Newbie

[curlzyeah]

I am the proud new owner of a Hermann's Tortoise. He is a juvenile, approximately 3 months old. I have never had such a tiny young tortoise so I am a bit nervous! I had a Russian Tortoise for years but he unfortunately disappeared (animal attack or something ) from his outdoor enclosure last summer. So I that is why i have a new little guy... I am from northern MN and we still have cold weather so I am wondering if it is all right to feed him some organic pesticide free grocery greens (endive, romaine, etc.) Any advice on anything to do with Hermann's would be great!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Curlz, and welcome to the Forum!! (Yeah!!)

 

[RuthJanice]

Welcome - any pictures of your new baby?

 

[tortoise007]

Please post pics! Welcome to TFO!!! The less store bought foods the better in my opinion, but you can feed all the things you said. I would recommend Mazuri tortoise pellets(they look like dog food just in case you get any and are wondering "is this the right stuff?"). If you have weeds and grasses to feed him that great but if you don't, don't sweat it. Most people get through most of the winter on store bought foods for their tortoises. Welcome.

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome Yes, there are many of us that have to use grocery greens for winter, cold months. You can check out the tortoisetable.org for more edible ideas.

 

[shanu303]

Hello Curlz... Welcome to the forum !!

 

[Tom]

There is a good chance your Russian simply dig into the ground. There are truly masters of disappearing. Are the enclosure walls still up? I think you might find a pleasant surprise when spring arrives in full force. The winters where they come from don't get any colder than where you are. If this happens, they will need separate enclosures. If I'm wrong here and a predator did take your previous tortoise, there are a couple of threads in my signature for how to make a safe, predator proof, sunning enclosure.

Also, your tortoise would be considered a hatchling still. Won't be a juvenile for another couple of years.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[MNcoldblood]

Grocery greens will do just fine in the winter Try to get fresh weeds and greens this summer. Also be cautious of pellet foods. They have a high grain content avoid feeding any grains or soy products. Congrats on the new little guy.

 

[Chinque]

Hey, welcome to the forum!

 

[sibi]

Hi and welcome. I hope your Russian finds its way back home. In the meantime, congrats on your new baby. As a side note, below my name is a thread written by Tom. If you have a dog, plan on getting a dog, or allow dogs to visit your home, this thread is a must read!

 

[curlzyeah]

I am the proud new owner of a Hermann's Tortoise. He is a juvenile, approximately 3 months old. I have never had such a tiny young tortoise so I am a bit nervous! I had a Russian Tortoise for years but he unfortunately disappeared (animal attack or something ) from his outdoor enclosure last summer. So I that is why i have a new little guy... I am from northern MN and we still have cold weather so I am wondering if it is all right to feed him some organic pesticide free grocery greens (endive, romaine, etc.) Any advice on anything to do with Hermann's would be great!

Thanks everybody! Great advice by all! I didn't know about the hatchling vs juvenile thing, so good to know! I m still figuring out how to upload pics, will do so asap! I hope my Russian does show up, his enclosure is still set up... Thanks for the advice/comments, I have never worried so much about a tortoise ever! He is just so little!