Hello all

[Tank]

Hello all my name's Tank.

I just got my first ever tortoise a couple of days ago. He/she is a Horsfield and all I know about how old it is is the girl at the pet shop said it was a "Juvenile."

I've got him (Will refer to "it" as a male for convenience) setup in a tortoise table, with basking lamp and UV lamp. He has a little cave and another little area under cover built into the table. He always has a bowl of water and a bowl of leafy greens that I've read are suitable.

I did have a couple of concerns that I'd just like to check with you guys.

Firstly I haven't seen him drink yet, I've tried to bathe him twice to "force" him to but he just seems to want to scrabble around and get back out again and makes no attempt to put his head down to drink. I've not seen him urinate or defecate either.

He didn't eat alot the first couple of days I had him but I've just given him some fresh food and he sat there for about 5 minutes nibbling it and now he's gone back under his heat lamp.

Under his heat lamp he's burrowed into the substrate into the corner so he's sat basically on the wooden bottom of the box. Is this normal?

Thanks in advance, I'm very new to all this.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum, Tank.

I must admit that your tortoise does actually look like a captive bred juvenile Russian tortoise. Usually you can take what the pet shops tell you with a grain of salt, but this one seems to know what they were talking about.

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

What sort of UV light are you using?

Many tortoises struggle to get out when you put them in their soaking tub. This is normal and okay. The exercise will do them good and the water is good for them.

 

[Tank]

Thanks for the replies! The UV light I'm using is the coil type and the paper work that came with it says it provides uva and uvb and is 5% strength as studies have shown the stronger ones can damage their eyes?

Thanks for the info about soaking him. I'll try again but leave him a little longer and see if he drinks.

 

[luvpetz27]

Hi and welcome!

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome

 

[Yellow Turtle]

Hello and welcome to forum. Many people here believe that coil type can bring damage to torts' eyes, no matter whether it is a uvb 5 or uvb 10 lamp.

 

[Tank]

Ah that's interesting as the supplier included an A4 page about the subject. I'm guessing this is one of those can of worms every hobby seems to have?

 

[mainey34]

Hello and welcome

 

[kanalomele]

Welcome to you and your beautiful tort!