Worried about new baby

[Hannah84]

Hello,
I am very worried about my new baby tortoise. He is a horsfield and about 5 months old. He is tiny and so gorgeous. I got him on Sunday, and on that day he seemed to settle in really well. He was active, walking around his tortoise table and eating. But since then he has completely changed, for the last 2 days he spends the whole time buried in a corner sleeping and isn't eating. When I got back from work this evening he was in the exact same spot where he was this morning, buried in the corner, and hadn't touched his food. I was worried he was dehydrated so I've given him a little soak which perked him up a little, but he's just run back into his little corner again now.

Is he stressed and just settling in? If so then why was he ok on the day we bought him and suddenly not? Or am I doing something wrong? When I bought him he was living in exactly the same tortoise table - the one from pets at homehttp://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/-7104335p--1. He was living on hemp when I bought him but I have changed this to Eco soil. His lamp is the exo terra 125w with UVB, which is on for 10 hours a day. It is 30 cms above the surface of his table. I have offered him parsley, weeds from the garden etc but no interest. I know it's only been 2 days but I am so worried about him, he is so small and vulnerable.

Really appreciate any help. I've attached a photo of him (he was in a shoebox on the way home, I am not keeping him in bits of newspaper!)

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Babies sleep a lot. Try mixing up with some different food. Fruit maybe.

 

[G-stars]

What are your temps? Usually the first day it's new surroundings so the explore.


— Gus

 

[Hannah84]

Thanks both. I gave him another soak last night and popped him under his heat lamp for a bit and he seemed to perks up. I bought a herb salad and he has eaten some of the baby cos leaves, I think because they are the most like spinach which is what he was fed by his breeder. I am keen to wean him off that as I know it's not great for him.

Any ideas what might tempt him for a winter diet? I want to ramp up the variety but he's not interested in any of the weeds I give him and I want him to have good nutrition.

He is also spending a lot of time in one corner buried but I think that might be because he doesn't gave enough places to hide.

 

[Tyanna]

To get him to eat weeds mix some of the weeds into his favorite food and slowly decrease the unhealthy stuff he likes and he gradually take the gels thy stuff.

Babies sleep a lot and this is the time of year for Russians to slow down. He should be fine! Just keep an eye on him.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Yep, he's just being a picky tort So I know this sounds terrible, but he WON'T starve himself. Always have the fresh, good greens in his bowl, and he'll break down and eat them. When I first got my russian, he wouldn't a single thing that was good for him, so I tried the tough love tack, and looked so sad ( he really wasn't) and today, he knows whats good for him, and what isn't
He also needs a little time to settle in, this is all very new to him. Also, remember babies are babes and will sleep a lot, so being a little lazt tort is okay as long as he's alert and eating well (tough love)

 

[smarch]

I've had to pull tough love once because my guy decided he wanted only romaine and when I mixed romane with other stuff to stop him he'd throw the mix'ins around and only pick the romaine! Twerp it was aweful to watch him not eat knowing he'd eat romaine but it wasn't happening! But I prefer the mix food in when it works, its how I weaned Nank off the pet store diet of cucumbers and tomato, his treat of choice is still tomato and if I gave him all he could eat he'd never eat any greens, but he quickly took up on other foods as I swapped and mixed in the healthies. With a hatchling especially I'd play the mixing game since they shouldn't be not eating while theyre growing. Hope he starts eating good stuff