New member looking for advice on baby tortoise

[AnZ17N]

Hello, I'm new here and wanted some advice on my baby tortoise.
He's about eight months and up until now has seemed to be doing alright.
I pick him some fresh weeds every day and try and mix in things such as carrots every now and then, which he likes. He really loves dandelions. I've tried to include things such as parsley and clovers, but he seems to always just pick out the dandelions and leave the rest. Every few days I sprinkle a vitamin supplement on. He gets fresh water every day, and I just the other day noticed him picking at his piece of cuttlebone in his pen.
He's got a temperature gradient, a hide, and enough substrate to bury himself completely.
I recently changed his substrate from that shaved coconut plushy stuff to a 50/50 mix of topsoil and play sand because it was recommended to me a couple times, and I noticed some changes. First off, he just hasn't been able to bury himself down into it anymore. Secondly he has just seemed so dry now. I've been trying to liberally spray the soil to keep it humid.
Then I recently noticed that it looks like he's getting some pyramiding in! I don't know what to do or what I should change. Do any of you have any advice for me?

I have a few pictures of him here.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

are you pouring water into the substrate every day?

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't know anything about Hermann's tortoises, but from what I've read here on the forum, most Hermann's keepers like to use the aspen bedding for their tortoises. Then with aspen, you would need to create a humid hiding place for him. Your habitat is very nice and has lots of room for the little guy.

Yvonne

 

[AnZ17N]

I haven't been pouring water. I've been spraying, getting the surface nice and moist. Should I be adding a lot more? I thought having it very damp would have been detrimental.

It looks like aspen would be a lot like what I had for him in his older setup.
Maybe I shouldn't have messed with it.

Thank you, I've been trying to do everything I can to keep him happy. I'm not sure what I've been doing wrong. I'm just so very concerned about his shell.

 

[Yvonne G]

In my experience with sulcatas and desert tortoises, it lack of humidity that caused the pyramiding. So that's why Maggie suggested "pouring" the water on the substrate. However, I don't think that's the thing to do with a Hermanns. I'm hoping one of our Hermanns keepers here on the forum will come in and help you with this problem

Yvonne

 

[Isa]

Welcome to the forum.
Your little baby is a real cutie
Here is a link of an excellent list that could give you ideas of what to feed to your little Hermann. It is important to offer him a varried diet. My Hermann hates parsley but love chicory, escarole, watercress, dandelions, radichio, collard greens, kale.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-5823.html

 

[AnZ17N]

Thanks for the list. I just fed him a mix of turnip greens, mustard greens, and bok choy. He seems to like it the turnips and bok choy. He hates the mustard. I think it might be too strong, kind of like the parsley.
I'm going to try and go through the list to find out what he likes. I'll definitely try and keep it much more varied for him.

Does anyone know if there's anything else I can do? Should I try a new substrate, or maybe just work on keeping it humid?

Thanks for all the help so far.

 

[Crazy1]

Just spraying it just dampens the top of the substrate it does not raise the humidity (air) for very long so what is happening is your torts humidity level raises then drops quickly until you spray again. If you pour water on stir up the substrate the lights will dry the top layer and the moisture will keep the air humidity up. If you just changed the substrate recently It is not the culprit that is causing the pyramiding. It take time to see pyriamiding. Try and get a hydrometer and keep your humidity up, feed a varied diet and get your tort lots of exercise. All this should help halt the pyramiding, but any one can increase it. Also try this link. http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-1000.html

 

[Millerlite]

you also are feeding him a lot. I feed mine every other day, they will overeat when you let them, its nature for them. I would cut back the food to every other day, also add a humid hide that can help some. When my greek tortioses were around 8 months, i feed them every other day, sometimes every 3 days.

 

[Jack-'n'-Jill]

I agree - feed the little guy every other day. Changing the substrate would not make him suddenly pyramid, this is generally a long process. However, changing the substrate has obviously made him unhappy. Unfortunately there are lots and lots of recommendations out there and it can get confusing. Personally, if my tortoise is happy & healthy - I wouldn't change anything. Perhaps you should consider going back to your old substrate.

I do know there have been many studies on low humidity being the cause of pyramiding but remember that Med's need a dry climate! I therefore wouldn't 'pour' water on your substrate!!! I don’t see no harm in the occasional spraying but as explained by Robyn, this will have little affect. I would provide a small humid hide (made using something like peat moss) this way you'll providing the tortoises needs and he'll decide in what quantities he needs them!

By the way he's lovely, let us know how you get on.

 

[desertsss]

I don't know if this matters much, but do you have a type of light source for him? I see he's right next to a window. Maybe someone else on here could add to this. Being next to the window could that drastically effect the humidity?

 

[pyxistort]

I don't see any problem to feed hermann's everyday. As long as the proper environment provided, the shell should grow normally.

Even though hermann is coming from dryer climate, the humidity in the burrow is higher (that is why use humidity hide). I pour water to my baby hermann's enclosure about once a week(when it is complete dry), especially under the basking area. The substrate will be wet, but not soggy. Top of the substrate will dry out quickly, but the underneath will keep some humidity.

Maybe Danny and Chris can explain more and better.

Scott

 

[tortoisenerd]

I think hatchlings should be fed daily. I actually tend to feed two smaller meals to my little guy as he grazes (although sometimes he is asleep by the time I get home to feed him again so he only gets breakfast). I couldn't imagine my little guy looking for his food all day on an off day! He knows when we're even a little late on the weekend. As long as they are a good weight and very active, why not feed regularly a moderate amount? They graze in the wild as they are very active looking for food. Yes, they may have some off days and then gorge, but they also like routine in captivity. Having a large enclosure with lots of things to "do" all day will help them burn some of the calories anyways.

 

[Millerlite]

well if you feed every other day they would only expect to eat every other day. In captivity they tend to over eat, on the lettuces ect. I would just get a humid hide in there, and if you want make a diet for her, either everyday with small portions every other day, not much else you can do.

 

[Ozric]

I find that a soil + playsand substrate works well, though I use less sand. I agree with pouring water on the substrate, what I do is to add quite a lot of water but not every day. A small tortoise will struggle to dig down into soil and sand, and you might want to offer an area with aspen where it's easier for them to dig. They do need to be able to hide, make sure there is always options for doing so. e.g. a small box or pile of moss.

Some foods that are suitable include : corn salad (Lambs Lettuce), Romaine lettuce, salad rocket, raddicio, watercress, frisee. Not all these words might mean the same to you, as I am in the UK.

Pyramiding is a long term problem that has to with wrong diet, lack of humidity and sometimes an excess of rich foods. Another factor can be lack of Vit D and UVB. If you are keeping this tortoise indoors then he will be experiencing on the whole high temperatures - this means you can add water to the substrate quite liberally without worrying too much, as its mainly cold and wet at the same time that causes problems. Always make sure that relatively moist and dry areas are avialable.