Can he eat this?

[frankie22]

Hiya, jut changed what my tortoise is on and it's called tortoise terrin xx it's contains top soil, sand, grit and limestone, as soon as I put him back he started eating it, is this ok for or safe for him? He's a dwarf hermann xx


Frankie my hermanni hermanni xx

 

[Yvonne G]

Not really. But you should make sure he's very well hydrated so it helps to move the substrate through his system and doesn't get blocked inside.

Do you use a red or black light during the day? Sometimes those off-color lights make substrate look like something to eat.

 

[ascott]

Would make me uncomfortable....I would use a more earth type soil/dirt....

 

[Tom]

No he can not eat that. Often when they eat substrate there is a deficiency of some sort in the diet. Possibly minerals, possibly fiber. What do you feed? Any supplementation?

And there is no dwarf hermanni. Just Eastern, Western, or Dalmatian subspecies.

 

[frankie22]

He has leafy greens, dandelions and I sprinkle calcium and d3 on his food 3 times a week. There is a dwarf hermann as I've got the paper work for him, I specially went out and found a dwarf hermann from a breeder in England xx


Frankie my hermanni hermanni xx

 

[Tom]

Leafy greens as in grocery store foods? He might be lacking in fiber. Broadleaf weeds (dandelion being one) tend to be much more fibrous than grocery store foods. If you dont have suitable weeds available, you can add some fiber to the diet by prickling cut up grass or grass hay on top of the food. This might help with your issue. Also, some tortoises need more than just calcium. Over here we have a product called "MinerAll" that is a balanced mineral supplement. Sometimes and excess of plain calcium carbonate can cause a mineral imbalance and the tortoise starts eating rocks, dirt or substrate to try to compensate. Colored bulbs sometimes cause them to eat things they shouldn't too.

Can you tell me the species name and subspecies of your tortoise? Should be on your paperwork. I've never heard of a dwarf hermanni, and I'm wondering if that is a local common name for one of the subspecies.

 

[frankie22]

Thanks for the advise I will try adding some fibre to his diet too. On his paperwork it says hermanni hermanni you can google dwarf hermanns too they are a real breed ha ha
They obviously don't grow as big, also I have just brought something called nutrobal over here to put on his food. They are leafy greens from the shop as I'm in the process of growing a weed mix got him as only had him 4 weeks.


Frankie my hermanni hermanni xx

---

Just looked at his paperwork and it says testudo hermanni hermanni??


Frankie my hermanni hermanni xx

 

[Tom]

The is the western sub species. Over here we call them "Western Hermanns tortoises". They do attain a slightly smaller size than the easterns, and tend to have richer colors, but I've never heard them referred to as a "dwarf". Interesting the geographical differences in common names. Good thing we have Latin names too, huh?

 

[frankie22]

Yes very good thing, it's all new to me so I'm still learning just want to do the right thing by him and I'm feeling like a failure at the mo the more I read on here xx


Frankie my hermanni hermanni xx