New hatchling likes to eat outside not inside

[Mark Herman]

Savannah our African Leopard tortoise ..likes to eat outside clover and grass..she moves around quite a bit
Inside she does not seem to eat even after soaking..I feed her a variety .kale,collard greens zoo med tortoise food and occasionally zucchini ..is this a reason to worry

 

[ascott]

The food items she it selecting is much much, did I say much.....healthier than any grocery store produce isle...so let that tort scarf down and graze as much as possible....save the grocery store goods for winter months when the natural weeds may not be available the same...

 

[lismar79]

My russian does the same. The only diff fo me is that there is much more clover outside than I give her inside. I pick her food right out of the yard, you may want to try the same

 

[Jabuticaba]

Hi, Mark. Do you think she'll eat the garden weeds and plants indoors, if you bring them to her? Try feeding her some of the stuff from the garden. If she does eat it, it's a food selection issue. You may want to mince and mix some of the outdoor stuff with the store-bough ones.

If she still won't eat the garden stuff indoors, you may be looking at a combo behavioural and environmental issues (e.g., she's not generalising eating to the indoors, may be a bit anxious, not warm enough, too dark, etc).

Good luck!


May, Aussies, & THBs
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[Neal]

It may be a reason to worry. If a tortoise feels stressed or uncomfortable, they usually will not eat. Can you describe your indoor habitat? What type of lighting do you use?

 

[Robber]

Neal and ascott are both correct. It is good that she is eating those items outside because ideally you want those to be a large part of the diet and they will often be much more active and voracious eaters outside. On the other hand, being too sluggish inside and not really eating at all could mean too low of temps, not enough cover/too much open space creating insecurity, etc

 

[Mark Herman]

It may be a reason to worry. If a tortoise feels stressed or uncomfortable, they usually will not eat. Can you describe your indoor habitat? What type of lighting do you use?

On one end heated around 95- 100 degrees with sphagnum moss and rock substrate is a mix of sand topsoil and Pete moss on that end to keep humidity ( see pic) at the other end is a UVB light
With some cover ...in the middle is water dish also have a cuttlebone..

It may be a reason to worry. If a tortoise feels stressed or uncomfortable, they usually will not eat. Can you describe your indoor habitat? What type of lighting do you use?

 

[Tom]

BINGO! Colored lights. No good for indoor enclosure use. You need white lights to simulate daylight.

Also the sand need to go, and the diet that she's eating outside is better than what you are offering inside.

Please read these for the benefit of your baby tortoise:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

This was was written for sulcatas, so just use less emphasis on grass and more emphasis on the succulents and weeds for a leopard.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[Mark Herman]

BINGO! Colored lights. No good for indoor enclosure use. You need white lights to simulate daylight.

Also the sand need to go, and the diet that she's eating outside is better than what you are offering inside.

Please read these for the benefit of your baby tortoise:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

This was was written for sulcatas, so just use less emphasis on grass and more emphasis on the succulents and weeds for a leopard.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

The colored light is on one end for heat a nighttime light ( nightlight zoo med red reptile bulb 60 watt )..the other end is white UVB light zoo med 5.0 UVB ..the sand is part of a mixture 20%sand 60% topsoil 15% Pete moss 5% sphagnum moss..do I still need to change bulb..and substrate

 

[Tom]

I recommend against colored bulbs. If you can see, they can see. They have better color vision than we do.

I recommend against the coil type UV bulbs. THey can burn tortoise eyes, and often do, THAT might be why he doesn't want to eat inside. His eyes are burning.

I recommend against sand in any amount. I've seen too many impaction and eye issues from it, where other substrate don't cause those issues.


Its all laid out in the links above Mark. Please take a few minutes to read them. My only intention is to help your tortoise thrive.

 

[Mark Herman]

Thanks so much ..I have raised many reptiles/amphibians and turtles but this is my first tortoise..I have switched out the coil UVB bulb replaced with a fluorescent 8.0 reptile glow exo terra 15 watt ( hope this is ok)..but I'm still not clear on the red heat light..how do I supplement heat do I use a white light and turn all lights off at night..do I continue to leave the red light on to keep my humid end up to 95degrees..what would you suggest

 

[Jabuticaba]

Exoterra also makes some good heat bulbs for basking spots: http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/daylight_basking_spot.php


May, Aussies, & THBs
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[Mark Herman]

I have replaced the red heat light with a ceramic infrared heat emitter keeping the temperature around 95-97 on the humid end...replaced the coil UVB with a desert series 50 t8 fluorescent bulb..

 

[Tom]

Is the appetite improving yet? If the coil bulb burned his eyes it might take a few days to recover.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to do some daily baby food soaks to give him a little extra nutrition until he starts eating well for you again.

 

[Mark Herman]

Is the appetite improving yet? If the coil bulb burned his eyes it might take a few days to recover.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to do some daily baby food soaks to give him a little extra nutrition until he starts eating well for you again.

Baby food soaks? what does it entail .. still not eating inside and outside this morning did not eat alot...I am concerned do not want to lose this baby...

 

[Tom]

Baby food soaks are when you mix some carrot or yam baby food in with the soaking water for your baby. It helps get a little more nutrition into them and seems to improve the health and vigor of some babies.

Lets go down a different path here...
Where did you get this baby and how was it started by the breeder? Wet routine or dry routine? What substrate was it on and how often was it soaked?