Very Lazy Baby!

Status
Not open for further replies.

Melicia

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
27
Location (City and/or State)
South africa
Help please!

My tort is very lazy! He burrows himself into a corner of his enclosure, and sleeps all day long. If I don't put him ontop of his food, he doesn't eat? His enclosure is about 94F, the substrate is nice and moist, he's been soaked twice this week, but I keep finding him with one leg in the air in his corner.

Am I being overly concerned?
 

bettinge

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Messages
921
Location (City and/or State)
Upstate NY
What kind of tort?

94F is hot for most torts I think. 94F should be the temp of the basking area, with other areas down to 75F or so. Cooling to about 65-70 at night should be OK. Again, the exact breed of your guy may influence this advice!
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
You're not being overly concerned at all.

Leopard tortoise babies are pretty shy, but it sounds to me like something is not quite right in your habitat. Will you tell us how you have the baby set up...kind of container, substrate, how big is the container, hiding places, food, water? A picture would be nice.

Since I don't know how you are keeping the baby, I'll just give some random advice. Baby leopard tortoises are prey, and as such, they hide a lot. You need a large enough container so that you can have a room temperature end and a warm end. The room temperature end should be in the 70's and the warm end should be very high directly under the light, but only in the 80's towards 90 away from the light. They need a little house to go into, or some artificial plants to hide under. I place my food at the cool end and every morning I place the baby in front of the food. Then throughout the day whenever I walk by him I place him in front of the food again. Because of the hot lights, I'll soak babies every day for about 15 minutes. You can also have a shallow water dish in the habitat they the baby can use on his own.

Here's a nice article on hatchlings in general (not specifically leopards): http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/hatchlingdaily.htm

So, tell us more. We want to help you.

Yvonne
 

jobeanator

Active Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
488
Location (City and/or State)
northern new york
maybe its the food your feeding him. my leopards when they were hatchlings didnt seem interested in what i was feeding them, which was endive. to get mine interested, i fed him spring mix, and a mix of baby romaine lettuces. i chopped it up really fine, and he finally came around to eating it. but defently keep watch if he doesnt eat soon, this could lead to health issues and other problems.
 

Melicia

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
27
Location (City and/or State)
South africa
My baby is Stigmochelys pardalis pardalis.

The enclosure looks like this:

091016_074802.jpg


To clarify, the temp under the lamp is about 94F. He is being fed a baby lettuce mix (romain, etc, no ice berg), succulents from the garden, daisies, wandering jew, daisy flowers,and hen and chick.

I think my temp's are too low. Believe it or not. When I got home saturday, I took his whole habitat outside sans the light. He was up and about in minutes. It is spring here, the temp outside was 100F.

He does have a hide, but still prefers the corner. If I put him ontop of his food, he eats. The only thing I've really changed is I put his lettuce mix in the crisper. It used to be in the fridge anyway, so that doesn't make sense?
 

tortoisenerd

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
3,957
Location (City and/or State)
Washington
Whenever I change my tort's environment he perks right up, otherwise besides his eating and a little wandering, he naps most of the day. I suggest changing up the cage furnishings. I have some extras I rotate in and out, and change locations of things, so it is like a new enclosure! Also, having you tort outside as much as possible will do him a lot of good. If you have a garden, what about planting more weeds, grasses, and greens so you can feed him just from that and cut out the lettuces? That is so much better if you have the option. What is the rest of the enclosure temperature-wise? Hatchlings do like it warmer than adults, which the care sheets are designed for. You tort may like most of the enclosure in the 80s with the basking spot of 95-100 and only a little bit in the 70s to cool off in. The more space indoors you can give it, the more it will thrive. You may be due for an upgrade, which will also give you more space for things for it to talk around, climb on, explore, hide under, etc. Best wishes.
 

Melicia

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
27
Location (City and/or State)
South africa
I've changed the little guys light to something bigger(warmer) and he is doing fantastic. I also put a new hide in his enclosure. I can't find the nice half logs you guys have, so I paper mached him one (no glue, only water and flour) he loves it!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top