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Old 11-05-2012, 08:31 PM   #1
Ewoodpugz
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Default New Hermann tort barely eating

Hello
This is my first post! I got a Hermann tort 3 weeks ago. He's about 18 months old so quite teeny. I've been feeding him dandelions and herb Robert with the odd pieces of salad. I've never seen him eat anything yet & I throw away his food every night. If he is eating it's microscopic amounts. He's very active though & seems to have a lot of energy. How much would a tort this age eat? Should I be concerned?
Thanks!
Rebecca
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Old 11-05-2012, 10:19 PM   #2
burnt toast
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Its not unusual for them not to eat when they move to a new home as all torts hate change.

Keep bathing him, thats the most important thing.

What temperatures do you have in his table? (warm & cooler end?)
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Old 12-05-2012, 12:45 AM   #3
Ewoodpugz
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He's in a vivarium at the moment. I realise now that a tort table is much better and I'm looking to get one. The reptile specialist where we got him from basically gave us duff info in saying that vivariums were suitable accommodation. It's about 90 at the hot end but I've been putting him outside for short bursts when the weather has been clement, which he seems to like, and also letting him have a little trundle round our dining room which I have tortoise proofed. I was advised to bath him twice a week but reading on here it should be every day? For 15 mins?
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Old 12-05-2012, 05:10 PM   #4
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You really need a digital thermometer to get accurate readings of his environment - cool end and under basking spot. Ideally I wouldn't let the overnight temps in the room fall below about 18 degrees ( although they can stand down to about 10degrees)

I would leave him be in his enclosure for a while. It may be unsettling him to keep being uprooted and moved around. They stress very easily and he needs to get used to his surroundings.

At his age I would bathe every day if you can, carrying him on a hard surface like a dish or a tub to and from his bath so that his legs aren't dangling

Vivariums are a topic for hot debate, some think they are completely unsuitable and some say that they are ok as long as they are set up right.

One thing I will say is that with a small viv it can be tricky to get a good temperature gradient - another reason to bathe daily to make sure he doesn't become dehydrated which can lead to no end of problems especially for a young tort.
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Old 12-05-2012, 08:13 PM   #5
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As has been said, torts hate change and this can put them right off their food. As he settles I'm sure he will start eating again. My Ovid ate okay at first and then he stopped eating for a short while but now he eats like a house!
A good tip that I used (thanks Rach) to get him eating again was to rip his food into tiny bite sized pieces and then squeeze a little cucumber juice over it as they like the smell.
Hope that helps
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Old 13-05-2012, 01:13 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ewoodpugz View Post
He's in a vivarium at the moment. I realise now that a tort table is much better and I'm looking to get one. The reptile specialist where we got him from basically gave us duff info in saying that vivariums were suitable accommodation. It's about 90 at the hot end but I've been putting him outside for short bursts when the weather has been clement, which he seems to like, and also letting him have a little trundle round our dining room which I have tortoise proofed. I was advised to bath him twice a week but reading on here it should be every day? For 15 mins?
Have you got the spot bulb on a Habistat, so the viv doesn't overheat?
It might be a good idea to remove one of the doors and put a piece of wood along the front. It will give better air flow.
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