Meet George/ new marginated tortoise owner

[peepat]

Hello all,

I am the proud owner of a baby marginated tortoise. Well almost one. S/he (not been sexed yet) but I have named him George, will be Georgina if he turns out to be a she.

He has been living with me for 3 weeks, has a nice large tort table with tortoise life soil/calcium flake substrate, a hiding cave, some slate to walk over, food and water/bathing bowls.

I am feeding him, rocket, spinach, watercress, kale and he is loving his dandelion treats. His food is dusted with calcium and neutrobal twice a
week.

He has a heat lamp with his basking temp at 30degress celcuis and a UV strip over the tank.

He spends most of his time hidden under his hide burrowed into his substrate. I figured in tortoise years he is still a baby and enjoys his sleep. He gets up and eats all of his food every other day and some days he just gets up to eat, basks and then goes back to sleep. Some days he doesnt eat. I give him a bath every few days to make sure taht he is hydrated. He seems to poop every few days. Is this normal?

I live in the UK. I am totally new to owning a reptile, and anxious that I am caring for him correctly. If I am doing anything wrong or if anything changes please let me know.

Thanks

 

[wellington]

Hello and Congrats. You forgot to post a pic, tease. Would love to see your new family member

 

[peepat]

I will post a pic shortly

 

[pam]

picture please

 

[peepat]

This is George basking in the heat x

 

[Maddzz91]

Does anyone know of any Marginated tortoise hatchlings for sale in the Wiltshire area? Really want one! Done lots of research and got my table top all built and ready for my lil tort

 

[biochemnerd808]

So cute! I bet he's growing like a weed. My little Marginated is almost a year old, she hatched on Thanksgiving day, last November.

It looks like the shell and substrate of your tort is a little dry. Have you considered providing a hot humid hide? This way he/she can burrow down when in need of humidity. This will help encourage nice smooth growth.

This is George basking in the heat x

 

[FLINTUS]

Does anyone know of any Marginated tortoise hatchlings for sale in the Wiltshire area? Really want one! Done lots of research and got my table top all built and ready for my lil tort

Where in Wilts are you? Is it only marginateds you want?

 

[Maddzz91]

I have found one now! Thanks anyway! His name is Dopey, had him for 5 weeks now and love him to bits! Here's a pic of him having an adventure on my bed giving the camera a wave

 

[Kerryann]

Aww his little stretched out legs are adorable. I find that my marginated needs a lot of water and soakings even as an adult so I'd make sure he's got access to water and to soak often.

 

[luvpetz27]

Welcome!!
He is adorable!!!

 

[Maddzz91]

Yea I bath him every morning and sometimes again at night and he always has a bowl of water in his enclosure which I've seen him in regularly

 

[peepat]

Thank you all for your lovely comments on George. He has 3 different water bowls including a large bath with steps so he can get in and out as he pleases. I do give him a bath every other day but he seems to hate them and just sits still the whole while. He is doing great at the mo, if food isn't out in the morning he is pacing up and down at the front of his tank. Makes me smile.

I spray the substrate daily to keep it moist but I have been advised that he doesn't need high humidity as he is in a table top tank and doesn't I'm unable to regulate his humidity but he does have various hides in his tank to burrow in when he wants a time out.