Newbie here need more info

[yukistar]

Greetings. I got this baby tortoise from moving neighbour just 2 days ago.
I have 0 idea about tortoise but its either me or another fellow neighbour that dont really love animal.
Can anyone help me identify what type of tortoise is this?
Is it healthy or any precautions i should take. So far i fed veges cucumber capsicum and blueberry.
And extra tips and info would be very helpful!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello, welcome and thank you for taking care of this little one!

I'm not really good at identifying species, but this can be a desert tortoise. Luckily, care guides for baby tortoises are very similar.

A few things should be done as soon as possible to keep him healthy and thriving:
1. Daily soaks in lukewarm water. Use an opaque plastic container high enough, so he can't climb out, with a little of warm water (up to a level where top and bottom shell meet). Water should be warm at all times and the easiest is to put it in the enclosure, close to the basking lamp (but not directly under it). Soak him for around 30 minutes under your supervision.
2. His diet are leafy greens, weeds and some succulents. You can looks for the list of edibles in the care sheet, I've linked below. This could be both grocery foods and weeds from your yard (if they aren't treated with pesticides and such). Hibiscus and mulberry leaves are great foods too (if you have some).
3. Substrate needs to be changed to coco coir, orchid bark (fir bark) or cypress mulch. Check your local plant nurseries for cheap options.
4. He needs a high humidity environment and you can figure out some kind of cover for his enclosure (not a blanket, but likely a shower curtain or similar).
5. It's important to know parameters in his enclosure, so a cheap digital hygrometer/thermometer from a hardware store will be your friend.
6. Lightning and heating needs some overhaul. Incandescent lamps (not halogen) are the best for the basking area. For heating a ceramic heat emitter works best (as it gives no light and safe to use at night). Also, you will need a source of UVB (ultraviolet), you can either buy T5 tube (like Arcadia proT5) or ensure he gets 2-3 hours of natural sunlight (not filtered with glass and plastic) in a week.

As you are new to the tortoise care, this post will be a good starting point for tortoise care: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/

I understand, that this could be a lot to take, so please don't hesitate to ask questions. We'll try to help and sort out any issues.

 

[Tom]

Greetings. I got this baby tortoise from moving neighbour just 2 days ago.
I have 0 idea about tortoise but its either me or another fellow neighbour that dont really love animal.
Can anyone help me identify what type of tortoise is this?
Is it healthy or any precautions i should take. So far i fed veges cucumber capsicum and blueberry.
And extra tips and info would be very helpful!
View attachment 369778View attachment 369779View attachment 369780

Its a greek tortoise. Have a look here in addition to the thread that Alex linked:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[yukistar]

Thanks for fast reply! These past 2 days im trying to absorb as much info as possible. I ordered few items online like flat water plate so it can climb in and out easier whenever, shell care because the shell is abit dry and flaky, tortoise tiny pallet food (more of a treat or occasional food.) I will feed fresh greens everyday.

I bought a reptile enclosure with cover and tempreature reader as you can see on the picture. For humidity should i spray water on the wooden substrate?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

The substrates that Alex mentioned are better at holding humidity. I would go for fine coco coir, rehydrate it and then pack it wet to get the enclousure to stay humid. Do you have a hide for the tortoise?

 

[yukistar]

The substrates that Alex mentioned are better at holding humidity. I would go for fine coco coir, rehydrate it and then pack it wet to get the enclousure to stay humid. Do you have a hide for the tortoise?

Noted! Yes i ordered medium sized hideout, and calcium as well. It will take few days for those items to arrive. Sadly pet shop around me dont have much choices. The shopkeeper not experienced as well. My tortoise have not been eating for 2 days. But after warm soak earlier it seems to get better and more energetic. I will continue to monitor the condition and hope it goes well.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

If he is not eating, a soak with baby carrot food can give some of the nutrients through skin and drinking. Make sure to soka at least once a day to make sure the tortoise stays well hydrated. With small tortoises I recommend to weigh them at least once a week to make sure that they are growing and not losing any weight. Keep us updated!

 

[EppsDynasty]

Noted! Yes i ordered medium sized hideout, and calcium as well. It will take few days for those items to arrive. Sadly pet shop around me dont have much choices. The shopkeeper not experienced as well. My tortoise have not been eating for 2 days. But after warm soak earlier it seems to get better and more energetic. I will continue to monitor the condition and hope it goes well.

Don't get frustrated, it will be a lot of information and a lot of trial and error. WE ALL started where you are right now and struggled to get through the mis information and get it right. Welcome and hope you stick around long enough to be a "Happy Tort Owner."

 

[yukistar]

Update! My tortoise getting better. Hes eating alot yesterday and today, and very lively!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hooray! Thank for the update!

 

[yukistar]

Its a greek tortoise. Have a look here in addition to the thread that Alex linked:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Thanks tom! Would you mind to tell me how to distinguish differences between sulcata and greek hatchling? Im having hard time to tell the difference and some saying its sulcata. Trying to learn here 😊

 

[EppsDynasty]

@yukistar .. I can almost hear your excitement. So Cool. Keep asking questions, don't get overly frustrated and keep learning. You will have a happy tort for life which will bring you nothing but Happiness and Love.

 

[Yvonne G]

Just a bit of FYI for you: Baby tortoises are prey, and as such, they don't live out in the open, like your enclosure is. They're not at all comfortable in a space like that and that's probably the reason he wasn't eating. Give him a hiding place and plenty of sight barriers so he can relax.