Is my tortoise ok?

[robyn.gaw]

Hi. I got my first hermann tortoise yesterday and when i tried to feed it yesterday it ate nothing. I guessed that this was because he had already been fed at the reptile shop and wasn’t hungry. However, when he woke up this morning i got out his food (which is curly kale, bell pepper, and a small tomato all cut up with some calcium over it), and he showed no interest, not even running over which i have heard tortoises do when they see food. Is he not ok or is he just not hungry? He hasn’t eaten since i got him yesterday at about 1pm. What should do? P.S i already looked it up and it said the temperature and humidity could be off however i have a thermometer in there and the humidity and temperature is both fine.

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome,
How old is your tort?
Tortoises don't like change so it could be that he needs time to settle into his new home before he feels safe enough to eat.

However you need to read the caresheets to make sure you're giving him the right diet (tomatoes like all fruit have too much sugar which torts can't process}.

This is an excellent thread which will give you very valuable information for keeping your tortoise happy and healthy

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

It contains information about Mediterranean/temperate species which is more specific to your tort which is also posted in the Species Specific threads

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

You'll also find www.thetortoisetable.org.uk very useful for identifying tort safe foods. There are still quite a few weeds around at the moment which should be his main diet and the tort table is a good guide for finding those - make sure they are from safe spots though i.e. not near anywhere that has been sprayed in the last couple of years or car fumes etc.

If you post pics of his enclosure and lamps etc we can help you make sure they are safe for your tort - pet shops rarely know about tort care and often sell unsuitable equipment just for profit, and there is a lot of old out of date advice still being passed around on other websites and social media so make this forum your main source of information.

Your tort will only need a small pinch of calcium a couple of times a week.

There's a lot of reading but well worth it to help your tort thrive and ask as many questions as you like there's always someone here to help.

 

[Lyn W]

P.S. make sure he has easy access to fresh water - torts can go a long time without food but need water.

 

[robyn.gaw]

Hi and welcome,
How old is your tort?
Tortoises don't like change so it could be that he needs time to settle into his new home before he feels safe enough to eat.

However you need to read the caresheets to make sure your giving him the right diet, tomatoes like all fruit have too much sugar which torts can't process.

This is an excellent thread which will give you very valuable information for keeping your tortoise happy and healthy

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

It contains information about Mediterranean/temperate species which is more specific to your tort which is also posted in the Species Specific threads

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

You'll also find www.thetortoisetable.org.uk very useful for identifying tort safe foods. There are still quite a few weeds around at the moment which should be his main diet and the tort table is a good guide for finding those - make sure they are from safe spots though i.e. not near anywhere that has been sprayed in the last couple of years or car fumes etc.

If you post pics of his enclosure and lamps etc we can help you make sure they are safe for your tort - pet shops rarely know about tort care and often sell unsuitable equipment just for profit, and there is a lot of old out of date advice still being passed around on other websites and social media so make this forum your main source of information.

Your tort will only need a small pinch of calcium a couple of times a week.

There's a lot of reading but well worth it to help your tort thrive and ask as many questions as you like there's always someone here to help.

I haven’t been told how old he is but i’m assuming only a few months. Also i wasn’t planning on feeding him tomatoes but i cut one up to see if he would eat that. i’m clear on what he can eat and what he can’t eat.

 

[robyn.gaw]

P.S. make sure he has easy access to fresh water - torts can go a long time without food but need water.

I bathe him everyday and there is fresh water in his enclosure but he doesn’t seem to go near it to drink it.

 

[Lyn W]

Looks like you're using pellets which are too dry and dusty and will go mouldy when wet. The caresheets I linked will recommend better substrates for your tort and help prevent pyramiding of his shell.
What bulb are you using?

 

[Lyn W]

I bathe him everyday and there is fresh water in his enclosure but he doesn’t seem to go near it to drink it.

He will when he's ready and short soaks in shallow, luke warm water will help hydrate him. I rarely see my tort drink.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I haven’t been told how old he is but i’m assuming only a few months. Also i wasn’t planning on feeding him tomatoes but i cut one up to see if he would eat that. i’m clear on what he can eat and what he can’t eat.

Hello and welcome!

It is normal for them to have a lower appetite during their settling in period, so I wouldn’t worry just yet.

There are however things that need addressing with the set up asap, the pellet bedding you are using needs switching out, it’s no good at retaining the high humidity needed for babies, it can actually swell in their stomach if eaten too.
Don’t feed peppers, they are too high in sugar for these guys, you want to stick with leafy greens and weeds.

I think you’ll find this thread useful to read through, I goes over correct levels, equipment etc and there’s a bit about diet at the end🙂you’re baby needs 80+ humidity whist young to aid in smooth growth, they need daily soaks too. Temp wise, they need a basking spot directly under the bulb reaching 95-100f, the rest of the enclosure should be ranging 75-80 during the day.

Housing young Russian/Herman

Hello there! In this thread, I’m going to include some information on an effective way to tackle a starter set up/a way you can build a bigger size once your baby is an adult. I know it looks a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered, I’m happy to break down any information...

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You might also find this one useful to go through, it’ll help you avoid the wrong kind of equipment and materials moving forward😊

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Any further questions, please ask away!🐢💚