Baby Hermanns Tortoise

[fishing for info]

I hope this picture comes up but it is of my tiny baby Hermanns tortoise. I was just wondering, it's quite rushed in the mornings but i always turn his light on and unbury him from the wood chippings so he can warm up and so I know he will wake up and eat some of the food I've put out for him. Is this the wrong thing to do? Should I leave him asleep or shall i wake him up like i'm doing so his leaves don't wilt before he can eat them?

 

[K3lly]

He is soo cute!!
Sorry I dont have any information for you on waking him up or not... good luck

 

[guppy fan]

Sorry, I can't help ether. He is super cute. I nominate him for PTOM.

 

[fishing for info]

Aww thanks guys! he's blushing! lol

 

[fishing for info]

Hey guys if you would like to nominate him then please do because he's love to see himself on the potm nominations board. I accidentally put him on but i forgot you needed 2 nominations. Anyone know how to delete posts?

 

[GSD]

He is lovely! I have wanted one for ages but dont know anything about keeping them.

I will second that nomination

 

[fishing for info]

Aww thanks GSD! He is fun to look after and handle and also fairly low maintennance. His heat lamp cost me quite a lot but it was easy to set up. He lives very happily in a large cat litter box (only used for him, obviously!) filled with small wood chips and specially designed tortoise food with fresh leaves and vegetables every other day. His shell is about only just bigger than the length and width of a golf ball! They are great fun. Herbie has a real character to him and he even responds to his name because he knows it means feeding time!

 

[sunpirate2u]

I have kept turtles throughout my life, I think that what you are doing is fine.

Every time I get a new one I train them to sit in a certain spot when they are hungry. Pick him up and put him in the same spot every time you feed him. Soon enough he'll catch on and sit there when he is hungry.


~AnDi

 

[fishing for info]

Thanks Andi! It's great to get the advice from an experienced handler. Herbie is my first tortoise and, hopefully, Will last me my life lifetime. I will look out for mealworms. That feeding spot trick sounds fab! I'll start teaching him right away. Oh and one more thing. It must be hard to tell because of their shell but I've always assumed Herbie as a boy but I really don't know. Is there anything else in a tortoise's appearance or behavior to determine this. Thanks!

 

[seffieuk]

Found this, makes interesting reading ]

http/www.hermann-tortoise.co.uk/care%20s...care_sheets.htm

Seffie x

 

[puppyjess123]

Aaah he is beautiful, my nan has a tortoise called Shelly

 

[BecciMac1987]

Ahh no dont feed him worms! Tortoises are dif from Turltles- protein damages their kidneys. They need variety of leaves, not too much lettuce, mainly dandilion leaves and wild plants. Lots of cucumber because it provides the fluid they need. Dont hibernate him till he is about 5, as they lose about 10% of their weight while hibernating he needs to be much much bigger.
Ive got two, Annie and Alfie, they are 16 now and adorable. Ive just got them up, they are having warm baths atm to wake them slowly, and they have started eating so will be going outside soon! Can I reccommend you get them tracked (its like a fingerprint thing of their bellys) as Hermans are a species that need paperwork so are valuable.

 

[sunpirate2u]

yea the feeding spot trick is very helpfull

 

[fishing for info]

aww thanks everyone for being so helpful like this. I will feed Herbie dandelion leaves from the garden regularly especially now it's so sunny. When it's days like this I wont leave him out all day in case it rains and because he's tiny and valuable but do you think i could stay with him for an hour or two i the garden for him to eat and explore. Or do you think he's not old enough. I don't know his exact age but this is the first summer im going to have him and he's got a shell with a length of about 6cm.
pic 1. Herbie eating his freshly picked leaves.
pic 2. Herbie has learnt his feeding spot trick very quickly and does the best hand-shake trick!
pic 3. Herbie caught with a very odd facial expression. I like to think he's laughing whilst munching his tiny cucumber cubes at an amazing speed
pic 4. Herbie against a 2p coin. he really is that tiny!!

 

[puppyjess123]

Wow he is tiny but so so cute!