Horsfeild Tortoise Won't Eat?

[Shona]

I bought my tortoise from a pet shop 3 days ago and so far it hasn't touched it's food or water? The first day we got him he was very energetic and done laps around the tortoise table. Now he just stays buried in a corner and only moves if he's going to a different corner. Is this just him settling in or should I be taking him to a vet? Any advice would be much appreciated

 

[Shona]

I bought my tortoise a few days ago from a garden centre. He hasn't eaten or drunk any water yet so I am starting to get worried. I always leave him fresh food and water and have tried bathing him. The first day we got him he was very energetic however now he likes to bury himself in a corner. I am a new tortoise owner therefore don't know what to do. Any help would be much appreciated

 

[Lyn W]

Hi Shona where are you located?
Torts can take a while to settle as they don't like change but there is a good caresheet under Species Specific for Russians which will tell you all about diet temps humidity and substrate etc. The Beginners Mistakes thread (link below) is a good place to learn some do's and don'ts and avoid problems experienced by others. The Enclosures thread is full of great ideas and if you can post pics of your enclosure members can advise on any changes you can make - if any - that will make it a safe and happy home for your new baby.

 

[dmmj]

after you check your temperatures I would suggest that he is just settling in. his energetic laps around his new environment was him being scared and or curious he will take time to readjust and once he does he'll eat you out of house and home.

 

[Shona]

thanks lyn, how long do you think he'll take to settle in? I live in the UK so it's pretty cold but he has a heat lamp with uv and I've purchased a heat mat for the winter.

 

[Lyn W]

What uvb and heat sources are you using? They can greatly affect your torts behaviour too.
A few quick pointers I've learned are

• do not use coiled or long thin loop type cfl bulbs as these can damage torts eyes. Red lights confuse torts.
• pellets, woodchips, straw/hay, sawdust etc are not good substrates as they are too dry and can also hurt eyes or even be a fire hazard. Sand and soil with white bits in it can cause the gut to become impacted so should be avoided too
• plants are good for humidity and give the tort somewhere to hide to feel secure. See www.thetortoisetable.org.uk for tort safe plants
• shallow terracotta plant saucers are cheaper and safer for torts than the steep sided water dishes pet shops sell
• a temperature gun is more accurate for checking your 4 temps than the dial thermometers sold by pet shops - as are digital humidity/temp gauges with probes.
• hanging bulbs is safer than using the clamps which have been known to fail and cause fires.

There's lots to learn but this is the best place to learn it, so read search and ask as many questions as you like someone will get back to you soon.

 

[Lyn W]

thanks lyn, how long do you think he'll take to settle in? I live in the UK so it's pretty cold but he has a heat lamp with uv and I've purchased a heat mat for the winter.

It varies and I think depends how comfortable and safe he feels in his enclosure. Russians like a lot of space and are great climbers and like to dig.
Do you have night heat for him?
I use a Ceramic heat emitter (CHE) on a thermostat which just gives heat as torts need darkness to sleep. It comes on and off as temps rise or fall, I bough both from The Range for about £55. I use an Arcadia mercury vapour bulb (MVB) which gives heat, light and uvb in one easy bulb for the day. The daylight/basking bulbs are cheaper but only give a tiny amount of uv. Both are in wide dome fixtures to direct heat down (also from The Range about £25 each)
Unfortunately pet shops don't always give the best up to date advice as they are mainly in it for profit so check everything here to save yourself some cash and make sure you have tort safe equipment etc. Heat mats are not usually recommended for use under the tort unless the are like the really expensive Kane mats which are thermostatically controlled and very safe.

 

[dmmj]

Readjustment can take several days to several weeks depending on the tortoise. As long as there is no significant weight loss you should not worry too much.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Shona