Hello all!
Long-ish backstory. I tried to get an Eastern Hermann’s Last year and the folks I ordered it from sent me a leopard instead. Don’t need to get into that but I decided to give the little guy a go and unfortunately despite doing everything ‘right’ at least according to my local reptile folks he never gained any weight and ended up dying a couple of months later. After an appropriate mourning period (kidding mostly) I decided to try again with a Redfoot hatchling. My BF knows me too well and, without my knowing, got another Redfoot hatchling for me a couple of days later so now I have 2 new littles. I am paranoid now after the death and want to make sure I am setting these little guys up for a long and healthy life.
I have done all the reading about the diet and they are getting a nice varied selection, mostly dandelion base with a whole bunch of other ‘good’ foods for variety, calcium dusted 2-3x week.
Mostly I want to make sure my setup is good- pics below. Initially they were in the zoomed tortoise house I still had from my leopard and it was obvious they were miserable- no activity, barely eating. Within 10 minutes of getting in the new setup they were up and about, eating, exploring and soaking so I guess that is a good sign. UVB light is on 7 hours per day and blue heat bulb on 24. UTH at the warm end though they don’t seem to use that hide so I wonder if I should take it off? Temp about 84 on the warm end, mid to low 70s on the UV side. Humidity constant at 80. Actually rains in the box when I pop the lid
.
What’s the verdict you tortoise lovers? Anything else I should be doing?
Baby pictures added just for interest.
Long-ish backstory. I tried to get an Eastern Hermann’s Last year and the folks I ordered it from sent me a leopard instead. Don’t need to get into that but I decided to give the little guy a go and unfortunately despite doing everything ‘right’ at least according to my local reptile folks he never gained any weight and ended up dying a couple of months later. After an appropriate mourning period (kidding mostly) I decided to try again with a Redfoot hatchling. My BF knows me too well and, without my knowing, got another Redfoot hatchling for me a couple of days later so now I have 2 new littles. I am paranoid now after the death and want to make sure I am setting these little guys up for a long and healthy life.
I have done all the reading about the diet and they are getting a nice varied selection, mostly dandelion base with a whole bunch of other ‘good’ foods for variety, calcium dusted 2-3x week.
Mostly I want to make sure my setup is good- pics below. Initially they were in the zoomed tortoise house I still had from my leopard and it was obvious they were miserable- no activity, barely eating. Within 10 minutes of getting in the new setup they were up and about, eating, exploring and soaking so I guess that is a good sign. UVB light is on 7 hours per day and blue heat bulb on 24. UTH at the warm end though they don’t seem to use that hide so I wonder if I should take it off? Temp about 84 on the warm end, mid to low 70s on the UV side. Humidity constant at 80. Actually rains in the box when I pop the lid
. What’s the verdict you tortoise lovers? Anything else I should be doing?
Baby pictures added just for interest.
