My first hatchling

[Jillgp]

My Russian tort egg hatched late last night. The baby crawled all the way out of his egg shell this afternoon and dug into the substrate, which was vermiculite. I read Tom’s post took him out of the vermiculite rinsed him and put him on wet paper towel in the incubator, but he is very active and is trying to climb up the sides. He’s literally a day old and trying to get out of the incubator. What should I do?

 

[Jillgp]

Now he’s scratching at the side, which is not see thru, like he wants to burrow.

 

[zovick]

Now he’s scratching at the side, which is not see thru, like he wants to burrow.

Try giving the baby a place to hide so it can feel secure. A small cardboard box or plastic storage container with a door hole cut into one side, or maybe just some crumpled up newsprint or brown paper bag.

 

[Tom]

My Russian tort egg hatched late last night. The baby crawled all the way out of his egg shell this afternoon and dug into the substrate, which was vermiculite. I read Tom’s post took him out of the vermiculite rinsed him and put him on wet paper towel in the incubator, but he is very active and is trying to climb up the sides. He’s literally a day old and trying to get out of the incubator. What should I do?

I stopped using paper towels a couple of years ago. I now alternate between grape leaves and mulberry leaves on the bottom of the brooder box. You can use romaine leaves if you don't have grape or mulberry leaves.

Have two shoe boxes to alternate. Pull all of the leaves and food out of the one he is in, and soak him in shallow warm water. Get the other box ready with leaves and food. Soak the hatching for 5-10 minutes, then lift him out and put him in the fresh box and back in the incubator. You can leave him wet. Use different weeds, flowers, leaves and other foods every day. This is VERY important. Expose the baby to all sorts of new and novel foods while in the brooder box, and continue this after he goes into his first enclosure too. Soak the baby every single day until it surpasses 100 grams. After that, you can start skipping a day now and then.

The baby should stay in the brooder box for at least a week, but check the umbilical scar daily. Move him into his first enclosure after 7-10 days and only when the umbilical scar is completely closed up. On day one in the new enclosure, litter the entire bottom with familiar food items. I want it so that the baby can't take two steps without walking into more food. Keep this up for a few days, and over time, scatter less and less, until the only place he finds food is in the food bowl.

I find it very advantageous to clip grape vines and mulberry branches with lots of leaves still attached and spread those around the enclosure. They use it for cover and also can nibble on it. I replace these every other day or so, or as needed when they wilt.

Enjoy that little living miracle before you. Savor every minute of how wonderful it is, and think about how much the person will enjoy him wherever he ends up. Feel free to ask me all your questions. I love helping and talking tortoises. I'm doing all of the above with about 40 Burmese star babies right now as we speak.

 

[TammyJ]

Congratulations on the successful hatching of this little guy.
Just to add to the great advice you have been given... pumpkin vine leaves and flowers... edible and make a great substrate and hideout.
Just be sure any plants and leaves have not been sprayed or treated with any chemicals and pesticides.