I need a little help with my tortoise..!

ex0LL

New Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2019
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Firenze, Italia
Hello, TORTOISEFORUM Community!

For some months now, I've become the owner of a tiny tortoise :tort:
We found her in our garden after winter and my family decided to keep her.

This is how I manage my caring schedule for her:
  • MORNING: before work, I take her into this large basin I purchased in a store which I filled with pine bark (product link: https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B000RT1YZO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) [check picture below]; I make sure she has fresh water and a food.
  • EVENING: when I come back from work, I make sure to take her from the basin to the garden. I keep an eye on her since she's probably too young and I'm too worried to leave her out alone completely. During these hot days, I also make sure to rinse her with water, letting her have small showers at room temperature.
  • NIGHT: at night, I make sure to retrieve her from the garden and let her sleep inside my house, I've purchased off amazon a little reptilarum teak (product link: https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B002JLWNAS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) where I can make sure to give her more fresh water and food and a little shelter/house/cave where she feels very safe into and loves to hide into.
  • DIET: the food I give her depends on what kind of vegetable we have in the fridge, typically salad and sometimes I also cut some tomato pieces for her. I also bought her some concentrated complete meal food (product link: https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B00HCMTM6W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) but she doesn't seem to like it too much, although sometimes I sneaked on her while she was eating it. I also tried once to feed her raw meat.
I've noticed that despite my efforts to give her the proper space, she everytime tries to evade or escape where I put her, and if she doesn't then she just hides or dig to bury herself to sleep.

I feel kinda frustrated cause I feel as if she's not really happy to stay with me.
I saved her from the street, cause our garden was close to a road.. maybe I'm a bit too much over-protective towards her?
I don't really feel comfortable, as tiny as she is, to leave her out in my garden which is shared with neighbours and full of wandering cats and animals.

On the matter, I can't understand how or when she's going to grow up in size.
I've had her for some months now, but I'm totally unaware of her age.

May I please receive assistance? :)
Thanks in advance !!!


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Here's a little extra video if you mind to download, it's malware free of course but I don't blame you if you don't want to (I was trying to upload it somewhere but couldn't):
http://www.yourfilelink.com/get.php?fid=2073384
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome!

I don't keep this species (either a Greek or a Hermanns), so I can't give you any care help, but one thing that pops out at me is the 'raw meat' comment. This type of tortoise only eats broad-leaf greens, weeds and plants - NO RAW MEAT!

I think your little baby would benefit from being able to sit in a little bit of warm water each day for about 15 minutes. Put it into a little tub it can't climb out of and make the water so it comes up to the middle of the baby's sides (where the top shell meets the bottom shell).

At this size baby tortoises are prey, so it stands to reason it's going to try to hide most of the time.
 

Toddrickfl1

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That is a smaller species of tortoise they don't get that big. How long have you had it?
@SweetGreekTorts any advice you can give the OP
 

Tom

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TammyJ

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All the best with the little guy. You have got some good advice so check out the links you have been given.
It's nice that you are caring for him!
 

ex0LL

New Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2019
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Firenze, Italia
That is a smaller species of tortoise they don't get that big. How long have you had it?
@SweetGreekTorts any advice you can give the OP
Honestly I am not sure myself now.. we probably found her at around march? :eek:

You have a Western Hermanns tortoise. Testudo hermanni hermanni. They are endemic to Italy. Care for them is similar to the care for all the other Testudo species.

Read these for some tips:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
I'll surely take a look at your guides, thank you very much ;)

All the best with the little guy. You have got some good advice so check out the links you have been given.
It's nice that you are caring for him!
Thank you a bunch! :)
Although, based on what I've read on the internet due to the shape of her claws and bottom shell, I think she's a female :p

Hi, and welcome!

I don't keep this species (either a Greek or a Hermanns), so I can't give you any care help, but one thing that pops out at me is the 'raw meat' comment. This type of tortoise only eats broad-leaf greens, weeds and plants - NO RAW MEAT!

I think your little baby would benefit from being able to sit in a little bit of warm water each day for about 15 minutes. Put it into a little tub it can't climb out of and make the water so it comes up to the middle of the baby's sides (where the top shell meets the bottom shell).

At this size baby tortoises are prey, so it stands to reason it's going to try to hide most of the time.
Thank you, Yvonne :)
I'll stop feeding her raw meat, then! :confused:
 
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