It is very nerve wracking but the suggestion of watching the tortoise and leaving it on the substrate is a good one. Be sure to use caution. I don't think it would be a stretch to say that most tortoises will do this in a similar situation.

This recently happened to me and some Greek tortoises.



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>> Hatchling redfoots of any kind that have been kept on artificial substrates (like paper towels and newsprint) their whole life will begin to pick at and eat an organic substrate the minute they are introduced to it.
>>This happened to me many times in the past when mine went from paper towels inside the house to cypress mulch or grass outside. They would start eating the dirt, the mulch, grass and pretty much anything that 'smelled' good. They stop after about a day when they get used to the new environment. Since then, I have made the habit of getting them onto natural materials as soon as I can. I don't know why they do this but I would think that they are just overwhelmed by the new smells.
>> In a similar way I have found that my mud turtles will immediately start to ingest new gravel or sand that is put in their aquarium. Talk about nerve wracking! This is part of the reason that I use small, smooth gravels or non-abrasive sand for my turtle aquariums.
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

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