Not eating often ?

[Egyptian S]

my egyptian tortoise has been with me for almost 2 months now and it hasn't been eating properly at all. He eats a few bites of lettus only once every 2 or 3 weeks. I soak him once weekly and provide clean water for him to make sure he is hydrated. His substrate is a mixture of soil and sand where he burries himself and stays there in his hidout. Is this normal? I'm worried. It's still summer and I do live in egypt where that's just where he is supposed to be so the climate is good for him. But why is he always sleeping and doesn't eat properly? He seems healthy otherwise. Thank you for giving me your time

 

[[email protected]]

soak him every day. Your husbandry might need some evaluation. Please share more of what temp you use etc. most of the time i have right now a 6 weeks old baby and i keep it on high temps. depending on age they might start eastivating. give some more detail. the temp is probably too cold.

 

[Egyptian S]

soak him every day. Your husbandry might need some evaluation. Please share more of what temp you use etc. most of the time i have right now a 6 weeks old baby and i keep it on high temps. depending on age they might start eastivating. give some more detail. the temp is probably too cold.

The temperature is pretty high it's about 35-40 degrees centigrade. I've read that these species do eastiviate as you have stated but I want to make sure if that is what he's really doing. He's about 9 years of age

 

[Egyptian S]

he has been like this ever since i got him and the weather was even hotter than now. The problem is there is absolutely no reptiles vet or any vet that I can take him to

 

[Angel Carrion]

I would suggest changing the substrate. Sand can cause impact ion if ingested so it is always strongly recommended to not use sand.

 

[Yvonne G]

Lot's of Kleinmanni keepers use oyster shell for substrate. Let's send a shout-out to @Will and @tortadise.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Yeah, they don't sit out in the blazing heat, they endure it to meet their needs then spend time in small depressions, under a grass tussock, or in a burrow. I think @Tom refers to this as what are your five temperatures, shade, full heat, ambient day, ambient night, I forget the other. NO tortoise does well with a single fulltime temperature. They also do well when misted or humidified for a few hours mid morning. as if fog from the ocean. Their natural range is strongly influenced by the marine layer of moist air that is drawn inland nearly everyday.

Mine eat everyday, and quite a lot for such a small tortoise. If you can get dandelion flowers that will trigger any eating impulse your tortoise might have. I keep mine of a mix or soil, sand, and orchid bark. I feed them on a tile to reduce any accidental ingestion of substrate.

@[email protected] is somewhat of a Egyptian guru having done well with many on last legs. As she has narrated it to me, good luck they ended up with her.

 

[Egyptian S]

@Will so you suggest changing the provided food abit ? Anything else besides dandelion flowers? I can't really get my hand on that unfortunately

@Angel Carrion I provide the food on a small tile so not to worry about that

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

@Will so you suggest changing the provided food abit ? Anything else besides dandelion flowers? I can't really get my hand on that unfortunately

@Angel Carrion I provide the food on a small tile so not to worry about that

Often small brightly colored flowers instigate eating, rose, hibiscus, so many, some may not be deemed tortoise edible, you can check the tortoise table website, they error on the side of caution, if they list it, it is edible. I don't see where you are, but if you can access different color greens, even a variety within green itself that may help. Some plantain is often reddish, and then there is red plantain as a variety. Some smells help as well, yellow and orange flesh squashes lightly steamed to make them more aromatic, sweet potato/yam offers a similar, yet different stimulus. Cucumber might prompt eating as well, but it is one of those diet items that tortoise seem to get addicted to rather quickly, so if taken at all after a few meals you should start mixing other things into the mix of item offered, even if that means squishing cucumber juice onto the other things.

My Egytians will walk around their enclosure poking many things with their nose and acting like it could all be edible, they are inquisitive little animals, almost bouncy when active, and dead to the world when in a shelter or retreat.

 

[tortadise]

Yep wills spot on for sure. I use a mixture similar to Will. Cypress, decomposed granite, peat moss all mixed together. The bottom layer is 1.5" gravel for soil drainage when they're sprayed down ounce a day in the late afternoon. I also have similar dealings as Will, they eat anything, but definitely favor broad leaf ruphage, which is best for them. The need a cooling period which is typically during the wee hours of the morning in the wild. Most of the day they spend in hiding from extreme temperatures.

 

[Tom]

I think @Tom refers to this as what are your five temperatures, shade, full heat, ambient day, ambient night, I forget the other. NO tortoise does well with a single fulltime temperature.

Warm side, cool side, basking area and overnight low…

 

[Egyptian S]

@Will @Tom @tortadise Thanks I'll do that

 

[ahmed helmy]

احيانا السلاحف المصرى بتحب تاكل اكل مجفف ، انا عندى واحد من 6 مش بياكل خس و لا جرجير و لا خيار و لا سريس طازج ، و اكشفت انه بياكل الحاجات دى كلها مجففة من بواقى اليوم اللى قبله ، لان الصندوق فى الشمس و الاكل دة بينشف خالص و ياكلة بعد كدة ، حاولى تنشفى شوية جرجير او شريحة خيار فى الشمس ، و
قدميها له ، و شوفى النتيجة
i have one of my six Egyptians doesn't eat any fresh vegetables and likes to eat it dry
i discovered that he only eats the dried vegetables which has been in the sun for long time
because my enclosure is in the balcony and there is a lot of sun , and now is not the time for
aestivation because the weather now in egypt is not so hot

 

[ahmed helmy]

From Google Translate:

Greeted turtles Egyptian Betheb eat eat dryer , I've got one of the 6 mesh Baakl lettuce and not Arugula and no choice and no series fresh , and Akeshvt he Baakl needs de whole dried from overstocks day I accepted , because the Fund in the sun and eating de Banschw sincere and after I eat , try Tnschwy a little arugula or slice option in the sun, and his feet , and the result Chauvet

see my reply pls i translated to english

 

[Yvonne G]

see my reply pls i translated to english

Thank you - Google translate doesn't do a very good job! Yours is much better!!!

 

[ahmed helmy]

i know that my english is not good , but it's not my native language ,i only wants you to understand me

 

[Yvonne G]

i know that my english is not good , but it's not my native language ,i only wants you to understand me

Oh, please! Your English is just fine. We can understand you quite easily.

 

[[email protected]]

he has been like this ever since i got him and the weather was even hotter than now. The problem is there is absolutely no reptiles vet or any vet that I can take him to

just check the weight. male weight is around 140grams. They aestivate about 3 months on and off. Mine are aestivating now since the end of august on and off. post may be a pic.

 

[[email protected]]

Yeah, they don't sit out in the blazing heat, they endure it to meet their needs then spend time in small depressions, under a grass tussock, or in a burrow. I think @Tom refers to this as what are your five temperatures, shade, full heat, ambient day, ambient night, I forget the other. NO tortoise does well with a single fulltime temperature. They also do well when misted or humidified for a few hours mid morning. as if fog from the ocean. Their natural range is strongly influenced by the marine layer of moist air that is drawn inland nearly everyday.

Mine eat everyday, and quite a lot for such a small tortoise. If you can get dandelion flowers that will trigger any eating impulse your tortoise might have. I keep mine of a mix or soil, sand, and orchid bark. I feed them on a tile to reduce any accidental ingestion of substrate.

@[email protected] is somewhat of a Egyptian guru having done well with many on last legs. As she has narrated it to me, good luck they ended up with her.

wow Will thanks for your feedback.