New horsefield parent :-)

[Angie williams]

Hi everyone! I'm a brand new horsefield parent. I got him/her yesterday. I've named him Tardis because he's bigger on the inside! Lol!

He's really tiny and so very cute. He doesn't do much though... Just eats and sleeps... I'm hoping that's normal(?)

I'm worried he's going to get bored all day. Does anyone have any suggestions of stuff that can go on his table with him? Accessories or things for him to climb on or anything?

I'm in Cheshire

Thanks
Angie

 

[Tom]

Hello Angie and welcome to the forum. From the pic in your avatar, it looks like you got the typical bad pet store advice.

Check these out for help:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the forum, Angie!!

Make your enclosure as big as possible. Then add some plants, either real or fake, staggered all over the habitat. Put in a few big rocks (boulders to him). All these sight barriers make it so he can't see from one end of his habitat to the other and if he wants to know what's going on in there he has to walk around them to see. I like the natural look, but lots of folks use figurines and stuff like that to make sight barriers.

 

[Angie williams]

Thank you! This might be a stupid question but do they chew stuff? If I put ornaments in with him will he try and eat them?

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

They may.
Some torts try to eat everything they meet that smells remotely edible.
Usually, they'll learn when it's not.
Obviously, make sure the ornaments are not poisonous and if possible not breakable by tortoise beaks.
A bit of failed chewing will help to trim the beak and is fine.
A good, ample diet also reduces the amount of object biting.