The Tortoise Table

We’ve just this week got out tortoise Terrence. He was hatched September 2019 so he’s about a year old but he’s our first tortoise so I just have a few questions about them:
Handling - the breeder we got him from would pick them up a decent amount so he’s very used to being handled. We’ve picked him up several times and he’s perfectly fine and stays out of his shell. He likes climbing up us and just sits on our shoulders. I’ve seen that they shouldn’t be handled much but that’s when he seems at his happiest to me so what are the rules on that?
Morning routine - we are giving him a 20 minute bath everyday as he’s been travelling with us. We went on holiday to Devon where the breeder was so he had a two hour journey to get back to our holiday home and has a four hour journey later in the week so we were told baths would destress him hence doing it everyday. We move him under the heat lamp where he goes into his hide for a little more napping... then after about an hour we give him his bath and his food but he’s not really eating at the moment (think he’s still settling). We’re going to get him dandelion and plantain today as that’s what he’s been fed all his life so we think that might motivate him to eat. But does this routine seem okay?
Behaviour - when we see him he seems to bob his head a fair amount. I read somewhere it’s a territorial thing but somewhere else it’s him being excited so just thought I’d check what it actually is?
Sorry for the long post. I’ve attached a picture of his set up. He’s been on hemp bedding with the breeder and that’s what was supplied to us so we figured that would be okay until we got back off holiday and the could change it. We’ve also bought him a climbing thing just so he has another layer to chill out on.

Sorry I thought of another question. Obviously he’s on his own so we don’t want him to get bored. What can we do with him in the future to make sure he’s happy and entertained?

Hi Niamh, and thanks for posting here.

First of all, congratulations on getting a nice big tortoise table for Terrence -- it's a good size and should last him for quite some time -- and he will love the climbing thing! You've laid it out really nicely too, and there are just a few things that I would change.

Definitely get rid of the hemp. It's not super urgent, but sharp bits of hemp have caused eye injuries and if ingested can also cause some internal damage (it's not likely but can happen). if you substitute a soil and sand mixture (50/50 ordinary sterilised topsoil and children's play sand -- or a slightly higher percentage of soil to sand), and spray it lightly every couple of days, it will be perfect, and he will love to bury himself in it.

The other thing i would mention is the thermometer. A thermometer mounted on a nearby wall will not give an accurate reading, as what you want is the temperature directly under the lamp at the height of the Terrence's shell. The best type is something like this (a digital fridge/freezer thermometer with a display unit and then a probe on the end of a long cord). It's also good to get one with a Max/Min facility so that you can see how hot or cold it got since you last re-set the function: https://caterspeed.co.uk/product/hygipl ... gKI5PD_BwE You then hang the probe down into the table so that it is at the height of Terrence's shell and as close to the circle of light as possible. Tortoises are entirely dependent on the outside temperature to produce their body heat (unlike mammals who use food to produce theirs), so it's really important for their activity and for their digestive processes too (I think they need a temperature of around 26C just to digest their food). You are aiming for 30C directly under the lamp and 20C at the cool end.

As I think I mentioned to you in an email, I personally don't have any problem with handling Terrence a fair amount, although some people would have a different opinion. Hopefully more people will come on with ideas.

I think your bath and feeding routine are perfect. If you want to widen his diet (and it is best to feed as wide a variety of plants as possible), then here is a link to our article in introducing a healthier diet: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... 1Cz-IvTW9s Basically I would cut up the stuff he likes into teeny tiny pieces, wet them thoroughly and then add a few teeny tiny pieces from other plants (so that they all stick together a bit and when he goes for a piece of dandelion leaf he will also get some of the new food).

Bobbing his head can be a territorial thing (and males do this more than females), but if he is also seeming to pump his legs a bit at the same time then this is just a normal part of breathing (tortoises don't have a diaphragm like we do and need to pump the air in and out of their lungs by moving their limbs in and out a bit).

Nina

Thank you I’ve just bought that thermometer and we can use that when we get back home. We have today and tomorrow left in Devon then back home Saturday so I’m presuming that thermometer should be okay for that time? We were going to change the hemp as soon as we got back but wasn’t sure what to change to so thank you we’re also going out shortly to go dandelion hunting so will definitely try mixing it in with his other food. That’s good to know, most of the time it is with his legs as well.

Sounds like you've got it sorted! No problems with the thermometer, and I think he will be very happy with the playsand/topsoil mixture. As I said, most use it 50/50, but mine seem to like it more like 60/40 or 70/30 (more soil than sand) and you either spray it lightly every day or so, or you can just pour some water on it and mix it up really well every three or four days -- but the result should not be at all wet -- just the teeny tiniest bit damp, so the mixture will clump up a bit if you squeeze it with your fist.

Hope the rest of your holiday goes well and that you have a good trip back.

Nina