how to get him to eat?

[countrygirl011]

i recieved a redfoot tortoise "hatchling" (more like 3-4 inch juvi) from reptile city yesterday .
thus far i have not been able to get him to show interest in his food.
i can't get him to eat.
i figured he would be hungry because he was in transit for atleast 24 hours.
no luck yet.
i offered romaine and collard greens lastnight. setting the bowl infront of him. and i left it in there for a few hours thinking maybe he would eat when we left the room. no go .
he simply bobs his head up and down . (does this mean something?)
and any ways i can entice him to eat? or do i just have to wait it out?

 

[Spn785]

Just be patient, he is probably stressed from traveling and won't eat until he calms down. Just leave him alone for a few days, offering food and soaking him daily until he starts eating.

 

[theelectraco]

What are our temps at?

 

[Laura]

dont pester, watch him and make sure he is warm enough.. also try different foods...any idea what it is used to eating?

 

[countrygirl011]

my temp is staying around 80.

and i have no clue what he was eating. and im sure reptile city has no idea either.

 

[theelectraco]

my temp is staying around 80.

and i have no clue what he was eating. and im sure reptile city has no idea either.

Is 80 the ambient temp or his basking temp? If that's his basking temp, he is probably not warm enough and he may be going off food cus of it

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What type of lighting are you using, for day, night, UVB, what is the enclosure dimensions?

 

[countrygirl011]

my temp is staying around 80.

and i have no clue what he was eating. and im sure reptile city has no idea either.

Is 80 the ambient temp or his basking temp? If that's his basking temp, he is probably not warm enough and he may be going off food cus of it

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What type of lighting are you using, for day, night, UVB, what is the enclosure dimensions?

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the ambient temp. under the light is slightly warmer.
and i have not gotten him to eat since he arrived.
im sure he is stressed from shipping but im worried that if he doesnt eat he will go downhill.

 

[theelectraco]

You don't want to stress him out tho. What do you mean by slightly warmer. Can you give the exact temps and the other information requested in my previous post.

 

[lkwagner]

Not exactly the same but when I received my softshell turtle I couldn't get him to eat for a week. But he came around, just be patient and don't stress him out! Give him privacy and let him adjust to his new environment.

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And try offering different foods

 

[Laura]

why wouldnt reptile city know what it was eating? Have you soaked him ?

 

[countrygirl011]

After the way he was shipped i dont trust anything they say.

I gave him a warm soak tonight he really perked up. Drank a whole bunch and then was ready to explore. I had his food laying on the towel while he walked around and dried off and he helped himself to the mon. And pineapple so maybe he just doesnt know what fresh veggies are.

 

[bigred]

You could try to put an earth worm in front of him to see if that triggers him to go after it. It might not be warm enough for him so you can check temps at both end of his enclosure. The little redfoots need to be kept warm and humid, the smaller they are the more fragile they are. If you post pics of your setup you could probably get some better info

 

[Laura]

pineapple? that is not something Id start with... try shredded carrot over dark greens, a few raspberry, slice of strawberry, mushrooms, tomatoe, worm, cat food,

Head bobbing can be a breathing issue or dominance...?

 

[countrygirl011]

another soak today which he very clearly enjoyed.
and again he chowed down on a few small pieces of cantalope.
but turned down collard greens, mushroom, apple, squash, and romaine lettuce.

 

[theelectraco]

Try chopping up the veggies and cantalope finely and mixing it really well

 

[countrygirl011]

i also have yet to get him to eat out of a container. he will only eat directly off the floor.
if i had to guess i would say he has never eaten out of a container before.

 

[Yellow Turtle]

Besides all of the good advice, I don't think 1 day is enough to give any worry of her not eating.

Please be patient and not handling him too much.

 

[countrygirl011]

My temp in the middle is staying pretty constant at 83. Which means the warm side ( where the turtle is hifing) is staying around 86. And the cool side around 80.
I have a che on the way and a uvb bulb.
And have gotten him to eat carrots and melon after a bath. But why the preference for orange?

 

[Yellow Turtle]

Many tortoises are fond of orange / red color. And carrot and melon should attract him more due to the strong smell and sweet flavor. I really wouldn't give him fruits all time, he can get other problem from it.

 

[countrygirl011]

Many tortoises are fond of orange / red color. And carrot and melon should attract him more due to the strong smell and sweet flavor. I really wouldn't give him fruits all time, he can get other problem from it.

i don't plan on feeding him fruits all the time but those 2 things are the only things he will eat right now.
i have tried various other things.
i figured right now eating something is better than nothing.