pLEASE COULD ANYONE HELP ME WITH MY NEW TORTOISE?

[stacey111]

Hello Everyone,

Im new to this site as i have just bought a tortoise the other day, and rather than bug the shop i bought him from i thought id ask some of you!

We bought Nutter! (tortoise) 2 days ago, he is a Horsefield, and i have done a lot of reaserch before we got him, but im a little worried he is unhappy, he is 18 months old and only very small, but as soon as we got him home he went straight to the corner of the vivarium and started to dig and kept on digging even though he wasnt going anywhere, and then he didnt move from that area all night. I got him out to have a walk around and he just trys to het under the sofa, and when his head is under he just stays there.

Am i doing anything wrong do you think, he has a 3 1/2 foot vivarium, uv light and normal light, feeding him veg not a lot as he is tiny! but just leafy greens. he has water, little wooden hut he can go in. I have also given him a bath in luke warm water not deep mabie a inch or so, but all he did was to try and get out!

Im just wondering if this is normal for them to do this, will it be just taking him a while to settle in do you think, any advice would be brilliant.

Just one last thing i was wondering... could it be that the tank is to warm with both uv and light on? i have had them on from about 10am until 6 pm is this right or not?
what temp should it be inside and how lond should you have the lights on for?

Sorry to go on but any advice would be great as i love him to bits!!

Many Thanks

Stacey

[Tina]

Hi Stacey and to RFUK.... answers below in red....

Originally Posted by stacey111

Hello Everyone,

Im new to this site as i have just bought a tortoise the other day, and rather than bug the shop i bought him from i thought id ask some of you!

We bought Nutter! (tortoise) 2 days ago, he is a Horsefield, and i have done a lot of reaserch before we got him, but im a little worried he is unhappy, he is 18 months old and only very small, but as soon as we got him home he went straight to the corner of the vivarium and started to dig and kept on digging even though he wasnt going anywhere, and then he didnt move from that area all night. I got him out to have a walk around and he just trys to het under the sofa, and when his head is under he just stays there.

Horsfields LOVE to dig.... what substrate do you have him on and is it deep enough for him to dig and make tunnels?


Am i doing anything wrong do you think, he has a 3 1/2 foot vivarium, uv light and normal light, feeding him veg not a lot as he is tiny! but just leafy greens. he has water, little wooden hut he can go in. I have also given him a bath in luke warm water not deep mabie a inch or so, but all he did was to try and get out!

Have a look at the weed and winter feeding guide sticky at the top of the page for some good advice on what to feed him.

His bath should be very shallow.... just enough to reach the bottom of his shell. Keep bathing him every day.... this encourages them to drink and to poo, pee and pass urates.

Im just wondering if this is normal for them to do this, will it be just taking him a while to settle in do you think, any advice would be brilliant.

Just one last thing i was wondering... could it be that the tank is to warm with both uv and light on? i have had them on from about 10am until 6 pm is this right or not?
what temp should it be inside and how lond should you have the lights on for?

Aim for lights on for 12 hours, off 12 hours. The basking temp (under the lamp) should be around 32/34 degs C and the cool end around 24degs C... what temps do you currently have? Could you post a pic of his set up for us to advise?

Sorry to go on but any advice would be great as i love him to bits!!

Many Thanks

Stacey

[stacey111]

Thank you so much for the reply,

I know i will sound really thick when i say this but his bedding is like bark chippings ( it came in his house the other day when i got him) it is about an inch deep.

I am going to try and get some pics on here but i cant get them on my lap top at the mo!!

Thank you for your advice

Stacey

[FreakOonique]

Heya

For a Horsfield, he would probably appreciate some top soil to dig down into. The love to dig and make burrows, which is something he cannot do with the substrate you have in there at the moment

[purplepixie]

Bark chippings is not a good substrate for a digging speices sorry. Soil and sand is a much better thing to use.
It also takes a tortoise a while to settle in a new home, so be patient with him/her. Your tortoise is probably scared, so hides. Once he has gotten used to the new home, I am sure he will act a little more normal.
Where did you get your tortoise from?
Petshop or from a breeder?

[Tina]

I definitely agree with Tamz.... a move to top soil for his substrate, deep enough for him to really dig down will make him much happier. Have a look through the care sheets section at the top for lots of good Horsfield advice.

Look forward to pics.

[Grond]

Agree with above. Send us a pic and we can advise.

Pet shops unfortunately often don't give the best advice or equipment with new tortoises!

[stacey111]

Originally Posted by purplepixie

Bark chippings is not a good substrate for a digging speices sorry. Soil and sand is a much better thing to use.
It also takes a tortoise a while to settle in a new home, so be patient with him/her. Your tortoise is probably scared, so hides. Once he has gotten used to the new home, I am sure he will act a little more normal.
Where did you get your tortoise from?
Petshop or from a breeder?

I went in to to a reputable pet shop to ask if they had any horsefields, and he got intouch with a breeder, nutter (dont ask my little 5 year old boy named him cos he looks like a nut!!) is 18 months old!!

[AnythingWithAShell]

Love the name Nutter

I agree with the advice given already. You can get topsoil in any garden centre, cheap as chips for a big bag! If you can let us know your temps and see your setup, then I'm sure the Horsfield experts will help some more

I too am looking forward to pics of Nutter. We love pics here.
Welcome to the forum too!

[-EJ]

Actually fits really well in the tortoise keeping community.

Originally Posted by stacey111

I went in to to a reputable pet shop to ask if they had any horsefields, and he got intouch with a breeder, nutter (dont ask my little 5 year old boy named him cos he looks like a nut!!) is 18 months old!!