Help with a Hermann rescue :)

[vj_ak]

I have much experience with Redfoots, but recently acquired 3 Hermann that I'm slowly learning about.
The two females are doing great. They have transitioned to their new diets like champs, and are both showing significant shell growth over the last 5 months. They are active and I have no worries about them at all. Enter the male.
I never see him eat. Ever. Anything I put in front of him seems to be sniffed and ignored. He has a tiny tiny amount of growth - but very minimal compared to his sisters. He isn't particularly active either. He tends to dig into the dirt in a corner and stay there until the lights come on in the morning. Then he will sun bathe until the evening and return to a corner.
I'd welcome any suggestions to help him thrive. I know I'm offering him everything he needs, and maybe I'm over worried, but it can't hurt to see what all of you suggest. Thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

Try to find out what they fed him before he came to you. They don't always recognize new food as being edible.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings and welcome. Just wondering if you are keeping all three of the Hermanns in the same enclosure? Those two females might be bullying that poor male?

 

[vj_ak]

Try to find out what they fed him before he came to you. They don't always recognize new food as being edible.

He was only being fed pellets. Those are still available to him, but I don't see him eating those either.

 

[vj_ak]

Greetings and welcome. Just wondering if you are keeping all three of the Hermanns in the same enclosure? Those two females might be bullying that poor male?

They are. It is 4x8 - so I don't think its a space issue. I wondered the same thing, but I've never seen any sign of bullying.

 

[TammyJ]

They should be separated, but the male in particular right now as he needs alone time and space to recuperate. Can we see some pictures please?

 

[Tortalini]

Yes, pictures would help. But some tortoises are just have different personalities. Some of mine just pace the enclosure all day and others eat,sunbathe,and return to there hole they dug. Just as long as he is out and about some of the day. The most concerning part for me is that he isn't eating. Maybe try and find out what they were eating before and slowly add the new food.

 

[vj_ak]

I did a lot of reading on this forum. I decided maybe hydration was a factor. So I upped the soaks to daily, despite them having dishes they can get in and out of. After three days, huge change! He has started being more mobile, drinking on his own and best of all - I'm seeing him eat. His first "meal" was strawberries and collard greens. And he seems to be a whole new guy <3 He even was trying to get frisky last night

 

[jsheffield]

I did a lot of reading on this forum. I decided maybe hydration was a factor. So I upped the soaks to daily, despite them having dishes they can get in and out of. After three days, huge change! He has started being more mobile, drinking on his own and best of all - I'm seeing him eat. His first "meal" was strawberries and collard greens. And he seems to be a whole new guy <3 He even was trying to get frisky last night

I'm glad to hear that there's a positive change!

Strawberries are great to prime the pump (all of my torts seem to love red foods), but they contain too much sugar to be a regular part of your tort's diet... it can throw their gut biome out of whack.

My Russian loves hibiscus flowers, and they're really good for your tort as well.

Good luck and best wishes for continued improvement with your torts!

Jamie