hi

i brought a tortoise today along with a rather expensive vivarium,

i have been reading a few comment as to how to look after him after the tempreture kept rising, i have opened the glass doors so there is a gap at each end, i have also turned the uv light off and the heat lamp.

i have also read that the heat matt isnt needed??? is this true??? but my heat matt is pluggrd into a thermostatt which is supposed to controll the heat, should i take the heat matt out and plug in the basking lamp instead???the lady at the reptile house said that the heat lamp will dim if it gets too hot but i cant see how that will work if its just plugged into the mains and not the thermostat.

sinse i have brought him home he has just stayed in his 'cave' and trying to bury himself? please help!!

The hiding away is quite normal but the setup you have been sold is not much use to a tortoise and so you should go back to the shop for a refund as they have willingly sold you somthing that is not suitable for the species. You don't say what species it is - this is important to help you with correct setup but most setups should be open topped and never enclosed and never kept at stable temperatures as this is dangerous to tortoises. They NEED to be able to choose their own temperatures having a hot spot in the day and a cooler end to retire to, also a considerable drop at night. Unless the enclosure is at least 4ft long, it will be impossible to get a temperature gradient. Heat mats can kill due to dehydration and must NOT be used as all heat must come from above, not below or from the side.

Your tortoise will learn how to open the doors if you have a gap and may fall out. You really need a different habitat.

If it is a horsfield tortoise, then it will never settle in a vivarium as they are burrowers and need to be able to dig a tunnel to live in properly.

Your best bet is to ask for a refund - feel free to point the seller in this direction.

Hope this helps

Sue

www.tortsmad.com

i have a marginated tortoise,

they told me that tortoise tables are no good in the winter thats why a viv was better

They will say anything to make a sale unfortunately. Some garden centres, reptile shops etc have now started selling open topped accomodation after pressure from  tortoise breeders and pet shop magazine articles, stating why it works better than a viv. I have some yearling marginated here right now on a table top in my unheated conservatory (apart from their lamps) and they are just fine. They are for sale at the moment, but there is no way I would let them go to a vivarium accomodation as there will be sure to be problems very soon and I value the lives of these babies far too much. How old is the one you have bought?