldn't be eating fruits, and i'm not sure about the carrots. When my Sulcata was young I would feed him spring mix, mazuri food pellets, dandelion greens in the winter (Chicago) and in the summer only grasses and weeds from outside. There are threads on here specific for your tortoise and care and I would highly suggest reading up on those.

Okay will do! Thank you so much

 

[Tom]

I have an African spurred baby tortoise and he’s about 3 months old, weighs about 4-6 oz. about 4 hours ago I caught him eating a piece of news paper that should’ve been hidden better under his Mulch bedding, the strip was about 2 inches long and 1cm wide. His diet is good, I feed him lettuce, chopped up carrots, strawberries. I give him gentle baths every so often and his lighting is at point. His tank is 40 gallons.

Hi Sara. There is no way for us to know for sure, but the newspaper will likely pass on its own. I would soak daily and offer some opuntia pads to help it pass.

I see a few problems. Most of the care advice given for tis species is wrong, so I hope we can help with a few things.

• The bedding needs to be damp and it needs to be the correct type. There is no need for newspaper under it, and if done correctly the newspaper would be instantly soggy.
• Lettuce, carrots and strawberries are not good tortoise foods. None of those. Here is what you should be feeding: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
• Babies should be soaked every day.
• 4-6 ounces is 113-170 grams. That is WAYYYY too big for a 40 gallon tank. A 40 is okay for starting a brand new 30-35 gram hatchling, but that is way too small for a 100+ gram juvenile. Time for a new enclosure, and it should be a closed chamber.
• The typical lighting advice, and the typical products sold by pet shops is pretty bad. Tell us what you've got and we can help make sure its the right stuff.

Read these for more info and then come back with questions.

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