suffolkshelby
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2016
- Messages
- 5
Hi, I'm Susie, from Ipswich, UK. I've had my Horsefield tortoise nearly 3 months and have really been trying to get everything right for him. He's about 18 months old.
I'm keeping him on a tortoise table. For the first couple of months I've had him he seemed fine. However for the last couple of weeks his appetite seems to have declined and he's been spending most of his time in his hide. He only comes out when I get him out, walks about a bit, takes a mouthful of food and then digs him back in to his hide.
At first I thought it was down to it getting a bit cooler with Autumn here so having read around gave him a bath every day for about a week. I also bought a heat mat for his hide from the reptile shop where he came from.
He wasn't improving so I went back to the reptile shop and asked for some more advice. Their conclusion was that the ambient temperature wasn't hot enough and I bought a max-min thermometer to see what the temperatures were like.
I was also worried that his environment needed enriching - maybe he wasn't coming out because he's bored. I bought some more stones and added another type of substrate so that it is at least 5cm deep throughout the whole table, including the hide. I've attached a picture of his table. The hide is just out of shot and has beech chips underneath and hay on top.
I went back to the reptile shop with the temperature readings and they suggested that there was too much temperature variability which could negatively affect digestion and that I needed to experiment with timers to optimise the temperature. I think I've managed to get the temperature right now. The hide is between 18-22 degrees Celsius and the basking spot is 34 degrees Celsius during the day.
The reptile shop said that if I had further concerns they could take him back in for a health check. Otherwise I guess I will need to find a suitable vet.
Today I got the tortoise out from the hide and the first thing he did when he woke up was blow three bubbles out of his nostrils. While he was walking around he kept stopping to wipe his eyes and they seem a little puffy. I've attached a picture of him today.
The area I've been struggling to get right is his food. I've been giving him various dark salad leaves, living lettuce, rocket and occasional red cabbage. I've tried globe thistle which he didn't like and dandelion which he hasn't come out for. I've been offering dandelion pellets every other day and have tried every level of soaking I can think of and he won't touch them. I'm putting mineral sprinkle on the food and drops in the water every day. I've bought some ProRep seeds to grow weeds for him.
We've got two young children who are quite loud so I've considered that it too loud for him but not a lot I can do about that!
My husband thinks the tortoise is trying to hibernate and I know that the temperature variability issues could trigger this. I'm worried that the tortoise is ill and that I'm not sure about how to interpret his behaviour.
Does all this sound worrying or is it normal tortoise behaviour?
Any suggestions about what I should do next?
I've been getting him out of his hide and putting him in a warmer part of the table every second or third day. Should I keep doing this?
Thanks for reading my really long entry and thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
I'm keeping him on a tortoise table. For the first couple of months I've had him he seemed fine. However for the last couple of weeks his appetite seems to have declined and he's been spending most of his time in his hide. He only comes out when I get him out, walks about a bit, takes a mouthful of food and then digs him back in to his hide.
At first I thought it was down to it getting a bit cooler with Autumn here so having read around gave him a bath every day for about a week. I also bought a heat mat for his hide from the reptile shop where he came from.
He wasn't improving so I went back to the reptile shop and asked for some more advice. Their conclusion was that the ambient temperature wasn't hot enough and I bought a max-min thermometer to see what the temperatures were like.
I was also worried that his environment needed enriching - maybe he wasn't coming out because he's bored. I bought some more stones and added another type of substrate so that it is at least 5cm deep throughout the whole table, including the hide. I've attached a picture of his table. The hide is just out of shot and has beech chips underneath and hay on top.
I went back to the reptile shop with the temperature readings and they suggested that there was too much temperature variability which could negatively affect digestion and that I needed to experiment with timers to optimise the temperature. I think I've managed to get the temperature right now. The hide is between 18-22 degrees Celsius and the basking spot is 34 degrees Celsius during the day.
The reptile shop said that if I had further concerns they could take him back in for a health check. Otherwise I guess I will need to find a suitable vet.
Today I got the tortoise out from the hide and the first thing he did when he woke up was blow three bubbles out of his nostrils. While he was walking around he kept stopping to wipe his eyes and they seem a little puffy. I've attached a picture of him today.
The area I've been struggling to get right is his food. I've been giving him various dark salad leaves, living lettuce, rocket and occasional red cabbage. I've tried globe thistle which he didn't like and dandelion which he hasn't come out for. I've been offering dandelion pellets every other day and have tried every level of soaking I can think of and he won't touch them. I'm putting mineral sprinkle on the food and drops in the water every day. I've bought some ProRep seeds to grow weeds for him.
We've got two young children who are quite loud so I've considered that it too loud for him but not a lot I can do about that!
My husband thinks the tortoise is trying to hibernate and I know that the temperature variability issues could trigger this. I'm worried that the tortoise is ill and that I'm not sure about how to interpret his behaviour.
Does all this sound worrying or is it normal tortoise behaviour?
Any suggestions about what I should do next?
I've been getting him out of his hide and putting him in a warmer part of the table every second or third day. Should I keep doing this?
Thanks for reading my really long entry and thanks in advance for any help you can offer.