diet and weight!

[jasmine0105]

Hello! My name is Jasmine and I have a tortoise who is 5 months old called Timmy he has really settled into his tortoise table and LOVES to roam around our house too and is happy to be held a lot he is very active and loves to climb (he thinks he is invincible haha!) This past week, he hasn't been eating as much, well he's eaten virtually nothing!! I think it's started since I introduced him to carrot! He LOVES carrot and he will bite my finger off for it! but when it comes to kale (which is what he used to eat at the reptile shop), he won't open his mouth for it! So I've figured he won't eat anything but carrot now! However, my mum read somewhere that carrot isn't very good for them and to keep them on leafy green veg's, especially at such a young age.. so I'm unsure on what to do because I'd rather him eat carrot than nothing! Also, I weighed him for the first time today, and he weighs 64g! Is this a good weight?

Thanks guys!
Hello! My name is Jasmine and I have a tortoise who is 5 months old called Timmy he has really settled into his tortoise table and LOVES to roam around our house too and is happy to be held a lot he is very active and loves to climb (he thinks he is invincible haha!) This past week, he hasn't been eating as much, well he's eaten virtually nothing!! I think it's started since I introduced him to carrot! He LOVES carrot and he will bite my finger off for it! but when it comes to kale (which is what he used to eat at the reptile shop), he won't open his mouth for it! So I've figured he won't eat anything but carrot now! However, my mum read somewhere that carrot isn't very good for them and to keep them on leafy green veg's, especially at such a young age.. so I'm unsure on what to do because I'd rather him eat carrot than nothing! Also, I weighed him for the first time today, and he weighs 64g! Is this a good weight?

Thanks guys!

 

[Lyn W]

Hi Jasmine what sort of tortoise is he and which part of the world are you in?
Carrot in large quantities is not good for them - they need a very varied diet.
If you look under Species Specific section you will find a caresheet that will tell you all about the correct care for your tort.
including diet, temps, humidity etc. See also www.thetortoisetable.org.uk to help you ID safe/toxic foods.
Letting him wander around the house is also not a good idea because they will eat anything that interests them.
We have had torts here who have eaten pins, needles, dust bunnies, socks, plastic - the risks are everywhere.
Some have been lucky and survived - maybe after expensive vet treatment - but sadly not all.
Apart from the dangers of ingesting and choking it is also cold at floor level for them, babies must be kept warm or they become ill.
Your tort may not be eating because he is too cold, or has eaten something he shouldn't.
if you post a picture of your enclosure and the sorts of lights you are using etc members will be able to give you good advice tailored to your torts needs and hopefully your baby will soon be healthy again.
Pet stores often don't know anything about the correct care for torts - they only sell for profit and often sell the wrong equipment and give totally wrong advice. So forget everything they said and start learning here, this Is the best place for up to date information and its all free because we all love torts and just want the best for them.

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. The post above is pretty much what I would say too. With the answers to above, we will help you get everything right for your little one.

 

[Speedy-1]

Hi and welcome Jasmine !

 

[Tom]

I see a little russian in your avatar. Is that the tortoise we are talking about?

What are your four temperatures? Warm side, cool side, basking area and overnight low? What heating and lighting equipment are you using to maintain these temps? Any UV? What type of UV bulb?

Here is the right care info for them:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

They should not be running loose on the floor. It is dangerous, stressful and too cold. Check this out:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

Please post a clearer pic of your tort as well as its enclosure.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Jasmine, and welcome to the forum!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Jasmine
.
Kids love candy and it's easy to get them to eat the candy . But other foods are better for the kids !

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, Jasmine, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum to you and pretty little Timmy.
Good advice has already been given, but please don't hesitate to ask if you have any further questions!!

 

[Kori5]

Hello Jasmine from a new owner, too . I have a trouble feeder and ex bedroom walker myself

 

[jasmine0105]

Thanks everyone for your welcoming and advice! We live in England and he is a horsfield tortoise! He seems to eat a lot more if he has been awake longer ( like all of us i guess haha) and i suppose when he gets warmer! He will eat now, we give his pellets as part of his diet and he absolutely loves them and it really gets his appetite going which is what we want! healso will eat kale and sometimes we will give him some grated carrot which he is a fan of too He seems to be getting heavier and bigger too, he weighs 92g now! Timmy has become quite lazy and always wants to bury himself in his bedding! i will wake him up and 5 minutes later i can hear him scraping away trying to bury himself again! He is really lazy and will not wake himself up so we have to make him get up and eat!! io dont know if its because of the time of year, its quite cold in England at the moment but always warm in our house! we have a UV light about his table and a heat lamp too! im not sure what the temperature is though inside the table, am i meant to check this? we have the UV light and heat lamp on from 8am until 11.30pm then no heat or UV overnight!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Jasmine

 

[pam]

Welcome Russians are awesome