will my tortoise recieve uvb if hes in the hide all the time

[wilfandbeats]

i've recently bought 2 1year old hermanns and one of them is in the hide all the time. i have a uvb tube bulb along 3/4 of the viv. he will eat hes food have a wonder then go and hide for the rest of the day

 

[JoesMum]

Hello and welcome to another Brit.

Your tort won’t come to any harm and will come out more with time. However you are big, scary and possibly going to eat him at the moment - it takes time for him to figure you are safe.

Please photos of your enclosure and lighting and we will see if there are any tweaks we would recommend to improve it.

I recommend you read the TFO care guides and compare them with your setup.

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Baby Testudo Tortoise Care (written about Russians but applies to Hermann’s)
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

 

[wilfandbeats]

hi joesmum,
i've added images of the enclousure, i have a 3.5ftx1ftx1.5ft vivarium with a basking slate under the heat lamp which covers a third and the rest coconut fibers, humidity at 75% around the hide end

 

[Tom]

i've recently bought 2 1year old hermanns and one of them is in the hide all the time. i have a uvb tube bulb along 3/4 of the viv. he will eat hes food have a wonder then go and hide for the rest of the day

Your problem is not UV, your problem is that you have a pair. Tortoises should never be housed in pairs. There is always a dominant and a submissive. The submissive one wants to leave the territory of the dominant one, but it can't so it hides all the time. Eventually, it will get sick and die. You need to separate them ASAP.

 

[wilfandbeats]

really? i bought them as a pair, they are siblings? i thought you could house them together aslong as they weren't both males?

i have only had them a week. first few days didn't have the uvb bulb in there, its since i've put that in there. He comes out every now and then but not nearly as much as the other one.

 

[TammyJ]

really? i bought them as a pair, they are siblings? i thought you could house them together aslong as they weren't both males?

i have only had them a week. first few days didn't have the uvb bulb in there, its since i've put that in there. He comes out every now and then but not nearly as much as the other one.

Sorry, what Tom says is absolutely true. They will be safer and healthier separated, they don't need each other!

 

[JoesMum]

really? i bought them as a pair, they are siblings? i thought you could house them together aslong as they weren't both males?

i have only had them a week. first few days didn't have the uvb bulb in there, its since i've put that in there. He comes out every now and then but not nearly as much as the other one.

I missed the pair. Hermann's are not social. They are territorial and, regardless of gender or relationship, regard any other tortoise as nothing more than a rival for food and habitat. They don't get lonely and they don't need or want a friend. They should be kept singly. What Tomm says is true regarding bullying and the eventual outcome if you don't separate them.

 

[Cathie G]

It's actually pretty neat if you think about it. The only animal a tortoise hates to sleep with is another tortoise. And yet, the animals a tortoise WILL tolerate DEPENDS on the tortoise for warmth and survival in the winter. In drought a burrow could have water deep in the ground. Tortoises are one of the critters that help our planet...just by being their funny self.

 

[Tom]

really? i bought them as a pair, they are siblings? i thought you could house them together aslong as they weren't both males?

i have only had them a week. first few days didn't have the uvb bulb in there, its since i've put that in there. He comes out every now and then but not nearly as much as the other one.

Yes. Really. Groups of babies or juveniles can sometimes work, but not pairs. Doesn't matter if they are siblings.

 

[ascott]

i've recently bought 2 1year old hermanns and one of them is in the hide all the time. i have a uvb tube bulb along 3/4 of the viv. he will eat hes food have a wonder then go and hide for the rest of the day

Pairs suck....not good. Also, if you have two torts that are young...there is little chance you know if both males or not...but they know immediately....

 

[Cathie G]

really? i bought them as a pair, they are siblings? i thought you could house them together aslong as they weren't both males?

i have only had them a week. first few days didn't have the uvb bulb in there, its since i've put that in there. He comes out every now and then but not nearly as much as the other one.

I've been thinking and hoping for you and your tortoises. I have a similar situation. A box turtle and a Russian so...building enclosures can get real interesting. But it can be done.

 

[Cathie G]

Tortoises are kinda like humming birds. Such a beautiful bird! However, there's only a few moments to watch tortoise or humming bird love. After that it all goes south. They're all fighting! Again! It's really neat if you get to see one of those rare moments of peace.

 

[Meggy500]

I learned the hard way 8 years ago when I had a pair of baby hermann's. One didn't make it unfortunately dont do it!