- Joined
- May 21, 2012
- Messages
- 5
Hello,
We just purchased a leopard tortoise a week ago and he's not eating as of yet. The pet store we bought him from had him on a diet solely of lettuce which from what we read is not a good diet for him. So we picked him up some Zoo Med grassland tortoise food and some kind of tortoise bites food. I can't the exact one we have right this second but it's yellowish cubes
Grassland Food
and mixed that jungle mix potting soil like substrate in with his bedding so he can burrow. We put more of it underneath his hide. We did some research and built him a large box outside to run around in that he spends a couple of hours a day in (has a hide box in it as well. as well with lots of grass and clover in it. He has a basking spot at 92 degrees and the rest of the enclosure is at 80 degrees.
When we first got him we noticed he was sneezing some and had a bit of a runny nose "guessing runny nose syndrome" that we read is common in them but it has since cleared up once he started being able to go outside.
However it seems to me that he should be a pretty happy guy but he just won't eat. I realize it sometimes takes animals a while to adjust enough to feel comfortable enough to do so but I'm pretty concerned about that. I don't want him to not eat and get sick or anything. I've tried offering him lettuce as well and he's not touching it. He did eat a very small amount of clover while he was outside one day. About 2 bites and was done and back to exploring. He's still pretty active so that helps not to worry quite as much. Is there anything I can offer him to keep his health up till I can find the right food that he will eat?
He's just a little guy in a 30 gallon tank at the moment which seems to have plenty of room for him till I can get him a custom tank built.
I usually deal with reptiles such as bearded dragons so tortoises are a bit new to me. Which overall they don't seem way drastically different I just want to make sure my tortoise has a good healthy long life.
Thank you
We just purchased a leopard tortoise a week ago and he's not eating as of yet. The pet store we bought him from had him on a diet solely of lettuce which from what we read is not a good diet for him. So we picked him up some Zoo Med grassland tortoise food and some kind of tortoise bites food. I can't the exact one we have right this second but it's yellowish cubes
Grassland Food
and mixed that jungle mix potting soil like substrate in with his bedding so he can burrow. We put more of it underneath his hide. We did some research and built him a large box outside to run around in that he spends a couple of hours a day in (has a hide box in it as well. as well with lots of grass and clover in it. He has a basking spot at 92 degrees and the rest of the enclosure is at 80 degrees.
When we first got him we noticed he was sneezing some and had a bit of a runny nose "guessing runny nose syndrome" that we read is common in them but it has since cleared up once he started being able to go outside.
However it seems to me that he should be a pretty happy guy but he just won't eat. I realize it sometimes takes animals a while to adjust enough to feel comfortable enough to do so but I'm pretty concerned about that. I don't want him to not eat and get sick or anything. I've tried offering him lettuce as well and he's not touching it. He did eat a very small amount of clover while he was outside one day. About 2 bites and was done and back to exploring. He's still pretty active so that helps not to worry quite as much. Is there anything I can offer him to keep his health up till I can find the right food that he will eat?
He's just a little guy in a 30 gallon tank at the moment which seems to have plenty of room for him till I can get him a custom tank built.
I usually deal with reptiles such as bearded dragons so tortoises are a bit new to me. Which overall they don't seem way drastically different I just want to make sure my tortoise has a good healthy long life.
Thank you