Horsfield advice
 

Hi all.

I am very new to tortoise keeping and have recently purchased a small horsfield for my wife. When we went to have a look at him in the shop he was bombing around the Vivarium he was in and eating like a hors...field should.

I followed the advice of the shop and set up a sort of tortoise table with correct uv and heat light. I have also set up with 'tortoise life' substrate and made him a nice deep end to burrow in.

The only thing is, since I got him home around 2 weeks ago, he only seems to want to stay under his rock in a burrow he has made and sleep. He eats very little, if at all. I have tried him with everything I can imagine from weeds and grass to carrot and broccoli but I just can't get him to eat.

I bath him most days for around 10 - 20 minutes which he seems to enjoy and the return him to his rock under the light to dry off but he stays for a while then goes back to his burrow.

The temperature is around 30-32 on his rock down to around 20-22 at the cool end (Where he very rarely goes) depending on ambient temperature.

I will attach some photo's of my setup. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Daz

Hi all.

I feel I may have a problem with my setup. I made a deep and shallow end in the substrate of my tortoise table and put a flat rock in the deep end under the basking light for him to warm up on. He has burrowed under the rock and this is where he spends most of his time asleep. I have measured the temperature under the rock and it's around 32.5 degrees. The light had been on for about 6-8 hours when I took the temperature so the rock had had plenty of time to get warm. Is that too warm for a hiding place and should i move his basking light to the shallow end of the substrate?

Thanks

OMG you swapped a tortoise for your wife !!
Welcome Daz. Its not unusual for them to be shy for a few weeks and a little timid. It is amazing where you think they don't move round but actually have and then gone back under a rock. Personally I think temps are a little high. They are a ruft tufty species and I find don't seem to like the heat as much as other species, combined with the fact they are burrowers also can make them burrow more. Try 26 - 30 , and mist daily. I would consider a more natural substrate like top soil with no additives and try lots of stones, different textures. He will still burrow as it is their nature and I rarely see my two little ones if I don't tug them out for food.
And try and get your wife back in time for Strictly - , CB

The fact she watches strictly was one of the main reasons for the swap!! ��

I will try lowering the temperature and get some topsoil.

Thanks for the advice

Welcome Daz I was trying to work out how you swapped a tort for your wife! I was a bit slow CB....

It took me a long time to work out how torts need time to settle. I would take them outside to all sorts for nice spots in the garden and they would hide, it was only when I took them only out to their outdoor pen the penny dropped.

Having two I find the male likes any temperature and loves the heat, the female likes it just right - not too hot and not too cool. They are outside now though so have been able to observe this.

Evening all!!

Just a quick update.

I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to get my head round what I can do to get the little chap to feed. We have been bathing him regularly and he seems to wake up a bit but still not eat.

I have been back to the shop I got him from and had a look at the way others were kept. They were in a Vivarium with an air temperature of around 32 degrees and were happily roaming around and very active. When I got home I checked the air temp in his table and it was around 20 degrees so I have covered three sides and the top of his table but left the front open for good air flow and it's been a revelation!!! The air temp has gone up by about 4-6 degrees and he's out and about and feeding very well. He loves strawberry and banana (which i will feed very sparingly) dandelion and peppers.

I hope he continues with his new found vigour. He's such a character.

Great. The best thing is to watch them carefully and you learn so much.

Keep in mind, just because of the time of year he may slow down as it is their wind down ready for hibernation. One of mine, in spite of lamps and temps in the early days always slowed down for a few weeks, as I over wintered them for the first few years.

come on Daz - we all need an update ! and photographs ! CB