Help Im new at this

[Richierich]

So I got my son a tortoise turtle for his birthday last year and when I went to his house the turtle was not being taken care of so I packed the turtle up and brought it home but now the he is here I do not know the first thing about a turtle. I bought him a bigger habitat and sand, rocks, and some other stuff you add water too. I bought plant deco, ponds to swim in, logs to hide under, I made him a basking area a swimming area and a private room area yet he still seems unhappy, I found him stuck in between the stairs to get to the basking area of his penthouse. I don't know how long he was stuck like that. I don't know if I'm supposed to use the red heat lamp that keeps burning everything it is on, or the white lamp. Do they eat veggies or crickets or worms? Do I put him in water or not? Can he eat watermelon and peaches or not? Will he die if I turn off that hot *** light? Please someone help me!!!!!!!!

 

[Tom]

We need to know what species we are talking about. Different care for different species. Pics help too. We are happy to help.

 

[Richierich]

 

[wellington]

I believe that is a Hermanns tortoise. Read the caresheet under that species and make needed changes.
Then come back with any questions. Reading thru the caresheet twice usually helps you grasp a little better. It can be very overwhelming at first.

 

[Ray--Opo]

There are definitely some changes that need to be made. A picture of the whole enclosure would be great. Read the caresheets for your species.

 

[Mrs.Jennifer]

Here‘s the caresheet you should follow…

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

It's great that you understood the care your son was giving the tortoise wasn't right, and that you've now undertaken to provide a better life for this tortoise. Please read the care sheet that Mrs.Jennifer linked for you in her post above.

May I please see the underside of the tortoise? I'm thinking it's a Greek tortoise but I need to see the bottom to be sure.

If you are unable to build him a nice, safe outdoor yard, then the next best thing is a LARGE indoor area. Here's an example of what an indoor enclosure should look like:



The substrate (floor substance) should be fir bark (not rocks as shown), He'll need a feeding tile, a waterer big enough for him to sit in (plant saucer), a hanging (not clamped) UVB light, a hiding place, a plant or two as sight barriers, and a large enough area for exercise.