Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello again ,
I was just wondering how long it usully takes for a tort to adjust to a new home? I dont want to rush them or scare them but they were not in the best shape when I got them yesterday so I pulled them out of their hide this a.m to make sure they were ok I wanted to check their eyes noses etc,,but I think I may have stressed them too much because now they are not eating. I have not seen either eat as of yet but the store owners swear they are pigs, is it normal for a tort to not eat when first arriving ? I have only had a hatchling sulcata prior to these and she was eating out of my hand the first day home. My Home's hingeback(Elephant) took about 2 days before he started to eat so I am assuming the same about the russians (Calvin and Hobbes)I am picking up my hatchling today I am so excited!! I have a vet appt for all of them next week- ew 4 torts imagine that bill! yikes!!hopefully they will all get a clean bill of health

Yes, it takes them awhile to get used to things. Make sure you have the temps right - cool side of 80 or less (for the russians) and a hot spot of 90-100. They may also like a soak.

Are the bigger one's wildcaught? My wildcaught adults are sometimes shy. Especially the tough-acting male. He'll push the other torts around, and sometimes come charging at me, but when I pick him up he pulls in for awhile.

Be sure to keep the hingeback away from the others. It's probably a good idea to keep him separate even after a clean bill of health. He has very different needs anyway.

I've mixed my captive-bred and wildcaught russians, but only after the russians have been healthy for years. Anyway the little hatchling is too small to live with 4" tortoises.

Answer: give them a few days to settle in, then handle them a little bit. I keep my russians as "display" animals. I only pick them up to relocate them or give them a quick health exam. Torts don't seem to like being lifted in the air and they seem much happier on the ground.

the petstore owner says she doesnt "do" wildcaught but I after what happened I am not sure whether to trust her or not she says they are not wild caught & they seem to be used to people they let my rub the skin behind thier head and thier legs after a soak yesterday without hissing or hiding in thier shells so if they are wildcaught they have been around ppl for a little while anyway.I dont plan on handling them alot but I would like to be able to touch them or pet them without giving them a heart attack know what I mean? I like to just sit and watch them eat etc I do plan on handling the hatchling quite often so that it is used to being held etc I have 5 children and I want at least one of the torts to be kid friendly ,my kids know that I have to be present before they are allowed to touch the torts.they Were just as heart broken as I was when our sulcata "ran away" my 3 year old keeps telling me it is hiding under the snow in the backyard I so hope tink was found because I know she would never survive the winter otherwise :0( anyway thanks for the help its so reassuring to know I can come here with my questions and just to talk about turtles w out ppl thinking I am nut for caring or "obsessing" over "just a turtle"