just registered onto this forum! help needed for hermans tort

[EMMAS ARK '82]

Hey there, just got a hermans tortoise three days ago. he was in with three others and seemed quite bright but since getting him home he has stayed in his nesting box and hasnt really eaten anything. dont know how long to wait before i take action? he is two and was eating well before as far as i am aware. is he maybe just settling in to being on his own? any help greatly appreciated.

[Andy b 1]

Originally Posted by EMMAS ARK '82

Hey there, just got a hermans tortoise three days ago. he was in with three others and seemed quite bright but since getting him home he has stayed in his nesting box and hasnt really eaten anything. dont know how long to wait before i take action? he is two and was eating well before as far as i am aware. is he maybe just settling in to being on his own? any help greatly appreciated.

some people would say quaranteen...

you have to give settling in time aswell, sometimes they dont eat for months

[kerrypudge]

how are you keeping him and what are you feeding him?

[EMMAS ARK '82]

Im Used To My Beardies Eating Anything In Sight!! Ive Been Getting Him Dandelions, And Some Fresh Greens In A Packet From Tesco (the Guy I Bought Him Off Was Feeding Him On It)

[Phoebe]

Tortoises don't eat for months when they are hibernating Andrew, not when they are wide awake.........weeks, yes, months NO !

If this is a pet shop tortoises the chances are it's wild caught, stressed and possibly carrying a worm load, so we'll start there.........where did you get it from and what 'country of origin' does it state on the yellow CITIES certificate you got with it?

What are you keeping the tortoise in? If its a viv, please get it out of there asap for an open-topped enclosure, vivs are not a suitable environment for tortoises as they are too hot and build up humidity too quick (plus the floor space is criminal in my book).

Go to Tortoise Trust Web - Start Page and Tortoises and read everything about hermanns, there's a lot to learn.

But please let us know where you got it from first.

[EMMAS ARK '82]

The Guy I Got Him Off Does Everything By The Book Have Got His Certificate And He Was Microchipped. He is in a vivarium but one of those plastic black ones with glass sliding doors- i dont totally close them tho.

[kerrypudge]

What is the country of origin on the certificate??
i would really reccomend getting him out of the viv!!!!!

[EMMAS ARK '82]

would that be right? im not in the house right now im supposed to be working!! i will get my partner to do a tort table at the weekend. what size would you reccommend he is only about six inches at the mo? you see once he gets a bit bigger i was going to give him the full run of the room (with door closed of course. with all the other tanks in the same room it is quite an even temp. and i could have it that he can access his tort table by going up a very small ramp?? what you think or am i totally off beat with this???

[Phoebe]

Can you tell us what the country of origin is on the CITIES please? This is important, we're trying to find out if its a captive-bred tortoise or a wild caught one, the certificate will tell us this.

If this tortoise IS micro-chipped at 2 years old you've either been misled about its age or it's been seriously over-grown......what is the hatch date on the CITIES and can you post a pic??

Tortoises need to live outside, this is vital for them to absorb UVB from the sun for their bones and shell to form correctly..........living on carpet is neither normal or good for them and it will suffer if it is deprived of an outdoor enclosure.

[kerrypudge]

Yep 6 inches seems very large for 2yrs old and defo to young to be microchipped.
Make the tort table as big as you can. unfortunately tortoises arent pets to be kept indoors,can you not make an outdoor pen for him??