Inactive tortoise. (is it due to improper conditions?)

Gillian M

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Ofcourse ;) I'll give it a cool shady sport as well for it to go into if it get hot. I'll take super duper extra care!




Do you suggest I get some fake plants for the time being? My only concern is that it will try to eat the plant.
Honestly speaking, I did not think a tort would eat fake plants, due to the fact that torts smell what they're about eat. However, most members are totally against the idea. Therefore I didn't try it, and wouldn't advice you to. "Better be safe than sorry" as is said.:D
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Hello there and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum from Morocco!!!
My girl is a Greek and i fully understand the problems that both you and Gillian have in your respective countries.
The double decker enclosure is a great idea, check out our enclosures section for lots of good tips.
As you have gathered, young torts do sleep a lot, especially in a new home, it will take time for the tortoise to adjust to it's new home, and come to realize there are no predators or other tortoises here and that you are not going to eat him, but are the food god.He's eating, that's good!
For substrate, could you order coco coir online? A brick is very light and not expensive to ship.
if not, a nice pesticide/herbicide free topsoil is fine or failing that yard dirt if you know it's safe and doesn't contain too much sand.
For a water bowl, a cheap, shallow, terracotta saucer, sunk into the substrate and big enough to soak in provides better grip for the little ones feet.
I use a piece of slate or sandstone for the food as this helps to keep the beak trimmed.
Outdoors is good if you can manage it, but, as has been said, shade is necessary, a hide would be good, too.
Spider plants are good enclosure plants. I find torts nibble them, but don't chew them down to the ground.
And white hair is cool.
have a look at http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-testudo-graeca-care-sheet-overview.87146/
as well as http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-end-of-pyramiding.15137/
Good luck!!!
 
Last edited:

Dosu

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Oct 9, 2015
Messages
120
Location (City and/or State)
Kuwait
Hello there and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum from Morocco!!!
My girl is a Greek and i fully understand the problems that both you and Gillian have in your respective countries.
The double decker enclosure is a great idea, check out our enclosures section for lots of good tips.
As you have gathered, young torts do sleep a lot, especially in a new home, it will take time for the tortoise to adjust to it's new home, and come to realize there are no predators or other tortoises here and that you are not going to eat him, but are the food god.He's eating, that's good!
For substrate, could you order coco coir online? A brick is very light and not expensive to ship.
if not, a nice pesticide/herbicide free topsoil is fine or failing that yard dirt if you know it's safe and doesn't contain too much sand.
For a water bowl, a cheap, shallow, terracotta saucer, sunk into the substrate and big enough to soak in provides better grip for the little ones feet.
I use a piece of slate or sandstone for the food as this helps to keep the beak trimmed.
Outdoors is good if you can manage it, but, as has been said, shade is necessary, a hide would be good, too.
Spider plants are good enclosure plants. I find torts nibble them, but don't chew them down to the ground.
And white hair is cool.
have a look at http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-testudo-graeca-care-sheet-overview.87146/
as well as http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-end-of-pyramiding.15137/
Good luck!!!

Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions. About the substrate, I cant actually ship anything to where I live but I can bring some with me in my suitcase when I travel, so I will be doing that sometime soon. For the water bowl, I do have something really similar in the enclosure atm, there a picture of it on the main post. It's pretty shallow and it's pretty big, however I have never seen him use it. Maybe because it's too cold? I did try to place him in it but he panicked and ran out and went to hide, not sure why. However, I do give him regular soaks in warm water and he likes it. I'll try to grow some spider plants but I doubt they will grow due to the climate, but I'll try anyway.
BTW, white hair ain't cool when 15 :p (except for Halloween)
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Feb 11, 2015
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Fes, Morocco
I bring stuff back from Europe when i travel, it's no bother.
It shouldn't get too cold in the enclosure, but, it looks slippery to me.
Spider plants grow here just fine and the temps and humidity in our enclosures should be the same.
White hair's always cool.:)
 

Lyn W

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Jul 22, 2014
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UK
Just make sure there's no sand or white bits in the soil as both will cause impaction in the gut if eaten on the food.
I just read on another thread that you have to be careful with topsoil in case it is made of plants that aren't safe for torts which never occurred to me before. If you look at the caresheet it should recommend a substrate.
Also if the large metal dish is the one your tort didn't like to be soaked in - maybe it was the reflection of light or himself that scared him so he may like a shallow terracotta plant saucer sunk level with the soil better.
www.thetortoisetable.org.uk is a good website to find tort safe plants. Store bought plants need to be repotted, and given time for any chemicals/fertilisers they may have been sprayed with to grow out.
 

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