baby tortoise sleeps all the time

[Yvonne G]

One of the more frequently asked questions is, "What should I do? My baby tortoise is always hiding."

Just to give you an example...

I'm more of a leave-them-alone type of keeper. A few weeks ago one of my leopard eggs hatched (incidentally, this is the only egg to hatch out of about 6 or so of them - so far, anyway). After a couple days in the incubator, I set her up in her own little plastic bin habitat with a humid hide. I would bring her out every morning for a soak, then set her down in front of the food, but she always high-tailed it back into the hide. So after about a week of this, I moved the feeding tile so it was half in and half out of the doorway to the hiding place. So now, every morning I soak her then put her back into the humid hide, behind the food on the feeding tile. It is quite warm in that little habitat, and I'm never sure if the food is looking sparse because it has shriveled up from the heat or if the tortoise has been eating it.

Well, this a.m. I forgot to feed the in-the-house habitats and took the feeding bowl outside. Tonight I was getting ready to turn off the in-the-house lights when I saw the little leopard tortoise out in the habitat. She was looking for food! Hooray!! It only took three or four weeks and no food one day to overcome that shyness and come out of the hide on her own!

Note: If you are not an experienced keeper, or not used to having baby tortoises, I would not advocate being a leave-them-alone keeper.

 

[sibi]

Great information Yvonne. I'd only add that babies do like to sleep a lot for the first few weeks. New owners shouldn't be alarmed if their baby goes inside the hide and sleeps. That's what babies do

 

[crice]

One of the more frequently asked questions is, "What should I do? My baby tortoise is always hiding."

Just to give you an example...

I'm more of a leave-them-alone type of keeper. A few weeks ago one of my leopard eggs hatched (incidentally, this is the only egg to hatch out of about 6 or so of them - so far, anyway). After a couple days in the incubator, I set her up in her own little plastic bin habitat with a humid hide. I would bring her out every morning for a soak, then set her down in front of the food, but she always high-tailed it back into the hide. So after about a week of this, I moved the feeding tile so it was half in and half out of the doorway to the hiding place. So now, every morning I soak her then put her back into the humid hide, behind the food on the feeding tile. It is quite warm in that little habitat, and I'm never sure if the food is looking sparse because it has shriveled up from the heat or if the tortoise has been eating it.

Well, this a.m. I forgot to feed the in-the-house habitats and took the feeding bowl outside. Tonight I was getting ready to turn off the in-the-house lights when I saw the little leopard tortoise out in the habitat. She was looking for food! Hooray!! It only took three or four weeks and no food one day to overcome that shyness and come out of the hide on her own!

Note: If you are not an experienced keeper, or not used to having baby tortoises, I would not advocate being a leave-them-alone keeper.

So how long will it take for them not to be so sleepy? Mines almost 3 months old and mostly all he does is sleep, an only gets up when he eats

 

[Yvonne G]

Actually, more that sleeping, what baby tortoises do is hide. They are prey, so they stay hidden most of the time. ONce the tortoise starts to feel comfortable in his habitat, and feel that he's not going to be carried away and eaten, he'll gain a bit more confidence and start coming out.

 

[crice]

Actually, more that sleeping, what baby tortoises do is hide. They are prey, so they stay hidden most of the time. ONce the tortoise starts to feel comfortable in his habitat, and feel that he's not going to be carried away and eaten, he'll gain a bit more confidence and start coming out.

Sweet thanks!