Day old surprise hatchlings

stort

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Cyprus
Hello,
I am new to posting to the forum. I have had a couple of tortoises (I think Hermann?) for about 8 years and am constantly surprised by how much that I don’t know. I use this forum and the tortoise table diet info often. Quick history: we mistakenly acquired two tortoises, a male and female, and realized our mistake after about 8 months. They now have two different outdoor enclosures. They were only together this year for a couple of minutes while cleaning their enclosure. She has laid a bunch of eggs this year (3 times as many than ever before), buried them and to my surprise, we have two hatchlings today. I’m not prepared honestly. This is a temporary situation until my husband can build something this weekend. I am giving them partial sun today and have a reptile heating pad for tonight. I am about to soak them. Is the potting soil a decent substrate for a couple of days? What is the best substrate for them? I have proper vitamins for them that I give to my adults. Food is tricky this year because of the extreme heat, most of our tortoise plants died and I am having to supplement often with supermarket items. Any advice is appreciated about their care, thank you in advance
 

Attachments

  • D1890B0A-EB81-4E0D-9FA3-A72FE6B5CA45.jpeg
    D1890B0A-EB81-4E0D-9FA3-A72FE6B5CA45.jpeg
    449.7 KB · Views: 78
  • 4830F479-DD93-4D80-A9EB-62C3560D9C96.jpeg
    4830F479-DD93-4D80-A9EB-62C3560D9C96.jpeg
    1.6 MB · Views: 77
  • 8715B666-0A13-4A0F-9B68-9B524D8AAFBB.jpeg
    8715B666-0A13-4A0F-9B68-9B524D8AAFBB.jpeg
    2.4 MB · Views: 77

Maggie3fan

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2018
Messages
8,046
Location (City and/or State)
PacificNorthWest
No under tank heater...hatchlings are not smart enuf to get off the pad when they get too hot. It's very dangerous for hatchlings. In the wild their heat source comes from up, the sun in the sky. In captivity, their heat source should be a che overhead
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,658
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Agree with Maggie no heat pads under them. Potting soil is not good either. Use coconut coir or plain dirt from your yard free of pesticides or fine orchid bark.
They also need a closed chamber.
Please read our Hermanns caresheet.
 

stort

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Cyprus
No under tank heater...hatchlings are not smart enuf to get off the pad when they get too hot. It's very dangerous for hatchlings. In the wild their heat source comes from up, the sun in the sky. In captivity, their heat source should be a che overhead
Thank you for telling me that before I made that mistake. I’m going to the pet store now to get something for them.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,658
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Because they need a higher humidity as hatchlings the coconut coir and orchid bark works the best.
 

stort

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Cyprus
What a happy surprise!

Lots of good stuff to read here: https://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/hermanns-tortoises.80/

High humidity and constant/stable heat will be the key in helping them get started.

Good luck, and keep asking questions!

Jamie
Thank you for your help, I read the updated care sheet. We have outdoor enclosures for our two adults so this
What a happy surprise!

Lots of good stuff to read here: https://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/hermanns-tortoises.80/

High humidity and constant/stable heat will be the key in helping them get started.

Good luck, and keep asking questions!

Jamie
Thank you, it certainly was! I read the updated care sheet and will see what I get can get locally.
 

stort

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Cyprus
I have read and read through different threads after making a few purchasing mistakes yesterday and I now feel that I’m on a better track. Being in Cyprus, I don’t have access to many of the mentioned supplies and shipping here takes awhile. I’m just trying to get a decent set up going that I can continue to improve on if needed.
I’m going to convert an ikea plastic bin into a closed container and I found coconut coir for substrate.
I have a few quick question about lighting:
If I cannot find a CHE locally, can I use a daytime and moonlight basking lamp for heat or do I need both?
I also cannot find a T5 UVB lamp but I can get a T8 10.0, will that do?
lastly, do you need all four of the CHE, basking bulb, led light and the UVB light?
Thanks in advance for all assistance:)
 

stort

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Cyprus
I’m having more arrivals and I know that there were many more eggs laid. When the hatchlings are starting to emerge from the ground, is there a risk that the adult tortoise could damage them by crawling over them? should I remove them to a safer place to finish emerging?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I’m having more arrivals and I know that there were many more eggs laid. When the hatchlings are starting to emerge from the ground, is there a risk that the adult tortoise could damage them by crawling over them? should I remove them to a safer place to finish emerging?
Yes. Remove them to a safer set up. They can hatch in deli cup with a damp paper towel. Move them to a brooder box set up in groups until they have started eating well, and closed up their umbilical scars. It should be at least a week before they see any substrate. All this and more is here, and I'll add another thread with more info. The second thread os on a different species, but much of the same info applies:

This is the second thread I mentioned that should fill in some blanks:

Remember that you are likely to get bad advice and the wrong products from a pet shop. The T-8 bulb won't do much for UV, but you shouldn't need it anyway in your warm climate. Whether or not you need the LED depends on how bright the room is during the day. You should not need night heat in your climate in summer. Daytime basking bulb is good indoors, and use your thermometer to set the bulb height. For the first 7-10 days after hatching, they should be in a brooder box with different food each day. The enclosure with substrate and a basking bulb comes later. Soak the babies in warm shallow water daily until they pass 100 grams. This will probably take around 6 months. Questions welcome.
 

TeamZissou

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2020
Messages
1,048
Location (City and/or State)
Albuquerque, NM
For the record, these look to be Greek tortoises, Testuo graeca ibera. I would guess they are southern Ibera based on the look of the babies.
 

stort

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Cyprus
Yes. Remove them to a safer set up. They can hatch in deli cup with a damp paper towel. Move them to a brooder box set up in groups until they have started eating well, and closed up their umbilical scars. It should be at least a week before they see any substrate. All this and more is here, and I'll add another thread with more info. The second thread os on a different species, but much of the same info applies:

This is the second thread I mentioned that should fill in some blanks:

Remember that you are likely to get bad advice and the wrong products from a pet shop. The T-8 bulb won't do much for UV, but you shouldn't need it anyway in your warm climate. Whether or not you need the LED depends on how bright the room is during the day. You should not need night heat in your climate in summer. Daytime basking bulb is good indoors, and use your thermometer to set the bulb height. For the first 7-10 days after hatching, they should be in a brooder box with different food each day. The enclosure with substrate and a basking bulb comes later. Soak the babies in warm shallow water daily until they pass 100 grams. This will probably take around 6 months. Questions welcome.
 

stort

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Cyprus
Update on the hatchlings:
We ended up buying a store bought vivarium, the wooden glass fronted Komodo brand one. The hatchlings are eating (hibiscus leaves and flowers, mulberry leaves, snapdragon flowers and occasionally chicory greens, endive and kale) and basking and we have a small wooden open topped enclosure that we covered with mesh so that we can put them out in the sun for a bit. We are using the T8 10.0 bulb that I found locally, a 50w basking bulb and an led light. I need a new temperature gage for the basking bulb (I again bought the Komodo brand) and I’m having trouble regulating the temp, it goes from 89F to 97F. (I only bought these pet store items out of necessity and because it takes awhile to order from abroad and I’m not sure which brands to order yet)
Ive had substrate issues: the first attempt was a brick of fine coconut coir (they only had one) and some Komodo brand enclosure hay made from edible plants and weeds but this molded within a week everywhere and that had to go. Then I bought more coconut coir but it’s bigger chunks and they are not happy crawling around in it and I cannot keep it humid enough. We bought some orchid bark and I was going to change it out today but then looked on the ingredients and it says it’s a blend of pine bark and weekly decomposed spaghnum peat. I should be able to find more of the fine coconut coir if I shop around….should I mix it with peat moss or cypress mulch? I will continue trying to find fir orchid bark.
second question: should I be sprinkling supplements on the hatchlings food? I have vetark nutrobal, reptoboost and arkvits. A probiotic, calcium supplement and multivitamin.
thank you in advance to any assistance given:)
 

Attachments

  • 7AC10C3B-46B7-425A-9B9A-30C9CA6ADBF5.jpeg
    7AC10C3B-46B7-425A-9B9A-30C9CA6ADBF5.jpeg
    1.9 MB · Views: 9
  • 658E8283-E80D-4CA6-A289-71ADFDE64E95.jpeg
    658E8283-E80D-4CA6-A289-71ADFDE64E95.jpeg
    1.1 MB · Views: 9
  • 729AA814-C886-457B-B86E-5F81769907B3.jpeg
    729AA814-C886-457B-B86E-5F81769907B3.jpeg
    1.4 MB · Views: 9

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Update on the hatchlings:
We ended up buying a store bought vivarium, the wooden glass fronted Komodo brand one. The hatchlings are eating (hibiscus leaves and flowers, mulberry leaves, snapdragon flowers and occasionally chicory greens, endive and kale) and basking and we have a small wooden open topped enclosure that we covered with mesh so that we can put them out in the sun for a bit. We are using the T8 10.0 bulb that I found locally, a 50w basking bulb and an led light. I need a new temperature gage for the basking bulb (I again bought the Komodo brand) and I’m having trouble regulating the temp, it goes from 89F to 97F. (I only bought these pet store items out of necessity and because it takes awhile to order from abroad and I’m not sure which brands to order yet)
Ive had substrate issues: the first attempt was a brick of fine coconut coir (they only had one) and some Komodo brand enclosure hay made from edible plants and weeds but this molded within a week everywhere and that had to go. Then I bought more coconut coir but it’s bigger chunks and they are not happy crawling around in it and I cannot keep it humid enough. We bought some orchid bark and I was going to change it out today but then looked on the ingredients and it says it’s a blend of pine bark and weekly decomposed spaghnum peat. I should be able to find more of the fine coconut coir if I shop around….should I mix it with peat moss or cypress mulch? I will continue trying to find fir orchid bark.
second question: should I be sprinkling supplements on the hatchlings food? I have vetark nutrobal, reptoboost and arkvits. A probiotic, calcium supplement and multivitamin.
thank you in advance to any assistance given:)
89-97 is perfect for your basking area.

The finer type coco coir is an ideal substrate for babies. Make a thick layer and hand pack it down. Keep it damp all the time by dumpling in water as needed. Fine grade orchid bark works best when they are bigger and older. Cypress mulch is okay too. No peat of any kind, and no soil.

The way to keep humidity up is by closing the top and reducing ventilation.

Yes on the supplements, but go very light. They don't need much at all. Just a tiny pinch mixed in. Twice a week for calcium, once a week for vitamins is a good general rule.
 

New Posts

Top