Hiding tortoise

[Bera]

Hi, i just got this baby tortoise today, i put them in the enclosure and they immediately went to hide. Im sure thats normal but i cant see them being active anytime soon. How about eating and uv light? The temperature is 21.5 and moisture is 80%

 

[Tom]

This is very normal behavior. Baby tortoises are prey items for many wild predators and their instinct tells them to hide to be safe. It will take time for the baby to realize there is no predator and it can move about safely.

Where is it 21C? That is okay for the cool side and the over night low, but the warm side Neds to be around 26-27 and the basking area directly under an incandescent flood bulb needs to be around 36-37C.

What type of UV bulb are you using? How high is it mounted? How many hours a day is it on?

 

[Bera]

This is very normal behavior. Baby tortoises are prey items for many wild predators and their instinct tells them to hide to be safe. It will take time for the baby to realize there is no predator and it can move about safely.

Where is it 21C? That is okay for the cool side and the over night low, but the warm side Neds to be around 26-27 and the basking area directly under an incandescent flood bulb needs to be around 36-37C.

What type of UV bulb are you using? How high is it mounted? How many hours a day is it on?

It is on the cool side i guess,

This is very normal behavior. Baby tortoises are prey items for many wild predators and their instinct tells them to hide to be safe. It will take time for the baby to realize there is no predator and it can move about safely.

Where is it 21C? That is okay for the cool side and the over night low, but the warm side Neds to be around 26-27 and the basking area directly under an incandescent flood bulb needs to be around 36-37C.

What type of UV bulb are you using? How high is it mounted? How many hours a day is it on?

its the cold side, but under the floodlight it doesn’t seem to be much hotter, should i get a heat mat? Its a arcadia floodlight. How long can they go without food? Ill bathe them for the first time tomorrow

 

[Tom]

It is on the cool side i guess,

its the cold side, but under the floodlight it doesn’t seem to be much hotter, should i get a heat mat? Its a arcadia floodlight. How long can they go without food? Ill bathe them for the first time tomorrow

Heat mats should never be used under tortoises. It's not safe and it is counter to their instincts. Use heat from over head if more is needed.

Is the Arcadia flood light a regular incandescent bulb, or is it a mercury vapor bulb? Is there another bulb for UV? What kind of bulb is it?

You need to know and adjust four temperatures: Warm side, cool side, basking area and overnight low.

Much more info here:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Bera]

Heat mats should never be used under tortoises. It's not safe and it is counter to their instincts. Use heat from over head if more is needed.

Is the Arcadia flood light a regular incandescent bulb, or is it a mercury vapor bulb? Is there another bulb for UV? What kind of bulb is it?

You need to know and adjust four temperatures: Warm side, cool side, basking area and overnight low.

Much more info here:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

This is the one, i was recommended this on here, and i have a uvb pole light, its also arcadia and i was recommended it on here. But how long can this baby go without food? Now its been a day and a half here but it hasnt eaten or drank, ill give it a soak now.