haven't eaten

[red_Celica]

well i bought Celica a week and a half ago and ever since i brought him/her home she/he hasn't eaten anything i've tried romaine kale turnip greens and on fruit day i gave strawberries and still nothing today was greens so i cave her/him turnip greens and mix in those zoo med grass mix stuff just to see if she/he would try eat it just cause petco did it hoping she/he would recognize it but nothing??? gonna try and get other greens just got to find them here. Am i just being overly worried and just let him/her get used to being in a new enclosure, she/he is alert and walks around at times but just hides most times i say 95 percent of the day. thanks in advance

 

[ascott]

Am i just being overly worried and just let him/her get used to being in a new enclosure,

lol....yes.

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Also, are you soaking each day and then making your food offering....then I would suggest after food is offered....you go away and let the tort sneak out to the food when ready....

 

[starfield]

Sounds fairly normal to me...Ive started 8 hatchlings this year and all but a couple were light to non eaters at first. although they usually will at least nibble a strawberry or mango..i read your intro post and it seems like you are well equipped...Just be patient and provide a calm environment without much extra handling and try to stick to a daily routine, like mist before feeding or call softly....This is what I do to mine every day, and they seem to pick up the idea....You can almost see the thought bubble "ok, Ive seen the same thing each day this week, and darn i get hungry when the giant gives up...." and one day, shazaam! they decide they arent going to bed hungry again! Good luck and welcome!

 

[JoesMum]

Tortoises can take ages to get used to new surroundings... weeks! They're very slow to get the hint that all is good.

Double check the temperatures in your enclosure in the 4 important places:
1. Warm end
2. Cool end
3. Under the basking lamp
4. Overnight minimum
If these are wrong, your tort won't eat.

Soaking makes sure your tort doesn't dehydrate while it's not eating properly and encourages pooping. Poop coming out leaves room for food to go in

Resist the temptation to stand over your tort watching all the time. Give it space to be brave and explore

You can help by getting into a regular routine so that your tort knows what to expect when and learns that you and its enclosure are safe.

I suggest the morning goes something like: lights on, heat on, soak, feed...

My soaking tips are:
1. Soak first thing before your tort has warmed up properly to reduce escape attempts.
2. Use a high sided bowl or box so your tort can't see out
3. Use enough warm (not hot) water to just come over your tort's plastron (undershell). Get the temperature right and your not-warmed-up tort is more likely to lounge and absorb the heat.
4. Soak for a good 20 minutes. Don't worry if you don't see him drink; torts can absorb water through the skin. The length of soak is important.
5. Your tort may wee and/or poop in the water - it's more likely to concern you than him. You can change the water if it's truly disgusting. Don't worry if your tort eats his poop; it's said to improve gut flora!
6. Feed straight after the soak. Joe is always hungriest straight after his.

 

[red_Celica]

thank you for quick replies i have him/her in a 4'long by 2'wide by 12''high bookshelf i got from walmart, i lined it with vinyl, have a 60 watt heat emitter with 1/4'' plyboard 16''by2'wide across the top covering the hide area and used clear plexiglass for the remainder. I'm also using a 18'' under cabinet light on the other side where the water and food bowl is and mosser lee moss for bedding i used 1 and a 1/2 bags which is enough for her/him to burry his/her self. i'm also maintaining a 85.6 to 88.9 temp on the hide side and on the cool side its at about 78 to 80 deg. and also maintaining 75-90 percent humidity i spray the encloser twice a day once in the morning and again in the evening time around 6:30- 7:00pm time summers here so the sun goes down later. lol sorry no pics yet i'll try and get some up soon thanks again for the quick replies

 

[DixieParadise]

I would just give it some time. Your set-up seems right. Just keep check of temps and humidity.

 

[red_Celica]

lol we got poop!! did the normal thing i usually do in the morning but this time soaked him first thing then while he was soaking i misted the enclosure down and soon after soaking offered food he/she hasn't touched it yet but i think we're on the right path. only thing now though with him/her pooping their was some brownish liquid looking thing that came out also with the poop is that pee? i seen my uncle's sulcata pee when it was a year old it was just clumped up white stuff. now moses(my uncles sulcata) is a 8 years old and is a giant but thats another story. thanks again for the replies =-)

 

[Redstrike]

only thing now though with him/her pooping their was some brownish liquid looking thing that came out also with the poop is that pee? i seen my uncle's sulcata pee when it was a year old it was just clumped up white stuff. now moses(my uncles sulcata) is a 8 years old and is a giant but thats another story. thanks again for the replies =-)

We'd need pictures for any conclusive statements on what that could have been.
It's tough not watching a new tortoise eat, but as the others have said, lay the food out and walk away! Once they get more comfortable, your presence isn't as distracting or disturbing to them, just give it some time.

 

[red_Celica]

alright well up on till now still no eating but i think he/she will do so soon, i noticed that my humidity stays at 85%-80% all day but i dont trust these petco humidity and temp gauges are there any thing better then these? and i had this crazy idea about hooking up a humidifier/ fogger only thing i want to know is if its ok to use it with my heat emitter i'll have the humidifier on the opposite side of the turtle box? i know i'm in hawaii but Celica is in my room and just thought it would be better doing so. thanks in advance

 

[Madkins007]

In Hawaii, you should basically be able to keep it in a cardboard box on the porch with no additional heat or humidity needed!

Cheapo humidity gauges are a pain. The best value are the ones in the gardening department to help monitor the heat and humidity levels in a garden, house, etc.

As far as feeding... try leaving a few whole nice, red strawberries in there for a couple days. I'd bet it won't take long to see some bites taken out of them!

 

[red_Celica]

In Hawaii, you should basically be able to keep it in a cardboard box on the porch with no additional heat or humidity needed!

Cheapo humidity gauges are a pain. The best value are the ones in the gardening department to help monitor the heat and humidity levels in a garden, house, etc.

As far as feeding... try leaving a few whole nice, red strawberries in there for a couple days. I'd bet it won't take long to see some bites taken out of them!

yah i was gonna take a trip out to home depot later on today as for leaving strawberries out i've done that left it out for Celica to eat for two days and nothing but i'm sure Celica will come around soon