So, we just got our baby yellow foot yesterday morning. It ate some last night before we went to bed, but it keeps staying in the coolest corner of the tortoise table and it's eyes have been closed all morning and is moving its head a little. The warm side is about 92 degrees and the cool side is 70. Humidity is about 60. It perked up with the bath yesterday, but now is not moving much. Should we move it back to the warmer side? Is this just transition from the travel? Please help. We are very new at this.
Lethargic, new, stays in cool area
- Thread starter Jenjen2912
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Tortoise tables can be hard to moderate, but the hot end may be a bit hot while the cool end is a bit cool, and the humidity is pretty low overall for a humidity-loving species like the yellow-footed- especially a young one. (These guys like it near 100%, and really love a warm rain!)
The BIGGEST issue, however, is probably that this is a very shy species, and babies are shy as well. So, new baby tort in a new place- lots of stress and change, so new torts often spend a couple of days to a week in hiding.
Make sure it is comfy, but then leave it as alone as you can for a couple days and see if that helps.
The BIGGEST issue, however, is probably that this is a very shy species, and babies are shy as well. So, new baby tort in a new place- lots of stress and change, so new torts often spend a couple of days to a week in hiding.
Make sure it is comfy, but then leave it as alone as you can for a couple days and see if that helps.
Yes you can certainly move the tort to the warm side..also you may want to move its hide a bit closer to the warm side too so this way the little one can hide and stay warm...
Do you have the enclosure top partially covered. And if your cool side goes down to the late 60s to 70s I would make sure that is your dry side especially if you are hitting 60 humidity as you don't want that humidity with that cool temp...
The babies hide ALOT
. Just be sure you give them a warm water soak for at least 20 minutes...then offer them food and let them go back to hiding...hiding is aok as long as your area is set up for warmth while hiding...
What type of lighting/heating are you currently using for day and night?
Do you have the enclosure top partially covered. And if your cool side goes down to the late 60s to 70s I would make sure that is your dry side especially if you are hitting 60 humidity as you don't want that humidity with that cool temp...
The babies hide ALOT
. Just be sure you give them a warm water soak for at least 20 minutes...then offer them food and let them go back to hiding...hiding is aok as long as your area is set up for warmth while hiding...What type of lighting/heating are you currently using for day and night?
Ok. Thanks. So I will get the humidity up. I thought that they would just hang out in the middle for temp regulation. I read that they get lethargic if too cold and I'm a bit afraid that it can't get over to the warmer side. Should I get a lower wattage bulb for the hot side then? The pamphlet said humidity 50-80%, day cool 80-90, day basking 95-100 and night 70-80. We turned off the basking light since he hid in the corner. We have that, a UVA/UVB light and an inferred bulb for night. What should all my levels and temps be then?
Hi Jenjen2912:
Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!
What would you like us to call you?
And may we know appx. where in the world you are?
First thing is...are you absolutely sure you have a yellowfoot tortoise? or are you just saying that because he has yellow on his legs? It might be a redfoot (with yellow legs), as they're more common in the pet trade.
Next, its quite ok not to have a warm side and a cool side with the yellowfoot tortoise. You can make it overall about 80 degrees. And be sure its quite moist.
Since the tortoise has chosen a particular side in which to rest, I suggest moving the hiding place over to that side. And you might have to move the heat source over there too.
Once you become familiar with the Forum's format, I'd love to see pictures of your new little tortoise and his habitat. Most of us use either tinypic.com or photobucket.com (free picture programs) for posting our pictures here on the Forum.
Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!
What would you like us to call you?
And may we know appx. where in the world you are?
First thing is...are you absolutely sure you have a yellowfoot tortoise? or are you just saying that because he has yellow on his legs? It might be a redfoot (with yellow legs), as they're more common in the pet trade.
Next, its quite ok not to have a warm side and a cool side with the yellowfoot tortoise. You can make it overall about 80 degrees. And be sure its quite moist.
Since the tortoise has chosen a particular side in which to rest, I suggest moving the hiding place over to that side. And you might have to move the heat source over there too.
Once you become familiar with the Forum's format, I'd love to see pictures of your new little tortoise and his habitat. Most of us use either tinypic.com or photobucket.com (free picture programs) for posting our pictures here on the Forum.
hello and welcome...
Well, I'm Jen from Washington and thanks so much for your help.
We raised the humidity and moved things around so that he has a good hiding place on the warm side and he perked right up and ate too. I know that they are prettty shy especially after being transported, but the cold side thing really worried me. I was afraid we were loosing him. This is really more my husband's thing since I'm not much of a critter person, but I still care a lot about it's comfort and health and I spend the most time around it during the day, so I need to learn a lot too.. For all the research we've done, it feels like there is a lot of contradictory info out there. Do any of you recommend a good source to learn more accurate information? We are sure it's a yellow foot since that's what my husband researched and ordered. He built a table for Turbo (kids picked the name), but I was worried about keeping the humidy up in something open, so he is going to modify it to be more enclosed so we don't have to mist in there so often.
Thanks again for the help. We really appreciate it!
We raised the humidity and moved things around so that he has a good hiding place on the warm side and he perked right up and ate too. I know that they are prettty shy especially after being transported, but the cold side thing really worried me. I was afraid we were loosing him. This is really more my husband's thing since I'm not much of a critter person, but I still care a lot about it's comfort and health and I spend the most time around it during the day, so I need to learn a lot too.. For all the research we've done, it feels like there is a lot of contradictory info out there. Do any of you recommend a good source to learn more accurate information? We are sure it's a yellow foot since that's what my husband researched and ordered. He built a table for Turbo (kids picked the name), but I was worried about keeping the humidy up in something open, so he is going to modify it to be more enclosed so we don't have to mist in there so often.
Thanks again for the help. We really appreciate it!
YAAAAYYYYY....and I hear that there is good information on tortoiseforum.org
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