spur thigh babies

lostlizzy · 22-10-2008, 11:57 AM

i have 2 eight week old spur thigh tortoises and am a bit concerned with how they have been acting over the last week , we have them in a tortoise set up indoors wih uv light and heat lamp . over the last week they just seem to sleep all day and night , they only get up when we get them up !! we bath them regulally but the last couple of days they dont even seem interested in feeding !! is this usual? any tips please would be helpfull and gretfully received THANKS !!!

basking temp about 40 and rest of table 20-25(room temperature)
It's a tort table about 60cmX100cm
substrate is a mixture of soil and sand(with growing plants and weeds),pellets and hemp
feeding on mainly dandylions,clover and greens sprinkled with tort dust every other day
babies home bred in airing cupboard
bathed daily

**Bindi** · 22-10-2008, 01:16 PM

Hi there, I'm not an expert but if you post a little more about your set up someone will be along to help soon

What are your temperatures both under the basking lamp and the rest of the table
Have you a tort table or are you using a vivarium
What substrate are you using
What are you feeding your torts on
Did you get your torts from a breeder or a pet shop
Are you bathing them regularly

If you answer these question the more experienced keepers will have a better idea on how to advise you

sandy · 22-10-2008, 03:07 PM

And which speices of spur-thigh are they, ibera or graeca graeca?

terrypin · 22-10-2008, 03:37 PM

hi i feel your basking spot is to hot and would go for 35c as an absolute maximum.also with this size of table and the fact that your heat lamp must be fairly close to generate this temperature you may find they have become dehydrated and are trying to avoid the dry conditions in their table by aestivating.if you cant reduce the wattage of you heat lamp to control this it may be wise to increase the size of your table ,i would in the first instance increase their baths and make sure there is fresh water available at all times.

terry

Bertie1974 · 22-10-2008, 04:27 PM

My thoughts exactly Terry, my two baby ibera are most active at about 32 degrees, any hotter and they hide away from it and similarly if its cooler they also sleep. It did take some fine tuning to get it to 32 degrees as I am using separate basking to UV lighting, but we got there in the end. Sometimes the smallest of adjustment can make the world of difference

Sam x x

alotoffluff · 22-10-2008, 04:34 PM

i have a spur thigh and he is inactive at the mo too. I ttok him to the vets and there is nothing wrong, but he does eat when i wake him up to bathe him. Maybe its this time of year, with winter drawing in?

lostlizzy · 22-10-2008, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandy

And which speices of spur-thigh are they, ibera or graeca graeca?

Hi sandi, Simply I don't know , how do I tell the difference between ibera or graeca graeca?

Mel · 22-10-2008, 09:52 PM

Post some pictures in the ID section and the experts will tell you

sandy · 23-10-2008, 08:16 AM

I would have thought the breeder would know

but as has been said, if you post some pictures someone will help ID them.

lostlizzy · 23-10-2008, 10:04 AM

We were the breeders. I only know they are spur thigh!?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandy

I would have thought the breeder would know

but as has been said, if you post some pictures someone will help ID them.

22-10-2008, 11:57 AM	#1
lostlizzy Member Hatched Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: new forest Posts: 261	spur thigh babies i have 2 eight week old spur thigh tortoises and am a bit concerned with how they have been acting over the last week , we have them in a tortoise set up indoors wih uv light and heat lamp . over the last week they just seem to sleep all day and night , they only get up when we get them up !! we bath them regulally but the last couple of days they dont even seem interested in feeding !! is this usual? any tips please would be helpfull and gretfully received THANKS !!! basking temp about 40 and rest of table 20-25(room temperature) It's a tort table about 60cmX100cm substrate is a mixture of soil and sand(with growing plants and weeds),pellets and hemp feeding on mainly dandylions,clover and greens sprinkled with tort dust every other day babies home bred in airing cupboard bathed daily Last edited by lostlizzy; 22-10-2008 at 03:18 PM.

22-10-2008, 01:16 PM	#2
Bindi Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hampshire Posts: 11,157	Hi there, I'm not an expert but if you post a little more about your set up someone will be along to help soon What are your temperatures both under the basking lamp and the rest of the table Have you a tort table or are you using a vivarium What substrate are you using What are you feeding your torts on Did you get your torts from a breeder or a pet shop Are you bathing them regularly If you answer these question the more experienced keepers will have a better idea on how to advise you __________________

22-10-2008, 03:07 PM	#3
sandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 12,146	And which speices of spur-thigh are they, ibera or graeca graeca? __________________ < > 60+, keeping ibera, graeca and box turtles \0/ /_\ http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/tortoisefriends

22-10-2008, 03:37 PM	#4
terrypin Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: jersey c.i. Posts: 2,928	hi i feel your basking spot is to hot and would go for 35c as an absolute maximum.also with this size of table and the fact that your heat lamp must be fairly close to generate this temperature you may find they have become dehydrated and are trying to avoid the dry conditions in their table by aestivating.if you cant reduce the wattage of you heat lamp to control this it may be wise to increase the size of your table ,i would in the first instance increase their baths and make sure there is fresh water available at all times. terry __________________ these are my own opinions do with them what you will. _________________

22-10-2008, 04:27 PM	#5
Bertie1974 Member Hatchling Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Willenhall. West Midlands Posts: 505	My thoughts exactly Terry, my two baby ibera are most active at about 32 degrees, any hotter and they hide away from it and similarly if its cooler they also sleep. It did take some fine tuning to get it to 32 degrees as I am using separate basking to UV lighting, but we got there in the end. Sometimes the smallest of adjustment can make the world of difference Sam x x __________________ 2 Cockatiels (Bertie and Billie) 1 Pigeon (Benji) 0.0.2 Ibera (Doug and Pebbles)

22-10-2008, 04:34 PM	#6
alotoffluff Senior Member Adult Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: greenwich, london, previously born and brought up in Kent! Posts: 2,127	i have a spur thigh and he is inactive at the mo too. I ttok him to the vets and there is nothing wrong, but he does eat when i wake him up to bathe him. Maybe its this time of year, with winter drawing in?

22-10-2008, 09:52 PM	#8
Mel Member Hatched Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Norfolk Posts: 320	Post some pictures in the ID section and the experts will tell you

23-10-2008, 08:16 AM	#9
sandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 12,146	I would have thought the breeder would know but as has been said, if you post some pictures someone will help ID them. __________________ < > 60+, keeping ibera, graeca and box turtles \0/ /_\ http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/tortoisefriends

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