Introducing Pedro!

Louise C said:

Hi Everyone,

Technically, I'm not a newbie as I've posted about my poorly baby Russian who sadly didn't make it. Just couldn't help posting about our surprise new Herman.....a lady three streets away was wanting to urgently rehome him as her daughter was going to University and couldn't take him. He's three years old and a total character!

First night we had him out for a soak and a walk around and he was in my daughter's doll house re-arranging furniture and pushing the toy car around the room. I've found he liked to scratch himself along the bookshelf and loves ramming the cupboard door.

I know he's got a bit of pyramiding on his shell so he's in an vivarium so we can keep the moisture in the air up. Had him on the coco substrate but this made him sneeze and scratch his eyes so swapped back to what his last Mum had him on (grass pellets) which I know are not the ideal but he's happy on them and I want him to settle in and keep everything familiar for now. He has mostly just been fed pellets to date so I am trying to temp him with actual green stuff and he's not that into it. I have planter trays full of dandelion and clover and he's not interested. A planter tray full of cress did the trick though.

He's already flashed me so I definitely know he's a boy! Love him so much already.

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Louise C said:

Hi AbdullaAli,

Thanks - yes I've read the care sheet and hopefully covered most requirements etc. The fact sheets are really good to know what to aim for and I was straight on looking at the Hermans' one even before I picked him up ...

I know the pellets substrate is not the ideal but will allow for the next few weeks while he settles in so as to not have everything new. I did actually switch to the soil on day two but he had the same reaction - wheezing / sneezing and frantically rubbing his eyes. I made a night time trip to Pets at Home to fractically change back to the pellets he is used to, gave him a bath to wash off the soil and as soon as he was on the pellets the sneezing / rubbing etc stopped. I think I'm going to have to bring in any other substrate a bit at a time - eg section off a corner and put the soil so he can build up some kind of exposure over time.

His last owner loved him lots but as I say, he was kept on substrate pellets and fed the komodo pellets and not any leaves so he needs to be introduced to these things. I could not believe he passed up the yummy dandelion leaves / flowers I grew for him but I guess he's never had them before so wasn't sure they were safe to eat.

Regards his enclosure I've posted a pic - it's 120cm long by 70cm wide which is more than 50% bigger than his last house. If the weather hadn't turned autumnal I would have him outside (300cm long run!) but that's Scottish weather for you. Could be that's summer ended so going to have to keep him in. To make up for it he gets the run of the house for a good hour a day and loves it. I'm not going to hibernate this year as I don't know him enough yet and don't feel confident to do this so soon. He is 15cm long 502 grams so I think he's doing good for a 3 year old.

His set up-

Basking spot - 36c, general temp 26-28c dropping to 22c at night. Humidity fluctuates between 40-50%. Tube light is 10% UVB and is on 14 hours a day to mimic European summer. Food - I've had to keep feeding him the Komodo pellets soaked plus dried (but soaked) wild flower mix and home grown clover, dandelion and whatever I can forage from the garden (thistle, burdock, nettle and plantain) and some greens from the kitchen (rocket, cress and cucumber for a teat). Like I say, he's very reluctant to eat anything but the soaked pellets as he's not had the other food before so will just continue to offer him all the variety listed and hope he is tempted. I also dust with calcium/ vitamins. I've been soaking him everyday since I got him but I have seen him using his water in the vivarium too.

I'm just so excited to have him and especially since we're so very sad after loosing Henry. I hope we keep each other very happy for a long time to come.

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