Concern for my horsefield

Matttay14

New Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2020
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Chelmsford
Hi
I’m wondering if anyone can help. I bought a horsefield 3 days ago he/she is just under a year old. I’ve found that it doesn’t want to do anything apart from sleep. He went to bed Wednesday at 9pm and had to be woken at 4pm the next day. I put out fresh food for him every morning and I come home and he hasn’t touched it or gone near his water bowl. All he did yesterday when woken was walk around digging holes everywhere. This morning I have woken him up and just put him in his drinks bowl for 30 min in case he was dehydrated. As never owning one before and it being so young I’m just concerned something is wrong. If anyone can advise if there is something wrong I would much appreciate it.

Thanks Matt
 

Minority2

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Joined
Jul 30, 2018
Messages
1,052
Location (City and/or State)
Tortoise Hell
A hatchling will usually spend the majority of their day sleeping. Get up for a bit of sun, food, and go straight back to sleep. Tortoises that are housed in new enclosures will also do a version of this, being too timid and scared to fully explore their new environment until they eventually get up the courage to do so.

Now having said that, there could possibly be additional factors that may contribute to why a tortoise is not eating or being as active as they should be. Please check your temperature, humidity. substrate, heating/lighting equipment to ensure that everything in your setup is within the right level where they should be for this tortoise species.

Please read and follow this guide if you are not already doing so. Ignore other husbandry advice from other people and or sites if they differ from this:
 

Matttay14

New Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2020
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Chelmsford
A hatchling will usually spend the majority of their day sleeping. Get up for a bit of sun, food, and go straight back to sleep. Tortoises that are housed in new enclosures will also do a version of this, being too timid and scared to fully explore their new environment until they eventually get up the courage to do so.

Now having said that, there could possibly be additional factors that may contribute to why a tortoise is not eating or being as active as they should be. Please check your temperature, humidity. substrate, heating/lighting equipment to ensure that everything in your setup is within the right level where they should be for this tortoise species.

Please read and follow this guide if you are not already doing so. Ignore other husbandry advice from other people and or sites if they differ from this:

thanks for that’s show I wake him up or just let him sleep ?
 

Minority2

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2018
Messages
1,052
Location (City and/or State)
Tortoise Hell
thanks for that’s show I wake him up or just let him sleep ?

Keep handling at a minimum. Only bother them when you need to soak them (daily) or bring to them outside for some supervised sun (weather permitted) in a protected, escape proof, outdoor enclosure.

You don't have to wake the tortoise up for food. They'll go search for it when they're ready and or hungry. Just make sure to have always have some sort of food on-hand inside the enclosure before nightfall. You want to gentle coax them into acclimating themselves to the new environment without scaring and or harassing them with unwanted touches. Slowly but surely they'll learn to eat off the palm of your hand, that is, if you're careful enough not to let them bite your fingers. The key is patience.

Don't offer fruit. Replace fruit with cactus pads.
 
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