Humid hide

[JasonMcK]

How do you get the little suckers to stay in their humid hides? Tonka is about 6-7 months old now and no matter how many times we put him in, he always comes out of his humid hide and finds somewhere else to sleep.

How much should a Leopard Tort of this age weigh? He is 36 grams and has not gained since we got him despite being a piggy. He is fed 3x a day and has a UV light. He's getting a calcium/D3 supplement several times a week

 

[dmarcus]

Figure out where his favorite spot to sleep is and place the hide there...

 

[Tom]

Some tortoises just do not want to use the humid hides. I often put mine in after dark anyway. If they were pyramiding at all, I would actually block them in there over night.

Your little man is likely suffering the results of chronic dehydration that occurred it the weeks right after he hatched, before you even got him.. Just guessing here, but it's pretty common. If he has made it this far, he will likely continue to make it and eventually start to grow. Mazuri might help a bit. Daily soaks will help too.

 

[Neal]

Some of ours will spend every night in the humid hide, some are more random about it, and some don't like it at all. Even the ones who don't like the hide do not show any pyramiding. Personally I wouldn't worry about it too much, just make sure they are well hydrated.

Any idea on what the tortoise weighed when he hatched out? How long have you had him?

We had one tortoise that was stuck at about 50 grams after hatching out at 20. It took nearly 9 months for it to show any signs of growth again despite being well fed, hydrated, and worm/parasite free. I wish we still had that one, but someone stole him from us.

 

[CT Grim]

I feel a little better now. My yearling sully has been stuck at 60g despite eating like a horse. All systems, biologically and equipment wise, are working and I just put a fresh UVB in. Daily soaks, maintain 50% + humidity. He doesn't care for the hide either. Going to move it tonight to see if that works. Good luck!

 

[JasonMcK]

We got him in early September and the person we got him from claimed that he was 4 month old then. However when other tort people we know saw him, they thought he was much younger than that so I wish we knew his age but we're guessing. He weighed 35g when we got him. He eats a mix of spring mix, cactus pear and pads, and mazuri. He gets mazuri for his lunch every day. His clutch mate died before Christmas, she was smaller and we sort of suspected either dehydration or a pre-existing condition from birth. They were both getting soaked 2x a day for 20 minutes and misted a couple of times a day.

Some of ours will spend every night in the humid hide, some are more random about it, and some don't like it at all. Even the ones who don't like the hide do not show any pyramiding. Personally I wouldn't worry about it too much, just make sure they are well hydrated.

Any idea on what the tortoise weighed when he hatched out? How long have you had him?

We had one tortoise that was stuck at about 50 grams after hatching out at 20. It took nearly 9 months for it to show any signs of growth again despite being well fed, hydrated, and worm/parasite free. I wish we still had that one, but someone stole him from us.

 

[Neal]

Can you share the details of the set up you have him in?

I think, if he is eating well, you are keeping him hydrated, and he has access to good lighting and UVB I would just keep doing what you're doing. Hopefully he will start gaining weight soon.

 

[JasonMcK]

We built a tort table that is 2'x4 feet, a bit big for him right now. The substrate is coconut coir which we mist or pour a bit of water on. He has 2 heaters with a temperature range of 80 - 105 so he has several zones to choose from. We have clear acrylic covering most of the table except for a stretch where the heaters and lights are. There are 2 lights, a standard bulb and a mercury vapor UV light which is on for 6 hours a day. At first we had problems with both torts not opening their eyes so we reduced the UV hours which seemed to help. We are struggling a bit to keep the humidity up despite the misting and cover. We've put a large beer mug of water in the enclosure in addition to a small shallow dish that he has access to.

Can you share the details of the set up you have him in?

I think, if he is eating well, you are keeping him hydrated, and he has access to good lighting and UVB I would just keep doing what you're doing. Hopefully he will start gaining weight soon.