A little help?

[Sheebz]

I recently got a forest hingeback. Listened to everything the pet store attendee had to say, bought what was recommended. I went to research him and everything seems to be off kilter. She told me he was an excellent starter tort and eats just greens, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I got him this last Tues. held him in the store he seemed okay. Bring him home, doesn't do much, doesn't eat. I read that a lot of the things we got for him aren't right but I don't have the means to get new things. Right now currently trying his heat lamp off b/c it may be getting too warm and I read they get inactive over eighty degrees. Could anyone just give me some useful info, maybe about good tank setup, how to keep a good humidity, and some other basic things?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

The stuff you're told by the pet store clerk is 9 times out of 10, wrong. Sorry. Since I'm not familiar with the care required for a hingeback tortoise, let's give @tortadise a shout-out and he can help you for sure. In the meantime, please put up clear pictures of the tortoise, top, bottom side view so he can correctly i.d. the sub species.

 

[Sheebz]

I will get a photo of him the best I can... I am trying not to hover or care for too much so maybe he can acclimate a touch better. He also seems to be sleeping A TON. but hasn't eaten very much, and after reading up on their difficulty, I really want to get things right and him perhaps survive. I think I really should have found something simpler but it was kinda spur of the moment

 

[tortadise]

Definitely a photo. The different species of hingebacks are vastly different care.

 

[tortadise]

They like a lot of plants to hide under. Fresh large water bowl. Mid 80s temperature and extremely humid(if forest hinge back) cow liver, worms, mushrooms, squash mixed in a salad of dandelion/greens ridiccio. It's gonna take a while for an adjustment period. Photos of the enclosure would be great too.

 

[Sheebz]

Thank you loverlies. I figured it out! Slightly lower humidity, sprayed really well and he perked up and started attacking his food!