Hermanns Sleeping all day

[Rocket01]

I have a 4 year old Hermann tortoise, had him about 9 weeks.

At the moment he just wants to sleep all day. I have to get him up in the morning for food.

Basking temp is 90 - 95, cool side is about 70 and warm about 75-80. He has a uv/heat light think it is a zoo med.

He is fed mainly weeds, plus lambs lettuce, kale, rocket, spring greens and cactus. I have started to soak him for 30 mins every morning (was soaking twice a week) then he eats and just goes back to his hide. Calcium is added to his food twice a week.

Any suggestions what I might be doing wrong / should I just leave him to get up himself, problem is we work all day so it's hard to keep a check on him to make sure he does get up ? can do to improve his set-up.

Many thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[luvpetz27]

Hi and welcome!!
I dont know much about the type of tortoise
you have but hopefully someone will reply soon!! My boxie gets energy when I feed her meal worms. Do you feed him any kind of protien?

Good luck to you and welcome to the forum!!!

You mentioned uv light. Does he get uvb also?

 

[Rocket01]

Hi thanks, yes it is uvb as well. Being a Hermanns I was advised no protein should be fed, but diet should be mainly weeds.

 

[luvpetz27]

Hi thanks, yes it is uvb as well. Being a Hermanns I was advised no protein should be fed, but diet should be mainly weeds.

Ok. I did not know that about Hermanns. I learn something new everyday!!
Good luck to you and your tortoise!

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Can you raise the basking temps to 95-100, while leaving the cool end the same? Might perk him up a bit.

And he may be a lot more active while y'all are gone, but shy when you're at home...if that's the case, time'll take care of the issue, mas he/she gets used to y'all.

How much food is he eating daily?

 

[Rocket01]

Yer I can up the basking temp by lowering his light a bit more. He eats about the same amount of food as the bottom of his shell as that was how I was advised to gauge what he should be eating, we always put a little more in but he leaves some, we are about to put a tray of weeds in for free grazing as well. Thank you for the help.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Yer I can up the basking temp by lowering his light a bit more. He eats about the same amount of food as the bottom of his shell as that was how I was advised to gauge what he should be eating, we always put a little more in but he leaves some, we are about to put a tray of weeds in for free grazing as well. Thank you for the help.

Sounds good! Lowering the basking light a little and some patience may be all it'll take. Some Hermann's torts are ready to "hang out" from Day One, some take longer to become friendly, but they seem to always get tame in time.

 

[BigBear]

Can you feed Hermann's Tortoises meal worms???

 

[JoesMum]

Can you feed Hermann's Tortoises meal worms???

No. They're vegetarian. Leafy greens for Hermanns and fruit only very occasionally as they can't digest the sugars properly.