New mom and Baby. Weird behaviour?

[FlowerzTrolls]

Hey guys

Gonna try this posting thing and hope i dont get chewed up for it! Just looking for others experiences with new baby and hatchlings

I got my little bean on wednesday last week.

Hes got a 3 foot tank with hides, rock and plants, reptibark on surface and eco earth underneath with some areas with eco earth only if he feels like digging, he has a water bowl, eats better than i do (dandelions, collard greens, wheat grass, apples, papaya, some strawberries, mushrooms and such), he has a flat rock purposely put in his way so he has no choice to walk on for nail trimming, tank is covered all arpund, i have a humidifier in there and spray everyday for moisture to stay 80 or more, his high temp side is about 88 abd lower at about 78 and he gets saoked in a warm bath every single day.

That said, im running into kind of a weird issue. And i loosely say weird as i havent read about it anywhere and cant seem to find info on it and like everything in my life, it seems backwards....

After i bath Louis, I offer food. He will sit in my hand, NEVER hides, will take food out of my fingers and hand, lets me pet his shell and head as well, will eat some more... then when i put him down for him to feed himself, he may do that for a bit and then walks away......... If i stay near by and see walk away, ill observe him jjst to see him walk to my face and stare at me. If i reopen my tank, leave him on the ground in the tank and offer food, he will take it from me. The problem is, not once has he come out on his own to feed and yet i know hes hungry cause he willingly takes him from me.....

He doesnt move around his tank much either. He hides most of the time. So at supper time, i usually take him out, if dry ish i will give him another bath, if jot ill offer food. Same idea. Hell eat from me and maybe a little off his plate and then doesnt care for it unless i stay there it seems like. And im so OCD, i place the food a certain so when i come home at night from work, i know for sure if its been disturbed and it hasnt

Let me reinforce here, he NEVER shy and hides from me, unless i quickly move over him, which i make a strong effort not to do! He has no issue with my company it seems like.

Could the tank/new surrounding still scares him??

Why would he be so good, ok and not hiding with me around but when alone goes in hiding mode?

This goes agaisnt everything i read.. I was expecting him to hate my company and hide in his shell when im around and eat when im not looking but its not the case. Totally backward!!

Is me hand feeding him actually encourage this behaviour? Its kind of a crap shoot... he wont feed so i feel the need to see him eat at least a little something but then if i continue I'm scared he will turn into a total handfeeding princess!

Hmm.. Anyone? Have you experineced this backward thing?

 

[method89]

I have a feeling the answer is that you just need to leave him alone for a few days. He's a baby and needs time to acclimate to his surroundings. you are picking him, bathing him repeatedly. tortoises get stressed easy by new things and environments. He may just need some alone time. They don't like to be handled.

BUT... There could be a bunch of other issues at play here as well. What are temps at in your enclosure? what type of lights do you have in the enclosure? Please post some pictures of the enclosure as well as it well help other pinpoint possible issues.

 

[Tom]

Are you using a UV bulb? What type?

 

[FlowerzTrolls]

The temp is listed above. 78 to about 80 on cool side is this morning higher side is at about 88, directly under the CHE

I am using the repti glow 5.0 and not all lights are on either cause it appears way to bright. He also has a big two broad leaf plant to help with shadows

Heres a picture of his tank

I forgot to mention he has a cuttlebone in there as well that he just LOVES! Got pic and video or him ravaging, or at least trying LOL, that thing!

And I am not about to stop the soaking. Thats a no go in my book especially woth hatchlings. So he will get handled everyday, i dont think theres a way around that

I understand they get stress easily but if he was stress with the soaking and hand feeding, he wouldnt be responding to it as well as he does. Ive had quite the amphibians and reptile collection over the years and every one of them i had that wouldnt respond to hand feeding, wouldnt allow my hand anywhere near them, they would run for cover and would not for the life of them let me handle them if they were stressed by my presence or care. This guy appears backwarss to me and its puzzling...?

So you guys recommending me to stop the soaking and literally not go in his tank for any reason for a few days?

 

[Tom]

So you guys recommending me to stop the soaking and literally not go in his tank for any reason for a few days?

No. I would not recommend that.

What type of UV bulb? Long tube or cfl? There are multiple types of reptiles-glo 5.0 bulbs.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

With my hatchlings, I did have to place them in front of the food every day.
They would've otherwise slept and hidden themselves all day.
Everything in your husbandry sounds decent. So I'm going to assume that there may be no real issue.
Simply place him in front of the food when it is offered.
I think what you're seeing may be a learned behavior. He's going to eat without any help when he gets hungry.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

No. I would not recommend that.

What type of UV bulb? Long tube or cfl? There are multiple types of reptiles-glo 5.0 bulbs.

Good catch on that.
Is it a strip florescent?
Can you take a photo?

 

[method89]

The temp is listed above. 78 to about 80 on cool side is this morning higher side is at about 88, directly under the CHE

I am using the repti glow 5.0 and not all lights are on either cause it appears way to bright. He also has a big two broad leaf plant to help with shadows

Heres a picture of his tank

I forgot to mention he has a cuttlebone in there as well that he just LOVES! Got pic and video or him ravaging, or at least trying LOL, that thing!

And I am not about to stop the soaking. Thats a no go in my book especially woth hatchlings. So he will get handled everyday, i dont think theres a way around that

I understand they get stress easily but if he was stress with the soaking and hand feeding, he wouldnt be responding to it as well as he does. Ive had quite the amphibians and reptile collection over the years and every one of them i had that wouldnt respond to hand feeding, wouldnt allow my hand anywhere near them, they would run for cover and would not for the life of them let me handle them if they were stressed by my presence or care. This guy appears backwarss to me and its puzzling...?

So you guys recommending me to stop the soaking and literally not go in his tank for any reason for a few days?

No, i was just recommending not handling him as much, Soaks are absolutely necessary.

 

[FlowerzTrolls]

Oops sorry the picture didnt attach

It is the long tube ones. Tho at this point, i doubt the lighting is the issue... I also have another hide coming from Amazon. I dont have anything elevated either cause im terrified of the flipping.....

Good to know about your hatchlings! Always good to hear that im not the only one. Thats what i was looking for! Babies tend to forget about life sometimes it seems and i need reassurance maybe? All of this seems backward to me is all..

And Tom, thanks for the advice. Honnestly, i asked but i wouldnt of never stop the soaking. Its crucial to their proper care and existence.

 

[FlowerzTrolls]

And the only time he ever gets handled, is bath time. I never bother him at any other given time actually

Cause while he soaks, i get myself, my food and his food ready (Since we eat the same thing LOL) and once the time is up, i offer food. And as i said, this only gets repeated at night if he looks a little dry OR if he didnt eat that morning. I put him by the food once more

 

[method89]

OK, from your first post it seemed to me like you were handling him a lot. It sounds like you have a good handle on things. I offer mazuri to my tort when hes in his soak. That way i know hes eating and getting hydrated. Just need to be careful if he poops in the water

 

[FlowerzTrolls]

Thats not a bad idea actually. Let the food soak a little at the same time as well!

Now that you have mentioned that, thanks for that by the way!!, i forgot all about it in my first post but ya, he hasn't poo since he got home either. Nothing that i could find anyways!! On the travel he did so i got a chance to see what it looks like and its so tiny..... Ive look thru the substrate to see if i could find a little turd but i havent yet and again, as backward as everything ive read lol, he does not ever poo in his water! Lol he must be french like me.. Everything is backwards.. ? LOL

When do i draw the line as for the poo worry?? When is too long, too long?

 

[Toddrickfl1]

It's going to take a few weeks for your baby to settle in, start coming out and eating on its own, and develop a routine.

 

[Tom]

And Tom, thanks for the advice. Honnestly, i asked but i wouldnt of never stop the soaking. Its crucial to their proper care and existence.

I'm sure you already know I agree 100%. I've done it both ways and seen the difference first hand many times.

 

[method89]

Thats not a bad idea actually. Let the food soak a little at the same time as well!

Now that you have mentioned that, thanks for that by the way!!, i forgot all about it in my first post but ya, he hasn't poo since he got home either. Nothing that i could find anyways!! On the travel he did so i got a chance to see what it looks like and its so tiny..... Ive look thru the substrate to see if i could find a little turd but i havent yet and again, as backward as everything ive read lol, he does not ever poo in his water! Lol he must be french like me.. Everything is backwards.. ? LOL

When do i draw the line as for the poo worry?? When is too long, too long?

never pooped in his soaks? that could be an issue. I put my little guy in water he's almost guaranteed to poop, I would only speculating at a cause for not pooping. Tom or Zero probably can help there.

 

[FlowerzTrolls]

Thanks for the nice words guys!

Yeah i thought the pooping thing could be an issue as well..

I may get digging deeper and closer today, see if i can find a little turd. But for sure for sure, in every single soak, he has not poops... ever..

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Thanks for the nice words guys!

Yeah i thought the pooping thing could be an issue as well..

I may get digging deeper and closer today, see if i can find a little turd. But for sure for sure, in every single soak, he has not poops... ever..

I've got one that has never pooped while getting a soak and another that poops within 30 seconds of soaking.

 

[FlowerzTrolls]

Lol i swear, torts are little human beans! So different and very much each to their own personality ❤❤❤

I got to for sure tho, find some poo somewhere... ?

 

[FlowerzTrolls]

He is mysteriously stopped under the CHE beside his hide for the last 10 minutes......

I suspect he may have stopped to drop a ? before going back in... at least i hope so...

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Lol i swear, torts are little human beans! So different and very much each to their own personality ❤❤❤

I got to for sure tho, find some poo somewhere... ?

It's also entirely possible he's eating it before you find it. I know, I know, Gross!