New tortoise general question

[Kathleen]

How alarmed she I be if I received my tortoise from TortoiseSupply.com on Friday and it still hasn't eaten. I have given it finely chopped kale, butter lettuce, red lettuce, finely chopped squash and tomatoes and moist ZooMed grassland tortoise food. I throw away and replenish every morning. I had allowed the tortoise to take a 10-15 minute soak in warm water each day. It has moved throughout the table but mostly slept. I keep a range of micro climates from 98 degrees directly under the mercury vapor uv bulb to 70 degrees in the depth of its hide box. Tyler at TortoiseSupply just said to wait it out and the tortoise will adjust. Moms can't just sit by and wait! Is there anything I can do?

 

[antoniocormier]

He might just be a little shy. Try various food options, most breeders feed their tortoises a Mazuri diet so try that and try everything listed that they can eat. If he's still having problems, consult a vet or Tyler

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

I know it's stressful but just keep offering food and your tort will eat. Also, check your temps to make sure your tortoise is warm enough. Tyler is a well respected member here and would not steer you wrong

 

[Kathleen]

Thanks. I think it's eyes look a bit sunken. I hope that doesn't mean dehydration. Does it skin on its legs look a little dehydrated? I know tortoises by nature have very wrinkled skin but does this look unusual to anyone?

View attachment 39873

 

[wellington]

I agree with CtTortoiseMom. It takes time for them to adjust. Sometimes a couple weeks.. It's more important you keep him hydrated, so keep soaking every day. They can go quite a while without eating. Keep offering food, do smaller amounts, just so your not waisting a lot of it and when he does start to eat, you can always add more. Also, try soaking him, put him in front of the food right after the soak and walk away. If you are hovering at all, sometimes they won't eat in front of you, until they are more comfortable. Also, try adding some plants to his enclosure to help him feel more sheltered and secure. Good luck.

 

[kanalomele]

Yes to all of the above advice! And... welcome to tfo

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I agree with CtTortoiseMom. It takes time for them to adjust. Sometimes a couple weeks.. It's more important you keep him hydrated, so keep soaking every day. They can go quite a while without eating. Keep offering food, do smaller amounts, just so your not waisting a lot of it and when he does start to eat, you can always add more. Also, try soaking him, put him in front of the food right after the soak and walk away. If you are hovering at all, sometimes they won't eat in front of you, until they are more comfortable. Also, try adding some plants to his enclosure to help him feel more sheltered and secure. Good luck.

yes, all of this!

 

[Kathleen]

My new tortoise ate for the first time today! Grazed through the food dish like a tractor plowing a field!

 

[WillTort2]

Way to go...patience pays off...what kind of tort do you have?

 

[bigred]

Thats good that he ate, sometimes they take a bit to adjust. He will probably start eating everything in sight now. Red food such as strawberries are always good to get a tort to start eating or live food such as a small earth worm

 

[Frog Tropics]

When our baby tortoises arrived, they didn't want to eat either. For them, putting them in a very shallow warm bath (and watching them constantly, since yours are very small) was very helpful in stimulating them to drink, which will help if they are dehydrated. Also, once they started drinking, they seemed to feel better and were eating sooner. You might also try a tiny bit of fruit, because they really like it and tasting a little bit of food might also stimulate their appetite. Good luck!