Level of activity for baby Hermann?

LittleTortoise

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Joined
Apr 13, 2017
Messages
1
Hi Everyone!

I have a question for you experts about my baby Hermann tortoise. I'm not an experienced tortoise carer yet, so one of you might be able to help me.

I (finally!) got my baby tortoise Darwin a few days ago, he was hatched in august 2016, and has already been through a short hibernation period in the winter.
These last 3 days he has been exploring his new enclosure, and I have been feeding it dandelions (flower and leaves) en forget me nots thus far. He also spent some time sunbathing. In the evening he burrows himself in the substrate and is nowhere to be found!
Today he only half came out of the substrate, with his head and front half of his carapace sticking out of the ground. He's been like this the entire day thus far, sometimes sleeping, sometimes just looking around. I'm worried because he hasn't moved around yet, and he has been much more active the last few days. Is this normal behaviour for a tortoise? I don't think the temperature's wrong, it's about 20 degrees at one end of the enclosure, 25 degrees at the other end, and about 30 degrees below the basking light.

Thank you for your help!

20170410_080505.jpg
 

Jabuticaba

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5 Year Member
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Jul 12, 2013
Messages
1,744
Location (City and/or State)
Winnipeg, MB
Hello! What a cute baby! I have a Darwin, too. She's a female THB, about 10 yrs old.

Babies pretty much sleep, eat, and poop. From a behavioural point of view, when you're little and move around too much, you make yourself an easy target for predators.

I wouldn't worry too much, unless they start to sleep continuously and quit eating.
 

Patty P

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2016
Messages
150
Location (City and/or State)
Rockland County, NY
Hi Everyone!

I have a question for you experts about my baby Hermann tortoise. I'm not an experienced tortoise carer yet, so one of you might be able to help me.

I (finally!) got my baby tortoise Darwin a few days ago, he was hatched in august 2016, and has already been through a short hibernation period in the winter.
These last 3 days he has been exploring his new enclosure, and I have been feeding it dandelions (flower and leaves) en forget me nots thus far. He also spent some time sunbathing. In the evening he burrows himself in the substrate and is nowhere to be found!
Today he only half came out of the substrate, with his head and front half of his carapace sticking out of the ground. He's been like this the entire day thus far, sometimes sleeping, sometimes just looking around. I'm worried because he hasn't moved around yet, and he has been much more active the last few days. Is this normal behaviour for a tortoise? I don't think the temperature's wrong, it's about 20 degrees at one end of the enclosure, 25 degrees at the other end, and about 30 degrees below the basking light.

Thank you for your help!

View attachment 204710
My baby Hermann's does this too from time to time. (he is 6 months old)
 

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