Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all!
I just got my first tortoise from the Daytona show where it was very active and alert (it's about three weeks old). I brought it home and set it up in a 2'x2'x17" Rubbermaid with a topsoil/cocoa husk substrate, shallow soak dish, and a temp gradient of 93F under the bask corner to 81F in the opposite corner. I also have two hide-huts at different temp levels. He has ate a little but he sleeps constantly in his huts; he barely even opens his eyes when I pick him up. Is this a normal baby tortoise thing? I worked with adult carbonaria at a zoo and they were very lively creatures!
Any help or ideas would be most appreciated!
Thanks,
Todd

Todd,
baby redfoots do spend a lot of time buried into their substrate if they can. This is their natural behavior in the wild, where they try to hide from predators and to stay well hydrated.
He / she should open his / her eyes though when you handle him / her.
I would probably not use coconut hulls as substrate, as anything that could be ingested and cause compaction is not desireable. Just spaghnum moss or long fiber peat moss, maybe on a base of cypress or fir bark, would be a safer choice.
In any case you should try to get a stool sample and get it vet checked for parasites, as these can weaken a small baby like yours very quickly.

Good luck with your new baby,
Gaby

Thanks for the advice!
I was mistaken about the husk, It didn't even list coconut as an "ingredient". It's the stuff you buy in a brick and then soak...I use it for my tarantulas because it holds great humidity without molding, a lot like peat but finer. It also states on the package that it is safe to ingest. Do you think it's OK for tortlings? I have a passionate dislike for cyprus mulch, but i'll check out the other bark you suggested and get some poop to my vet, stat.
Thanks again!
Todd

I used the bricks you are talking about and the material does hold humidity well. I just found, that my redfoot really looked messy in it, because the stuff was sticking to the shell, skin and seemed to irritate, as it was sticking close to the eyes too.
My personal favorite ended up to be fir bark (the brand name I think is forest bark) about 2 inches high covered with 2 inches of spaghnum moss, which I buy at the garden center and bake before use. The spaghnum acts like a sponge, but is arranged in little 'branches', and thus doesn't stick.
I tried to focus my babies' interest in food more by setting the tray with lots of small cut food into a plastic dish pan (and setting this into the enclosure to keep the temps) and placing the little guys right in the middle of it. I keep them there for 1 to 2 hours until they have really no more interest in the food. That way they eat better and don't just walk away after just a few bites. This little trick might help your little guy gain some strength and poke up too!

Good luck,
Gaby