You're in > TPG Members Forum > Tortoise Care, Health/Problems > Herman hatchling hasn't pooed since I got him

Herman hatchling hasn't pooed since I got him
Posted: 09/01/2017 by NaomiTank

I am a new tortoise owner. I have had my Hermann tortoise for 4 days now but he still hasn't pooed, should I be worried? He is in an open tortoise table with a combined light and uv lamp. It is a Arcadia d3 bulb. Directly under the lamp measures at around 33 degrees and in the cool end it is between 20 and 25 degrees. The lamp is on from 7:30am to 7:30pm every day and my room stays at around 20 degrees over night. His bed is made up of top soil and he has access to water in a dish 24/7 as well as two dark hides and spider plants for shade which he loves. He is roughly 6 months old. I got him from a local breeder and he came with the certificate and all details he should have come with. He is between 40 and 45g and around 6.2cm long. His shell is very smooth with no lumps. He eats everything I give him which is usually 4-5 leafs a day. Normally dandelion, sow thistle or any other weeds I can find. He always has a mixture of different things daily. I sprinkle calcium powder on them every day and nurtobal once a week. I am worried as he has not pooed yet although he does wee every 2 days atleast so far. I bath him for around 15-20mins a day in a Luke warm bath but he rarely goes in his water bowl. He sleeps for 70% of the day in his dark cave even with his light on outside and buries himself. He also sleeps all night (from when ever I get him out the bath, anytime between 4pm and 7pm til 7:30am when I feed him) but I always have to wake him up to bath him. The only time I have seen him be active is when I took him to meet my aunties tortoise who runs around loads and my tortoise followed. There both from the same breeder and only a few month age gap, also both Hermann tortoises. Sorry I'm a newby to all of this and any advice given will be appreciated! Thanks in advance. 

Re: Herman hatchling hasn't pooed since I got him
Posted: 10/01/2017 by tomtortoise@tovevalley.net

Hello,

They use their food efficiently, thus a 4 or 5 day gap is not unusual.
Your ambient temp. at night is high, as is the temp at the cool end - I'd lift the light a bit. Can you put it somewhere cooler at night ?
If they are 'molly coddled' they take a long time to acclimatise outside in Summer.

Why haven't you asked the breeder these questions ? What is the Country of Origin [Box 10 on Certificate] ?

I'd not mix it with the other tort..

Tom

 

web designer: www.beework.net