Rasputin eating method

[Diane The Texan]

I soak Rasputin in warm water each morning and then I feed him in the same container before I put him back in his outdoor enclosure. I've never seen him drink from the water dish in his enclosure...he always spends his entire day in his hide, sleeping or burrowed under. He's about 1 yr old and I've owned him for 11 months.

To help with water intake, 2/wk I put some of his food in the water:

 

[wellington]

As long as the water is clean and not soiled with poop or pee.
Babies do sleep a lot but if everything, temps, lighting, humidity is correct and she feels safe, coverage over head, they should eat, roam, sleep a couple times a day.
What are all the temps, humidity and what are you using for lighting? Temps getting cold all over, adjustments may need to be done to have the temps correct as the air around the enclosure may be cooler then they used to be.

 

[wellington]

Btw, you can just spritz the food with water and not have to float it.

 

[Diane The Texan]

As long as the water is clean and not soiled with poop or pee.
Babies do sleep a lot but if everything, temps, lighting, humidity is correct and she feels safe, coverage over head, they should eat, roam, sleep a couple times a day.
What are all the temps, humidity and what are you using for lighting? Temps getting cold all over, adjustments may need to be done to have the temps correct as the air around the enclosure may be cooler then they used to be.

if Rasputin poops, I replace the water for sure.

He lives outside in an enclosure with Houston temperature in Houston humidity and natural lighting. I did add a Kane mat and ceramic heat source last week to his garage-area enclosure. The Kane mat keeps the temp at 37 degrees above ambient, not to exceed 80. I will bring him inside if Houston temps drop below 38 or so because that means it will be 75 degrees for him or so.

He ate 2/day for 8 months and now I feed him 1/day. He never roams of his own accord....I soak/feed him and put him back in his outdoor enclosure and he immediately runs into the covered garage portion into his hide which is on the Kane mat. A few times I put him into the back yard outside of his enclosure and he immediately made for the fence and burrowed down. He just doesn't roam for fun or bask.

 

[Yvonne G]

Your baby Manouria emys emys comes from the rain forest. This means he's evolved to be living under dense cover. He's hard wired to seek cover because babies are prey. Being out in the wide open spaces is scary for him. You will see a whole new attitude if you add many, many plants to his area. This is one of the more people friendly species, but your baby doesn't feel safe so he scurries off to hide.

 

[Diane The Texan]

Your baby Manouria emys emys comes from the rain forest. This means he's evolved to be living under dense cover. He's hard wired to seek cover because babies are prey. Being out in the wide open spaces is scary for him. You will see a whole new attitude if you add many, many plants to his area. This is one of the more people friendly species, but your baby doesn't feel safe so he scurries off to hide.

Pobre Rasputin! Running for his life when he is safe.

The few times I've put him in the wide open back yard he has run for cover but he does the same in his enclosure which is cozier and has bushes overhead.

It is what it is. Thanks for the explanation. Maybe when he grows up a bit, he will be less afraid.

 

[Tom]

Maybe when he grows up a bit, he will be less afraid.

This is the case for most species. Almost all babies of all species are scared for a while. With most species I see a change around 3-4 years old. I've never raised a manouria baby, so I wonder if it will be the same?