Baby not eating

[esiotrot]

I'm needing some advice. I'm currently looking after my friend's baby tortoise at my house whilst she is away on holiday. If I'm honest, I'm not sure how old he is or what species he is - but guessing Hermanns/Horsefield or similar. He's not quite as big as the palm of my hand.

He's not eaten anything for 3 days now & I'm worried. I've tried everything I can think of. I am giving him daily soaks & he's very lively & alert - any suggestions as to what I can do to encourage this?

Although this probably reads as I've no clue what I'm doing, I do have 2 spur thighed of my own

 

[ZEROPILOT]

What is the temperature? He wont eat unless it is warm enough to digest the food it has already consumed. Also, they don't like changes. That alone could be the issue.

 

[dmmj]

temperatures are usually crucial to not eating. could also be because it was moved recently to your house. choices don't react well to being moved. they often require readjustment time between each move.

 

[Yvonne G]

Did your friend bring the tortoise over in its own habitat or have you set it up in a new, unfamiliar (to the tortoise) habitat? If new, it takes a couple weeks for them to get used to and comfortable with a new living space. If old or existing, maybe he's not warm enough.

 

[esiotrot]

It's all his own set up, although she did put in all new substrates, etc as she wanted him to be clean with me.

I've checked his temps, he's in my living room which is averaging just over 20 at the minute & his basking spot is around 30.

Are these ok?

 

[Lyn W]

It's all his own set up, although she did put in all new substrates, etc as she wanted him to be clean with me.

I've checked his temps, he's in my living room which is averaging just over 20 at the minute & his basking spot is around 30.

Are these ok?

Hi What about night heat?

 

[esiotrot]

I'd guess the night heat is just under 20, he is in my living room & it's just whatever our normal room temp is.

 

[Lyn W]

I'd guess the night heat is just under 20, he is in my living room & it's just whatever our normal room temp is.

That may be too cold as I think our day temps are struggling to reach 20 at the mo let alone night - but I have a leopard so temps would be higher for mine. If you check the Caresheets for Horsefieds (Russians) and Hermanns will prob tell you the temp range.
Having said that if your friend didn't leave you with any form of night heat (CHE or black bulb that just give heat not light as they need darkness to sleep) then there's not much you can do.
As the others said It could just be the change that has affected him and hopefully the little one will settle soon.

 

[esiotrot]

Thank you for the reply, I'll check that out. I've put him in a carrot soak today to see if that helps, he's just not eating, but seems totally fine in himself.