Hello, I'm new to the forum. I have a hatchling (2008) greek. Cute little guy. He seems to eat well, but has put on very little weight since I got him in December. He is 28g now.
Yes, He gets soaked several times a week. I soak for 30 minutes or until he poops.jenrell23 said:Hello and welcome to the forum. Do you soak your little guy?
egyptiandan said:What are your temperatures in the table?, other than under the basking light. Also what is the night time temperature? I do believe you didn't have the lights on long enough this winter. If you want to keep a tortoise up you need to have the lights on 12 to 16 hours a day.
By all means post pictures of his carapace and plastron and we should be able to tell you what he is.
Danny
tortoisenerd said:They also need to be warm to even digest food. Hatchlings like it and need it warmer than adults in addition to that. If where you are feeding him in the enclosure is not in the 80s (someone confirm this for me though) or so, the tort may not feel like eating as they cannot physically digest the food. An infrared laser thermometer (the PE1 model is $25 for example) is great to check the temp quickly and accurately anywhere in the enclosure. Upping the temperatures a bit if possible, although not too much higher for the basking temp if any (100 is probably the top you want, and for a hatchling), and maybe moving the food to a warmer spot can help.
If the tort isn't eating regularly and is so young, I'd personally be offering a variety of food at all time for it, any amount you can get it to eat, but healthy choices of course. My little guy is gaining a few grams a week and I've heard that is typical, but maybe on the high end of the growth rate. I keep my light on 14 hours a day although he sleeps through some of that. Mine likes to eat twice a day mostly, but snacks on his food throughout the day and goes back and forth between basking and eating.
Another thing to think of is if you tort has a place it feels safe in the warm area (basking). You may need a hide or even a pile of hay for it to be near or under so that it feels safe enough to be out in the "open" like that. In the wild, hatchlings spend almost all their time hiding. When I first got my tort, he wasn't basking because I didn't have a hide for him there. He just stayed in the cold area, not eating, and not being very active. Once I put a hay pile near the basking area he felt safe there. He'll sometimes lay out in the open, but mostly he'll have his front legs on the hay, or be completely under it while getting his "sun".
Just to check, what kind of UVB bulb do you have? Is the tort's shell hardening up?
Pictures will definitely help us. Welcome!