Fussy Eater keeps hiding.

[StuartMonifieth]

Last time I was on this site I was worried about Bruce our new two year old Herman tortoise not eating and losing weight as he fell from about 64g to 52g. However since last Autumn he has picked up rapidly and recently was 144g though this has fallen back to 136 today. About 6 inches long. However, the only thing he has eaten since then has been lettuce. Never loose leaves but a half Gem lettuce. Recently with the better weather even in Scotland he has gone outside into his pen with a range of weeds like clover, dandelions etc as recommended but he never touches them. Any ideas?
My second problem now that he is outside during the day is that he disappears in his pen. It is about 12 feet by 6 feet on earth. He will wander about quite interested in his surroundings then as soon as I turn my back, he has gone. On the first occasion I thought he had escaped but he was simply well dug in. For two days he did not surface for food or drink. I have tried covering the ground with pea gravel but he still disappeared. Then I tried a layer of weed membrane with holes in it for his plants. He just digs in beside the plants and I cannot find him. I worry he has got caught under the membrane so today I tore that up too so back to square one. Every time he is out it takes about 15 minutes of worrying searching to locate him. I cannot depend on him surfacing for food. Looking back over past threads, I see suggestions of Tile trackers or even a balloon secured to his shell. So is that the way to go rather than stopping him from digging?

 

[RosemaryDW]

If his pen is secure, let him dig and hide. He is a small creature built to hide from predators, he needs plants and other things to hide in and under to feel safe. He’s also a hundred times better than you at digging in and out!

People with trackers don’t have their tortoises in an enclosure or perhaps they are in an enormous one. I understand that it makes *you* uncomfortable but his need to feel safe has to come first.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Are there enough plants, shade and other hiding places? Maybe he would feel more safe outdoors with enough hiding places.

 

[Sarah2020]

Hi, my 2 suggestions... Re food cut it finally and mix in with normal leaves to get it acquainted to the new smells. They smell everything before eating and if not familiar then it gets avoided. Dandelions is a suprise mine eats heads/ petals only not the leaves or stalk.
Re outside they do burrow so this is natural. They need shelter from overhead predators so check there is are hides in different south / east directions. They must have good shade available. I also advise to remove the pea gravel (this can be eaten accidently) and then add orchid bark layer to the top of the soil . This is easy to maintain and can be raked around avoiding height at the perimeter which would aide escape. Have a look at the enc and make adjustments. Hope that helps?