hi can anyone help have a baby herman,she wont eat and she looking really weak any ideas of what i could do,

Hi, can you give us some more information, how old is she, where did you get her from (eg petshop, internet, breeder?), how are you keeping her in a viv or tabletop, what lighting are food are you giving her? Does she have a runny nose/bubbles?

Sorry for all the questions, let us know asap

Regards Vivienne

she is about 9 monthes old,bought from pet shop,she has not eaten,i put her in warm water and she really perked up,but today seems really lifeless,she is kept in a viv,,,would she have gone into hibernation?

Hi Darren,

Vivs are NOT good for tortoises despite what a petshop might tell you, they are only interested in your money im afraid! You need to get your tortoise out of the viv ASAP, if you havent got a table top enclosure (an empty draw from a chest of draws will do) then take the glass out the viv so the air can circulate. In a vivarium a tortoise has no air and the hotter it is the more sluggish they will become where they try to escape the intense heat, this is why she is quiet! Sorry to be harsh but you need to read our section "The Tortoise" in the lefthand column, click on that and you will find our caresheets section and also enclosures, this covers all you need to know but if you need any further assistance then please contact us again. Can i also ask what heating/lighting you are using?

Ali

Hi Darren

Here are some ideas for set-ups:-

http://www.tortoise-protection-group.org.uk/site/58.asp

It may well be your tortoise is actually over-heating. As already explained vivariums offer little ventillation and so offer an almost on temperature throughout the whole of the vivrium. Unlike us and other mammals, who maintain our body temperature physiologically, reptiles must be permitted to manage their body temperatures themselves to meet their needs at a given time by seeking warmer or cooler areas of the environment. Tortoises need a range of temperatures to be able to maintain their immunity, metabolism and activity. It's a miconception that tortoises need to be kept warm at all times. They are cold blooded and so need to seek cooler areas to cool down. May I ask what the temperatures are in your viv please? This will help understand what is going wrong.

Here is a link to Hermanns Care Sheets:-

http://www.tortoise-protection-group.org.uk/site/88.asp

Please do get back to us

HTH

Regards
Darren

hi my name is jean I have  kept hermans for some time and if i was you I would get the baby to a reptile vet asap . you must keep bathing she/ he to keep the fluids going or it will dehydrate and then there could a poorley tortoise. good luck