New hatchling cherry head owner

[Torkoal#1]

I am new to owning a tortoise, let alone the weeks old one tortoise town sent me. I want to promote climbing but I'm worried he will flip over, he already has once on a moss hill so I flatten it out more so it wasn't to steep. I'm scared to put these rocks (in picture) because I don't want him flipping over playing on them. I'm also scared to add the cool steps to a water or food dish off Amazon because with no sides he could walk right off amd I'm sure he would. Then if he got in his shell fast enough if he lands upside down when I'm at work.... o man no... please help. For now I will have playtime with him under my ful supervision lol.

 

[Avuwyy]

You can bury the rocks in the substrate so they are still being walked on, but aren’t as tall as they are? Would be good to keep the tortoise’s nails trim in the future.

A terracotta dish is commonly recommended to house a tortoise’s water. You do not want to give a tortoise any steep sides to clamber over, or steps such as these. Especially such a young tortoise who will still be developing the muscles in their legs. Scraping of the plastron (belly) can cause abrasions which is an opening for shell rot or infection.

So your best bet? Bury the rocks for now so they are being walked on instead of climbed on (Make sure there is nowhere their leg can get trapped between the rock and the substrate or the rock and the rock too. Use a terracotta dish for water, and a slate for food. If you want to help the tortoise’s muscles develop, you can shape small hills in the substrate, which will work the tortoise’s leg muscles. Make sure they are only small though.

Especially at such a young age, having things a tortoise can flip itself on or jump off is dangerous. Older tortoises typically have the shell strength to withstand such a fall, or know how to flip themselves over so it’s less of an issue for them (Still an issue if they get stuck upside down of course, or if they fall from a tall height). You’re not going to be there 24/7 to flip the tortoise back over when they fall, or moderate if they are going to jump from these things.

 

[Torkoal#1]

You can bury the rocks in the substrate so they are still being walked on, but aren’t as tall as they are? Would be good to keep the tortoise’s nails trim in the future.

A terracotta dish is commonly recommended to house a tortoise’s water. You do not want to give a tortoise any steep sides to clamber over, or steps such as these. Especially such a young tortoise who will still be developing the muscles in their legs. Scraping of the plastron (belly) can cause abrasions which is an opening for shell rot or infection.

So your best bet? Bury the rocks for now so they are being walked on instead of climbed on (Make sure there is nowhere their leg can get trapped between the rock and the substrate or the rock and the rock too. Use a terracotta dish for water, and a slate for food. If you want to help the tortoise’s muscles develop, you can shape small hills in the substrate, which will work the tortoise’s leg muscles. Make sure they are only small though.

Especially at such a young age, having things a tortoise can flip itself on or jump off is dangerous. Older tortoises typically have the shell strength to withstand such a fall, or know how to flip themselves over so it’s less of an issue for them (Still an issue if they get stuck upside down of course, or if they fall from a tall height). You’re not going to be there 24/7 to flip the tortoise back over when they fall, or moderate if they are going to jump from these things.

Thank you for putting my mind at ease. I'm glad to know the stairs are too much and too dangerous. I've been giving him sloped hills not steep ones and have a small 4x4 slate rock, getting a bigger one and want to grow grass around it to brush him off and keep the coco coir off hiss food. I know it's super fine and I think it's digestible but compaction is a fear of mine.

 

[Avuwyy]

Thank you for putting my mind at ease. I'm glad to know the stairs are too much and too dangerous. I've been giving him sloped hills not steep ones and have a small 4x4 slate rock, getting a bigger one and want to grow grass around it to brush him off and keep the coco coir off hiss food. I know it's super fine and I think it's digestible but compaction is a fear of mine.

It’s good to be worried about such things!

If you’re wanting more things for your tortoise (Unsure if that’s why you were looking to add more to their environment) adding more hides, and things such as plants can offer invaluable hiding places for a young tortoise.

Also I did a little rummage about to see if you had sent any pictures of your tortoise, and just wanted to say your tortoise looks very sweet, and from what I can see your enclosure is looking good

 

[Torkoal#1]

It’s good to be worried about such things!

If you’re wanting more things for your tortoise (Unsure if that’s why you were looking to add more to their environment) adding more hides, and things such as plants can offer invaluable hiding places for a young tortoise.

Also I did a little rummage about to see if you had sent any pictures of your tortoise, and just wanted to say your tortoise looks very sweet, and from what I can see your enclosure is looking good

I plan to build a biger one maybe 2'×4' or a little biger because I have a 4 foot uvb setup so to put it inside it may need to be larger. But anyways with the uvb I use Arcadia lights and reflective hood the bulb is a t5 6% uvb 30%uva they have a shadow dweller one thats 22" but it's 7% uvb 15% uva. Witch one would be better and I'd use 2 of the 22" ones because I want the whole enclosure to have uvb light.