New greek parent questions

[nicholas lim]

Hi all,

First of all i have to say this forum has been a wealth of knowledge and i appreciate everyone's help in our new endeavor.

We received Sheldon about a week ago now and things have been really fun! ( i never thought i associate fun with a tortoise either haha). My girlfriend and i have a few questions and concerns about the little guy.

-He seems to burrow a lot. Every morning we have to pluck him from his hiding spot for his bath. He'll wake up, move around a bit, then we'll place him back in his home in front of his food. He'll walk all over his food and eventually eat then go back to burrow again. I don't think there has been a day that he's been out when i get home from work. Is this normal?

here's a few shots of his enclosure.



this third one is just to show how the lights are situated. we changed a few things since then.


right now his temperatures are mid 90's on the UVB side where the slates are and it'll range down to mid 70's on the right side near the hill and water. We just got a thermostat for the che at night. it's currently set to 78 and it seems to control the temperature quite well.

He doesn't seem to like the right side at all. he currently burrows next to the flower pot under the moss.

is everything ok? should we change things? we feed him once a day with a hearty heap of a variety of veggies, and we alternate between raspashy super veg, and calcium dust from deer fern farms.

thanks in advance!

 

[JoesMum]

Hi and welcome

The main reason a tort hides when you first own it is because it is frightened. They don't handle change at all well and some can take weeks, if not months, to decide that a new enclosure and owner are safe. I recommend establishing a routine for a new tort so that it learns what to expect and when. Start the day something like lights on (use a timer), soak, feed... and then you walk away. Don't stand over watching, leave the little guy on his own and let him realise that it is safe to come out and explore. Some plants in the enclosure will help your tort to feel less exposed when he is out . . . Other than the hide and digging there is nowhere else to go. He can only feel exposed.

What temperature do you have under the basking lamp? Is your UVB source a compact (coil type) bulb? If so, that needs to be changed. They are known to cause eye problems in tortoises and could well be the reason your tort is hiding. Information on lighting http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/summary-lighting-for-russian-tortoises-and-most-others.90826/

Your tort's diet should be leafy greens not veggies. Fruit, including bell peppers and carrot, and and carrots contain sugars which greeks find hard to digest and can make them very sick. Such things should be kept for small amounts as a very occsional treat.

Look up the leafy greens that you have growing around you, and the ones that you can buy in a grocery store, on the Tortoise Table plant database to see what's good to feed http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp?v=desktop

Greek tort care sheet http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-testudo-graeca-care-sheet-overview.87146/

The beginner mistakes thread is always worth a read http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[nicholas lim]

Thank you very much.

I've done a lot of reading about the lights and i knew not to get the coil type. Its a 125w mvb. Right under the mvb its mid 90s.

Right now we feed him a mix of dandelion greens, bok choy, spring mix, and Chinese broccoli. It's all the same veggies we eat but in raw form. We stay away from the fruits and non leafy veg. I found a pdf of tortoise friendly veg that I've been referencing as well.

I'll keep with his morning routine and see if he comes out of his shell. Hehe

Thanks again!