New Leo Hatchling Not Eating Much

[S Curry]

Hi folks... Got my hatchling leo on the 14th (a week and a half ago). It took him a day or so to start eating which is to be expected, but still is only eating a few bites (sometimes a bit more) per day. The breeder said he was eating Mazuri as well as greens, weeds etc, but he won't touch the Mazuri. Seems like he just wants to stay in his hide most of the time and won't come out to feed. After soaking I put him on or in front of his food (mixed greens and dandelion etc) and he'll take a couple bites then head back to his hide. Should I be worried?
He's in a sealed setup with his warm hide around 93 degrees and the cool end around 80...
Thanks!
Smith C.

 

[S Curry]

Also, I put some food just outside his hide and that helped a little--- He took a couple bites,just not much.

 

[Neal]

Increasing the heat tends to help entice a tortoise to eat more. I would recommend bumping the low temperatures closer to 90 for a time to see if that helps.

Time outdoors seems to help as well, however, it may not be a good time of year for that depending on where you are in the world.

Do you know exactly what type of weeds and greens he was eating? If so, stick with that and slowly transition to the foods that you want to feed him.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

how often are you soaking him?

 

[S Curry]

Good suggestions--- I have sent an email to the breeder about food type. It's getting a little warmer again, so I'll try to get him out more tomorrow. Do you think a little higher cal fruit (only temporarily!) might help get him out of the woods?

 

[S Curry]

Soaking once or twice a day... he pooped in the soak today (which is good I guess?)

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

its good he poops when he is soaked. sometimes when you get a new tort they have to get use to there surrounds, during that time they may cut down on eating or be not as active.

 

[Neal]

Good suggestions--- I have sent an email to the breeder about food type. It's getting a little warmer again, so I'll try to get him out more tomorrow. Do you think a little higher cal fruit (only temporarily!) might help get him out of the woods?

I've never intentionally provided fruit to my leopards, so I don't know if they would go for that more aggressively than other types of food. I would try something like romaine before offering fruit. Although it's not the best thing to feed the tortoise, it does have some nutritional value, and in my experience, most eat romaine readily. If this does help him eat more, mix in some "better" types of food gradually and hopefully you will see improvement.

 

[Tom]

What are you using for heating, lighting and UV?

What was the source of this baby and how was it started?

 

[S Curry]

100w ceramic, 60 watt reflector flood, reptiglow 10.0 18" A litle outdoor sun---more today and a lot more tomorrow as it heats back up here in Nashville over the weekend. Torts R Us was the breeder---Not a lot of info from him, but he said try organic spring mix

 

[S Curry]

He just ate a fair amount after a soak... hopefully he's on his way. I made it a little hotter last night, and also maybe he's just settling in. I'll keep y'all posted, and thanks for the tips!

 

[S Curry]

Does it mean anything that he just wants to hang out in the really hot part of the enclosure? It's close to 100 degrees there

 

[Tom]

Sounds like your set up is good. What is your over night low?

If this is not a temperature or lighting thing, which it seems it is not, then my attention turns to the source. I don't know Torts R US. How do they start their hatchlings? Are they a breeder or a broker? Most people start leopards far too dry. If this was the case with your baby, it might explain what is going on. Can you ask the breeder what substrate your baby was started on? How often was it soaked in those first few weeks? Did they use a brooder box or leave the baby in the incubator while it absorbed its yolk sac?

 

[Tom]

Does it mean anything that he just wants to hang out in the really hot part of the enclosure? It's close to 100 degrees there

Yes. It most likely means that your ambient temp is too low. What are your four temps? Warm side, cool side, basking area and over night low?

Have you read these already? They might offer some insight or ideas.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[S Curry]

I'll do some research with the breeder and specifics with the temps, but he has a great variety to choose from in the enclosure but never spends time in the cool side (mid 80's). If i make the warm side and basking area too hot will he always move or will he overheat if that is where he's comfortable and feels safe? Do torts with an infection keep themselves hot to drive the infection out (like a mammal with a fever?)

 

[S Curry]

I'll check the overnight low tonight but the 100w ceramic with a thermostat set to 93 should give him lots of options and probably about 90 in his warm hide

 

[Tom]

I'll do some research with the breeder and specifics with the temps, but he has a great variety to choose from in the enclosure but never spends time in the cool side (mid 80's). If i make the warm side and basking area too hot will he always move or will he overheat if that is where he's comfortable and feels safe? Do torts with an infection keep themselves hot to drive the infection out (like a mammal with a fever?)

Your temps sound good, but his behavior suggests the cool side is too cool. 85 should not be too cool though...

How are you measuring temps? What is the overnight low?

To answer your last question, I won't say no, but I have seen the opposite. Usually when a tort feels sick, they go park somewhere cold and wait to die.

 

[Tom]

I'll check the overnight low tonight but the 100w ceramic with a thermostat set to 93 should give him lots of options and probably about 90 in his warm hide

Ahh. This points me back to the breeder. Lets see what he has to say...

 

[S Curry]

Thanks for your help Tom! I'm pretty sure husbandry is spot on at this point and I'll just have to wait it out. It's been a while since I've had a tort (I raised a hatchling sulcata in the early 90's) but I've bred hundreds (thousands) of snakes and geckoes over th last 15 years and have a pretty good feel for things. That being said I could've overlooked something

 

[S Curry]

From the breeder :
I use cypress mulch with a thin layer of coconut coir underneath the cypress. My hatchlings hatch in a GQF Incubators and are then transferred over to the brooder box until the fully absorb their yolk sac. Usually takes 3 days , within those 3 days they are offered greens. Once they fully absorb their yolk sack they are transferred over to their closed chamber vision cages, which are kept in a hot and humid environment. My hatchlings are soaked daily and are offered a variety of greens, grasses , weeds, and flowers daily . Not every hackling makes it , this goes for any other breeder or tortoise keeper. I try my best with my adults and hatchlings, this way these hatchlings are well started before rehoming them , however in captivity they still don't all make it to adult hood.
Thanks
Adam