Hi there, my name is Abby and I am new to the forum but I have used it as my main resource as a new tortoise owner. I have a four-month-old Hermann's hatchling named Otis, and I have had him for almost a month. He has a very large appetite, is soaked once a day for 15-20 minutes, and is fairly active in the morning and in the evening. He lives in a 50-gallon Rubbermaid tote with coco coir as the substrate with sphagnum moss in his hides. We have a hide on the warm side and cool side for him to choose from. There is a 10.0 UVB fluorescent bulb mounted about a foot above the substrate. We used a 65W incandescent bulb for heat and a CHE for the night time. We do not have AC, so the temperatures are high enough with the 65W for now, but I plan on picking up a higher wattage when it cools down. The basking area stays between 90 and 100 degrees, the ambient temperature between 80 and 85 degrees, while the cool side is in the high 70's. I spray daily with water and try to keep the humidity between 50% and 80%. He has gained 3 grams since we got him.
Today, he slept most of the day and around four, I gave him a soak and fresh food. Otis wasn't very interested in the food and he was acting strange. I noticed that he was sort of twitching his left eye and rubbing both eyes. He was also rubbing his face along the side of the enclosure a few times. After a few minutes, he went back to sleep in his hide. One thing out of the ordinary that I noticed a few days ago was a tiny white bug crawling on his shell/head, but thought maybe it was a springtail after doing some research here on the forum. That day and the days following, he acted completely normal.
I am not sure if there are more of those bugs and that is what is bothering him or if it is something else. Is there anything that I should be doing differently? What can I do to help my little guy?
Thank you!
Today, he slept most of the day and around four, I gave him a soak and fresh food. Otis wasn't very interested in the food and he was acting strange. I noticed that he was sort of twitching his left eye and rubbing both eyes. He was also rubbing his face along the side of the enclosure a few times. After a few minutes, he went back to sleep in his hide. One thing out of the ordinary that I noticed a few days ago was a tiny white bug crawling on his shell/head, but thought maybe it was a springtail after doing some research here on the forum. That day and the days following, he acted completely normal.
I am not sure if there are more of those bugs and that is what is bothering him or if it is something else. Is there anything that I should be doing differently? What can I do to help my little guy?
Thank you!