RF stays hiding, and not eating much

[Tara Robbins]

Hi everyone! We purchased a RF 6 days ago, from what I think is a good reptile shop, owner really loves his animals. We were told he/she is about 1 1/2 y/o, and shell is ~6 inches long. We have a 40 gal aquarium, with one of those mercury bulbs, and originally had a pellet substrate, but changed it to cypress mulch yesterday, we have a shoebox with hole cut out for entrance, and food bowl on top of a slate rock. For food I chopped up a bag of spring greens, carrots, zuchini, and yellow squash, we offer everyday, but our RF just isn't eating. We tried sprinkiling with pineapple juice, but still he/she shows little interest. I've given her a small piev=ce of banana, and a few pieces of mandarin oranges, and he/she ate that up fast! But I've read it's bad to offer too much fruit. But I'm concerned she isn't eating enough. I have also been soaking her in warm water once a day. Also she mostly just stays in her hiding spot ALL day and sleeps. Since it's been almost a week I'. kinda concerned. She seemed much perkier at the shop where we bought her, but we've given her a much better habitat. I just wanna make sure I'm doing everything right, and if this is normal. I've heard they have good personalities, and like their humans, but ours hasn't perked up much. Thanks in advance for any help and advice!

 

[jaizei]

Welcome to the forum.

I don't keep RFs myself but someone who does should be along soon. In the mean time, The Tortoise Library is a good reference for RFs

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Tara, and welcome to the Forum!

Try to find out what the shop-keeper was feeding the tortoise. Sometimes tortoises get clued into a certain food and then other foods are not "food" to the tortoise.

If you can get her eating whatever she used to eat in the store, then bit by bit you can decrease the amount of that food and increase what you want her to eat.

 

[Tara Robbins]

Hi Tara, and welcome to the Forum!

Try to find out what the shop-keeper was feeding the tortoise. Sometimes tortoises get clued into a certain food and then other foods are not "food" to the tortoise.

If you can get her eating whatever she used to eat in the store, then bit by bit you can decrease the amount of that food and increase what you want her to eat.

Hi This is what the shop owner was feeding her exactly. He said he chops it all up, mixes it together, then keeps it in fridge, and feeds them some each day. Only thing I didn't put was Dandelion greens, bc I couldn't find them. I called the shop, and they said to try and dip some food in baby food to get her to eat ( I used organic pumpkin and banana), or sprinkle the friut juice on top, which I also tried. She just doesn't seem to want it at all. But the banana and madarin orange slices, she ate right away. Also she did take a bite once with the baby food on it, and a bite when I had sprinkled the pineapple juice. But it seemed right when she tasted it wasn't what she thought she smelled she walked away, and refused to eat more.

 

[LeopardTortLover]

Along with the above advice, sometimes it just takes a while for them to settle into a new enclosure and understand it's safe. Double check your husbandry, especially temps and humidity.
I know that when I first got my leopard she didn't eat for 8 days. She just drank occasionally and "slept" in her hide all day. One day when she was hungry enough she went looking for food, I rushed to the fridge and fed her.
Turns out I was keeping her totally wrong, I'm not saying that you are, but I was. Wrong substrate, wrong food, wrong water bowl, wrong temps, wrong everything!
Just keep trying different foods or try and find out what it was eating before you got it. Hopefully it will perk up soon.

 

[Itort]

You say it is setup with a mercury light. What wattage is it? I ask because RFs don't really care for bright light. I would suggest you try to exchange it for a Ceramic Heat Emitter of the same wattage. I keep mine with just the ambient room light.

 

[diaboliqueturtle]

Your baby just needs time to get used to its new surroundings. And remember that when you look in on him, you look like a huge dark shadow looming above him... At the store people looked at him from the front, so he'll adjust eventually. Adding lots of plants will help too, by providing cover above his head while he ventures out. As long as he's warm and humid enough, he'll start to venture out of his hide more and more.
And they really do have an awesome personality

 

[Tara Robbins]

Thanks everyone! The bulb is 100w clear mercury vapor, and it is inside a ceramic heat emitter (I think)... Black, cone shaped, that the bulb screws into?? Should I just plant sine plants directly into the cypress mulch? Any recommendations on plants they like, or tips on planting then?

 

[diaboliqueturtle]

Your bulb is an MVB (Mercury Vapor Bulb) which produces heat and UV, the CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) only produces heat, no light. And you are using the proper light fixture, by the way, that's the black cone thing that holds your bulb. Personally, my red foot doesn't mind the 160w MVB, she trucks around and basks. I also have a 150w CHE that provides heat at nighttime.
I removed my cypress mulch last week but before that, I had 3" of coco coir and the mulch on top. I plant stuff directly in there. Now, with only the coir, the whole enclosure is like a tropical forest. I plant live organic lettuce heads, live organic kale and some pansy flowers. She nibbles on EVERYTHING! They help with keeping the humidity up too.

 

[Momof4]

As other posters have said, give her time to adjust. It can take weeks. They are are different. Her whole world just changed. Just offer her food, warm soaks and keep her warm and humid. In the meantime, research this forum and ask questions about her husbandry. Hopefully you can get her outside. There are a lot of cool indoor/outdoor enclosure ideas. Good luck with her and congrats!
BTW- RF's love fruit. Kiwi, bananas, apple, strawberries, mango etc.

 

[Tara Robbins]

Ok, so I will get a ceramic heat emitter also, to make sure my temps are up enough. I do need to get one of those temp readers also, but for now all I know is when I reach my hand in there it doesn't seem like its up to 90*. Unfortunately I live in an apt. so can't have anything outside. I live in Houston though, so I do plan on going outside with her when I can. It's DEFINITELY hot and humid here, most of the time. On the fruits is it ok to feed them everyday? Ive found conflicting stories on too much fruit. And thank you again to everyone, I really do appreciate you taking the time to help me out! I just want her, or him to be happy, and healthy. This forum is awesome!

 

[Tara Robbins]

So today I tried offering collard greens, strawberries, kiwi, and baby soring mix, and he/she wouldn't eat any of it. He/she walked up to it a few times, and looked like she only tasted it, and walked away. Today will be a week since we've had her, and hasn't really ate. She does drink when I put her in water.