Hi, I have a med spur theigh tort who is about 8 years old! I really struggle with his diet and weight, he is a really fussy eater. i have had him living out this year and he has gained around 100g. His current weight is 750g and he is 15cm long. I have never hibernated him due to low weight. His diet is mainly Tortoise friendly salad and all the plants in his enclosure are tortoise friendly. I am after some advice as to whether he is yet again too light to hibernate and how to feed him up!! Many thanks Rachel
Hello Rachel, Hopefully he's been living outside in other summers. An increase in wt. of 100g is v. good. If you have kept monthly wt records, then you can refer back to check his progress. If you only hibernate it for 8 weeks, it is far better than nothing. What is "tortoise friendly salad" please? Hope to hear from you. Regards Tom
Hi Tom thanks for replying, This is the first summer he has lived out full time! Up until this year he hasn't had a 100% safe garden. but he has always had access to the garden. I buy Floret chrispy salad that has Frisee, lambs lettuce and Ridicchio in it. I offer other food but he never touches them unless it's along the lines of green beans.
Thanks for the info Rachel, Given the contents of the "tortoise salad," I now see why he is a fussy eater. There is only one way to wean him off the salad leaves - just stop offering them. Have a look on the "tlady.clara.net" site for a list of suitable plants. He will eat when he's really hungry. Beans are high in protein & best avoided. I assume he has been checked for worms. On a varied & more suitable diet, he will thrive. Regards Tom
all the plants in his enclosure are suitable for him to eat and i have planted a weed patch in there too! I am also still adding plants as when I can. So you think I should just stop with the salad leaves and leave him to learn to enjoy what he has available. He has not had any beans for a long time now.
I have never had him checked for worms!! I did take him to see the vet last year for a wormer and some hibernating advice, but was told he should be fine with a wormer and to keep him awake and build him up over the winter.
So do you think i should pop him back to the vets for a wormer??
Also what would your advice be regarding hibernating this year
Thanks for the info & photo Rachel, He has a well planted outdoor enclosure, so yes, withdraw the salad leaves. That mixture is far better than lettuce, but it's still like sweets to an adult tort.. Offer plenty of dandelion, as it contains an ideal ratio of calcium to phosphorus. I asked about a worm check, as you mentioned a low weight. A faecal check at least once a year is preferable to an unnecessary treatment. I have been hibernating torts,using a semi-natural method, for over 40 years. I have never used the "Jackson's Ratio" preferring to use monthly weight records, so that each tort can be compared to it's own weight, in a given month or year(s). Since 99.9% of Hermann's torts in the UK are T.H.boettgeri, which come in all shapes & sizes, because of the massive amount of genetic variability, the J. Ratio should only be used as a guide. Using the ratio for the 1st time, using your wt = 750g & lth =15cm your 'boy' does very well at .2222. (I'm assuming your length is SLC - Straight Line Carapace.) So he could have a 5 month hibernation, being left outside 'til mid-October to steadily 'empty out.' But as it's your first time, perhaps go for 3 months Regards Tom
I have horses and do worm counts for them so why would I not do Boo!!
Looking into who to use now.
I was going to start to bring boo in at night but do you think he will be ok out for a while longer. He is waking later and going to bed earlier but during the day he is very busy stomping around his enclosure and our garden. He has a lovely hut that he sleeps in with a bed of hay. Should I change this bed of hay and dig him a pit filled with top soil and play sand so he can dig down?? As this looks like it will be his first hibernation I will probably only do 3 months as I am rather nervous about doing it. Do you fridge hibernate or box placed some where cool? Many thanks Rachel
A pleasure Rachel, He will be fine left outside with a night shelter. Soft straw is better than hay - pollen grains can irritate the nares, Best not to encourage him to dig down, if you go for 3 months hibe.. You can use the fridge method, or a cold room. Read up carefully the TPG info & download the Tortoise Trust free booklet on hibernation & cross reference, to put your mind at rest. Regards Tom
I now have his worm count results and they are all clear!! I have stopped all salad leaves and I have been picking fresh dandelion leave everyday but Boo has lost around 40g in the last week. Should I just carry on with picking dandelion leaves and wait for him to get hungry enough to start to graze off the plants and weeds in his enclosure?? I have also started to bring him indoors at night as he's not been putting himself to bed. Would I be better off popping him into his shelter than bringing him indoors?? Sorry for more questions Many thanks Rachel
I now have his worm count results and they are all clear!! I have stopped all salad leaves and I have been picking fresh dandelion leave everyday but Boo has lost around 40g in the last week. Should I just carry on with picking dandelion leaves and wait for him to get hungry enough to start to graze off the plants and weeds in his enclosure?? I have also started to bring him indoors at night as he's not been putting himself to bed. Would I be better off popping him into his shelter than bringing him indoors?? Sorry for more questions Many thanks Rachel
Into a cool place at night is ok. A night shelter needs a wooden floor, Autumn is here & the ground temp. is low. A wooden house, with a polycarbonate sloping roof, is ideal for in poor weather, as well as at night. A winter project. 40g is a lot to lose in a week, it will stabilise & some weight loss b4 hibe. is normal. You will need to mix in some salad after hibe. to get him going, when warm weather comes along, wean him off . Regards Tom
Ahh ok thanks Tom, Boo's house doesn't have a floor!! And has a wooden roof that is covered in shed felt. I have made him a little conservatory to go and sit in! I did reweigh him again tonight and he had gained 15g so not as bad as I first thought. I think I might need to pick more dandelion cos he polished off all that I gave him today. Hopefully next year his enclosure will be that bit more established and much more encouraging for him. For the time being I will carry on bring him in at night as I am happier knowing that he's not too cold Once again many thanks for your help and advice
