I've offered fresh grass and a mix of dark greens(mustard, collard, turnip). I've seen him take a bite of the greens turn and walk away. Didn't touch the grass. Next move is to try some zoomed tortoise food or something like that. Any ideas? How long should I wait before doing the baby food soak?
been about 36 hrs...leopard barely eating
- Thread starter ripdsawyer
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Mustard, collard and turnip greens are all very strong tasting foods and many tortoises find them unpalatable at first. Few torts will eat the ZooMed food by itself either.
First step is to ask the breeder what foods he/she was feeding and duplicate that for a while. If thats not an option try some endive, spring mix, green leaf lettuce, dandelion, tender young opuntia pads, or even some Mazuri. I have found most hatchlings will go for these straight away.
The other thing to cover is making sure your temps are good and warm, day and night, and that the enclosure is nice and bright during the day. Most hatchlings don't have much appetite after a cool night.
First step is to ask the breeder what foods he/she was feeding and duplicate that for a while. If thats not an option try some endive, spring mix, green leaf lettuce, dandelion, tender young opuntia pads, or even some Mazuri. I have found most hatchlings will go for these straight away.
The other thing to cover is making sure your temps are good and warm, day and night, and that the enclosure is nice and bright during the day. Most hatchlings don't have much appetite after a cool night.
Are you saying you have only had this tort for 36 hours? Torts can take weeks to settle into a new home and behave normally.
Or that your tort hasn't eaten for 36 hours.
If it's a very new tort, the best thing you can do is make sure his/her living conditions are perfect. Soak for a good thirty minutes at the start of the day before he's warmed up properly. Feed straight after the soak and then leave him to it. Don't watch, it's intimidating.
If this is a tort you have owned for a while. The first thing to check out is the temperatures:
1. Ambient, 2. Basking, 3. Cool side and 4. Overnight minimum. tell us what they are.
A healthy tort can go several days without food and be perfectly OK, they cannot however go without water, so daily soaks are essential when food isn't being eaten.
Or that your tort hasn't eaten for 36 hours.
If it's a very new tort, the best thing you can do is make sure his/her living conditions are perfect. Soak for a good thirty minutes at the start of the day before he's warmed up properly. Feed straight after the soak and then leave him to it. Don't watch, it's intimidating.
If this is a tort you have owned for a while. The first thing to check out is the temperatures:
1. Ambient, 2. Basking, 3. Cool side and 4. Overnight minimum. tell us what they are.
A healthy tort can go several days without food and be perfectly OK, they cannot however go without water, so daily soaks are essential when food isn't being eaten.
Thanks tom...again. Uve become my go to guy lol. I'll call right away and see about his diet. He's def warm enough. Soaked 3 times now for about 10-15 min each time. Seen him drink so I know he's hydrated...so that's a plus. I'll see what I can get my hands on.
Only had him 36 hrs. I know it can take some time for him to get used to the surroundings... but figured he'd eat better. Also I heard him make a noise a couple times. Hard to describe it...it was like a quiet croak or a quack. Yeah, hard to describe. Anyone have ideas on that?JoesMum said:
Re: RE: been about 36 hrs...leopard barely eating
Torts aren't completely silent any more than they are slow. He wil come round, just give him time
ripdsawyer said:
Torts aren't completely silent any more than they are slow. He wil come round, just give him time
Clicking is not an unusual thing from time to time....with babies I often wonder if they are clicking seeing if there hear anything back??? Just a wonder though
So maybe I'll talk back to him lol. I'll give him time. I just don't know when is becoming too long for him not to be eating well.
Called the shop. They said he was eating spring mix, finely chopped, greens once a week, finely chopped and dried fruit mix once a week
Called the shop. They said he was eating spring mix, finely chopped, greens once a week, finely chopped and dried fruit mix once a week
You have had him for 36 hours.
Establish a routine so that he learns to trust you and his new surroundings.
Start the day with lights and heat on; use a timer. Then soak him at roughly the same time each morning before he's warmed up properly. After a 30 minute soak, pop him back in his enclosure with food available, then walk away and leave him. Don't watch or peep; give him space to be brave and explore and work out what's what. You will find that familiarity will lead to him starting to be brave and food will get eaten and, in time, he'll learn to trust you.
The soak is important as it gets him used to being handled, gets him used to a routine and gets him used to you. The food reward afterwards reinforces this.
Establish a routine so that he learns to trust you and his new surroundings.
Start the day with lights and heat on; use a timer. Then soak him at roughly the same time each morning before he's warmed up properly. After a 30 minute soak, pop him back in his enclosure with food available, then walk away and leave him. Don't watch or peep; give him space to be brave and explore and work out what's what. You will find that familiarity will lead to him starting to be brave and food will get eaten and, in time, he'll learn to trust you.
The soak is important as it gets him used to being handled, gets him used to a routine and gets him used to you. The food reward afterwards reinforces this.
I will take this advice and run with it. Only hiccup is that I leave the heat on all night til my thermostat gets here. Then I'll have a night time temp. But still...sounds like a good routine!
Not sure on age. Maybe 3 inches
Happy to finally report some good news! Picked up a fruit and veg mix at the shop and the lep loves it. Sprinkled some calcium on top and he tore it up. Tomorrow we'll try the spring mix. He filled his belly and went to his hide. Bed time for the little guy and this guy!
Glad to hear he ate but I would really try and avoid fruit for a leopard
As soon as possible you need to get him off of that stuff and on to good stuff. Start by mixing in small amounts of finely minced good stuff into that stuff. Over time, up the ratio of new good stuff to old stuff.
Mine took 8 days to eat anything, and only drank a few times within that time. Good luck and keep us posted!
Re: RE: been about 36 hrs...leopard barely eating
Good news
And Tom is, as ever, correct
Good news
And Tom is, as ever, correct
Tom said:
Thanks guys! Yes, that's the plan...to wean him off it. Just so happy to see him eat. Will keep u posted
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