Hi guys

Sorry to be here again so soon, but i have just read on another Tort site that i should not give Mr Brown ( my Hermans tort), lettice, tomatoes or cucumber, only wild weeds, is this correct, my chap has a little cucumber nearly every day, am i hurting him...

Ive also read a lot about bathing them, but my chap lasts about 5 seconds before he is scrambling to get out of his water, and he dosn't appear to drink anything, any advise is welcome.

Am i getting information overload..... i'm reading everything i can but seem to be getting more confused , even about the basics, such as will he be ok in the garden after it's been raining, ( he's never left alone ) or will the damp make him ill.

Thanks again every one

Debi

Hi Debi

Lettuce, cucmber and tomatoes are not harmful to your tortoise, but should not be relied on as a staple diet as they just dont contain enough nutrients and fibre to keep him healthy.  As a treat, cucumber is fine, and is actually very useful as it has a high water content, and is a good way of making sure they are getting fluids. As it has a stronger smell, it is also good for getting any medication into them too! If you want to feed a bit of lettuce, again a small amount will not do any harm, as long as the bulk of his diet is weeds and wild flowers.  If you are going to give lettuce, try to stick to the cos or romaine lettuce rather than iceberg etc, as these are better for him.  So dont worry, you are not hurting him, just feed in small amounts as a treat.  Some people do worry about tomatoes as there is a risk the seeds could get lodged in the roof of the mouth, so if you want to give a little tomatoe, maybe remove the seeds first.

When you bath your tortoise, try using a container which has higher sides, he may not try to climb out if he cant see the top.  I leave my tortoises in the water for about 10 mins, and they quite often start off scrabbling, but then settle down and have a good drink.  It is important, especially for younger tortoises, and especially when they are indoors under the lights that they are bathed regulalry and have free access to clean water at all times to prevent dehydration.

My hermanns seem to like the rain, and often come out of their shelter in a downpour to drink from the puddles!  Just make sure he always has somewhere dry and warmer to retreat to if he wants.

I hope this helps, if you need any more advice or information, please ask :)

Arlene

Thanks for the info, will try a different water dish, and it's good to know i'm not poisening the little chap.

Cheers

On the bathing question, my Hermanns never drink their bathwater but they can take water in at the 'rear end' to top up their reserves so bathing helps with hydration even when they don't drink it.

On the food question, there is so much to be said for dandellions.  They are good fibre, contain calcium and all parts of the plant can be eaten.  Tortoises do need  variety of course but the humble dandellion is free, grows everywhere and can flower all year round. 

Sorry I wanted to comment on the rain question as well.  Like Arlene I find mine sometimes choose to go out in the rain and its not harmful in itslef.  But cold and wet at the same time are not good for Hermanns, although they might tolerate it up to a point.  I don't let mine stay out overnight if its wet even if they might seem to be chooisng to.