Yearling Eastern Hermann's enclosure

[KayLeo7]

Hi guys!

Okay I've had my yearling for around three weeks now and some questions/concerns have come up. I have my basking temps set to around 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit. Cool side gets no colder than 72 degrees. I have a mixture of organic top soil, repti-bark (loves to burrow in this), and cypress mulch. However I've noticed my young one doesn't bask often and prefers the cooler side of the enclosure. I have been soaking Leo in warm water everyday for around 15 minutes. I haven't experienced any problems with getting him to eat, drink, poop, or pee. His urates are always a nice tooth pasty consistency. He likes to wander and eat after soaking and shortly after returns to his burrow spot between an oriental grass plant and a clover plant that I have in his enclosure. Not too worried about how much time he spends sleeping because he is just a yearling after all. I guess my main question is should I be concerned about Leo staying on the cooler side most of the time? Or is this a sign that I need to change something? Thank you for your help in advance!

KayLeo

 

[Souptugo]

Just curious what are you using to measure your temps?

 

[KayLeo7]

Just curious what are you using to measure your temps?

I have 2 zoo med thermometer/hydrometer. And I also use a temp gun.

 

[GBtortoises]

The temperature gun should give you fairly accurate temperature readings as long as it's being read at the correct distance from it's target.
If your temperatures are what you listed, your tortoise is active, eating, drinking and defecating regularly I would not be too concerned about it spending more time on the cooler side. There is a misconception that tortoises like to be hot all the time. That simply is not true. They seek heat only to raise their core body temperature to activity level. In fact, cooler temperatures are equally important in order for them to maintain activity without overheating. A greater concern would be if your tortoise spent more than half a day basking or was inactive and not eating and drinking. All tortoises have the same basic requirements but each tortoise will still have individual preferences and needs within those requirements.

 

[counting]

Full disclosure: I am in no way an expert

How long SCL is your tort? Doesn't look like a yearling to me. It doesn't seem to have much in terms of growth lines.

Perhaps an experienced keeping can chime in?

 

[KayLeo7]

The temperature gun should give you fairly accurate temperature readings as long as it's being read at the correct distance from it's target.
If your temperatures are what you listed, your tortoise is active, eating, drinking and defecating regularly I would not be too concerned about it spending more time on the cooler side. There is a misconception that tortoises like to be hot all the time. That simply is not true. They seek heat only to raise their core body temperature to activity level. In fact, cooler temperatures are equally important in order for them to maintain activity without overheating. A greater concern would be if your tortoise spent more than half a day basking or was inactive and not eating and drinking. All tortoises have the same basic requirements but each tortoise will still have individual preferences and needs within those requirements.

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your help.

 

[KayLeo7]

Full disclosure: I am in no way an expert

How long SCL is your tort? Doesn't look like a yearling to me. It doesn't seem to have much in terms of growth lines.

Perhaps an experienced keeping can chime in?

Not exactly sure what SCL stands for but when I measured his shell from front to back he is 1.75". So he is very young or just very little for the age. Not sure. No papers of hatching dates or anything were provided from place I got him.

 

[GBtortoises]

SCL is an acronym for straight carapace length. It is the measurement taken from the front most part of the carapace (top shell) to the rear most part of the carapace in a straight line. Not over the top domed part of the shell. The easiest way to do it is to put the back of the carapace against something with a ruler under the center of the tortoise and up against the same object. Then at the front of the carapace read the ruler straight down at the longest point of the front of the carapace. This should give you a measurement with an accuracy within a couple of millimeters.
SCL has been the accepted and most accurate way of measuring turtles and tortoises for several decades.