new tortoise family member ☺

[priscilla gray]

Hiii..i got my first herman tortoise today..any tips on how to make him as happy as possible??? ☺☺

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

welcome to the forum! this is the most up to date care sheet in the world. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sticky-hermanns-tortoise-care-sheet-updated.101410/

 

[priscilla gray]

Does my enclosure look ok.. anything i should add?? Its set up pretty much same as the shop

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

Does my enclosure look ok.. anything i should add?? Its set up pretty much same as the shop

the enclosure is to small. the tort needs to be able to put his entire body in the water dish, plant saucers work well. are you using a uvb light? what are you feeding him?

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Does my enclosure look ok.. anything i should add?? Its set up pretty much same as the shop

Hello Priscilla welcome to the TFO from AZ. Pet shoppes are there to make money ( not for the love of torts ) rabbit pellets are for rabbits not Torts . But don't worry you'll see this after reading the care sheets . But Hermanns are a Great choice ! I have 7 of them .

 

[priscilla gray]

Im getting a bigger water dish tomorrow as i noticed he kept trying to get in it today! I was told to give him celery tomatoes cucumber peppers..things like that.and yes a UV light and his basking light

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

Im getting a bigger water dish tomorrow as i noticed he kept trying to get in it today! I was told to give him celery tomatoes cucumber peppers..things like that.and yes a UV light and his basking light

all of those foods should be only fed as treats like a couple times a year. he should be fed broad leafed plants and nontoxic weeds. can you get weeds from your yard?

 

[crimson_lotus]

Like Grandpa Turtle said, the rabbit pellets are bad because they mold easily, and for your little guy you will need a bit of humidity as the care sheet suggests as he's still growing, and the humidity helps with smooth growth. You could replace it with coco coir, cypress mulch, orchid bark, or plain old soil. Any of these would be 100x better than those pellets.

Those foods you are feeding are mostly water, which is going to cause some runny stool, and they really shouldn't be fed often if at all. Russian/Sulcata/Tortoise is right on the mark on what you should be feeding him.

You should soak your tortoise as well (daily if he's still a baby, less frequently if he's not, maybe 2-3 times a week) to keep him hydrated. Dehydration is an issue for captive tortoises.

And one last thing because I had myself had no idea I had to do this when I got my tortoise: you will need to change the UV lighting every 6 months or so as the UVB output decays over time.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hi Priscilla and welcome to you and you tortoise. Read the care sheets and listen to the wise words of the likes of Russian/sulcata/tortoise and crimson_lotus.
I know it all seems a bit daunting at first and you get bed advice from pet shops and some vets but the effort will be worth it for the joy you will get from a healthy, happy tortoise and the pride you will feel as it prospers under your care.
It looks like a lovely tortoise. Good luck.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Im getting a bigger water dish tomorrow as i noticed he kept trying to get in it today! I was told to give him celery tomatoes cucumber peppers..things like that.and yes a UV light and his basking light

here's some great food ideas for your tort .

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Yum! Doesn't it make your mouth water?
But seriously, your tortoise will love most of these, but they can be individually choosy or fussy, so you may find they won't eat one or two of the items and you will soon find what his favourites are.
Tidgy won't eat red rose petals, but she will eat pink or white ones, she doesn't like cucumber skin but she loves prickly pear, dandelion flowers and tomato when she's allowed it, which is seldom.
She is also very attracted to the smell of Marmite, though I've never given her any, probably a bad idea, so don't try it!

 

[TortsNTurtles]

Welcome!

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hi Priscilla.
How are you, your tortoise and husband getting along?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

See, this is why Russian/Sulcata/Tortoise mentioned the care sheet to you. Your vivarium is all wrong for that tortoise. You need to read the care sheet and it will tell you the size habitat, the substrate to use, all the information you need. If you keep your new tortoise in that small viv, with that dry substrate, you will end up with a sick and unhappy tortoise.

 

[Anyfoot]

Does my enclosure look ok.. anything i should add?? Its set up pretty much same as the shop

View attachment 122202

Hi and welcome.

 

[Gillian M]

A very cute little tort. GOD bless. And a warm welcome to the forum.

 

[Lyn W]

Hi Priscilla and little tort. As a fellow new tortoise keeper I can say without doubt that you have come to a great place for advice. Don't feel downhearted if what you hear isn't what you were hoping for but please listen and learn from these very wise and experienced keepers - they really know what they are talking about and only have the health and well being of the tortoises at heart unlike many pet shop owners who just want to make money. I wish you much happiness with your new addition.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hi and welcome.

Happy birthday for today.
It's my wedding anniversary today.
Have fun.
Crime in multi-storey car parks?
That's wrong on so many different levels.

 

[Anyfoot]

Happy birthday for today.
It's my wedding anniversary today.
Have fun.
Crime in multi-storey car parks?
That's wrong on so many different levels.

Ha ha, that's a good one. thank you Happy anniversary. You have fun too