Any help or suggestions?

[Bexandcosmo]

Hi, I am currently looking after a neighbours tortoise. However, it seems that they don’t have much knowledge about the tortoise as it used to have previous owners.
I currently own a hermanns tortoise so I have some knowledge and have all the resources to help.

So basically it seems that the tortoise isn’t very interested in eating and hasn’t urinated/defecated. I gave it a soak for half an hour in hope that it would help and will continue to do so each day. I wondered if it got too cold and maybe was trying to hibernate so have kept it under a heat/uv lamp as much as possible.

We don’t know how old it is and exactly what breed it is. It looks like either a Greek or hermanns tortoise. It is also quite large especially compared to my 1 year old hermanns (I’ll include a photo).

I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions or advice on what I can do to help this little guy out?! Thank you!

 

[Sarah2020]

Older tortoise will be looking to brumate at this time of year. They will stop eating to not have food in their stomach which avoids it rotting while they sleep. As it is in your care I would look at heat and light as we are very cold currently 4 deg C! If the owner does not brumate then you just need to keep it going and provide fresh veg, water and heat etc.. soaking was an excellent idea ensure shallow warm water 33 deg C in a high sided container like a washing up bowl and try 40 mins or 60 mins. If nothing else it will drink whilst in there . You could cook some carrot and mash with a fork and then add a bit to the soak water it may eat some carrot.
Hope this helps and good luck.

I guess you read this but just in case

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[Bexandcosmo]

Older tortoise will be looking to brumate at this time of year. They will stop eating to not have food in their stomach which avoids it rotting while they sleep. As it is in your care I would look at heat and light as we are very cold currently 4 deg C! If the owner does not brumate then you just need to keep it going and provide fresh veg, water and heat etc.. soaking was an excellent idea ensure shallow warm water 33 deg C in a high sided container like a washing up bowl and try 40 mins or 60 mins. If nothing else it will drink whilst in there . You could cook some carrot and mash with a fork and then add a bit to the soak water it may eat some carrot.
Hope this helps and good luck.

I guess you read this but just in case

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

Thank you so much for your help!