I've had Euclid (a Hermann's tortoise, aged a few months) for about a week now. She's currently in a 20 gallon glass tank. When she needs a new one, I'll be upgrading to a wooden one. Until then, I've taped paper around the walls so she can't see out. I also keep a close eye on the temperature and keep the lid off so she can get air circulation.
I take her outside (with close supervision) when it's warm enough and I've noticed she tends to be more active outside than in her tank. Is this because she's gotten bored of her tank? Is it too small for her? Earlier in the week, I put some rocks in her tank. For awhile, she would walk around and climb on the rocks, but lately she's not walking around as much.
Another question: When I got her, I was told that daily soaks would keep her from being dehydrated and I didn't need to do anything like misting her enclosure. Later, I read online that some enclosures need misting but glass tanks tend to stay more humid so they don't need misting. On this forum, I've read that it's good to mist or have a humid hide spot, but I don't know what sort of enclosure that is for. Should I be misting her tank/putting a wet sponge in her hide spot?
A couple of notes: I know it's too early to determine her gender, I just decided to conceptualize her as female until I can know for sure. After reading a lot of the posts in this forum, I know it would've been easier to get an older tortoise, but I didn't know that when I bought her. I'm taking care of her as best I can and I'm really hoping she'll grow up healthy. This forum has already helped me learn a lot!
I take her outside (with close supervision) when it's warm enough and I've noticed she tends to be more active outside than in her tank. Is this because she's gotten bored of her tank? Is it too small for her? Earlier in the week, I put some rocks in her tank. For awhile, she would walk around and climb on the rocks, but lately she's not walking around as much.
Another question: When I got her, I was told that daily soaks would keep her from being dehydrated and I didn't need to do anything like misting her enclosure. Later, I read online that some enclosures need misting but glass tanks tend to stay more humid so they don't need misting. On this forum, I've read that it's good to mist or have a humid hide spot, but I don't know what sort of enclosure that is for. Should I be misting her tank/putting a wet sponge in her hide spot?
A couple of notes: I know it's too early to determine her gender, I just decided to conceptualize her as female until I can know for sure. After reading a lot of the posts in this forum, I know it would've been easier to get an older tortoise, but I didn't know that when I bought her. I'm taking care of her as best I can and I'm really hoping she'll grow up healthy. This forum has already helped me learn a lot!