It sounds like your husbandry is spot on, Jessy, so it must be something else (and if his mouth looks pink when he yawns then that is good too). Have you tried hand feeding him something that he likes? We normally don't advise hand feeding because tortoises love to be hand fed, and if you do it too often then they don't want to eat by themselves, but there are times when it's really handy. It's possible that it is his beak, but I would have thought that he would still try to eat and if the beak was getting in the way then he would be frustrated -- but would still try. The Whitchurch vet shou ..read more

Thank you so much for your reply and helpful information. So I would say he’s had low appetite for a couple of weeks. He is normally fed things like kale, dandelion, plantain, lambs lettuce, mallow anything I can forage basically, plus some pellets here and there. I was concerned when he refused dandelion and the flower! Normally his fave! I haven’t been able to open his mouth but when he’s yawned it all looks pink and healthy. His set up is a table but he likes to be active so I have a lamp outside in my conservatory for him so he can let off steam but not get cold. The temp under lamp meas ..read more

In my opinion, eating rocks could be a sign they're not getting enough calcium in their diet. You should changes to your tortoise's diet to ensure they're getting enough calcium. Statistics: Posted by samantha — Fri Apr 26, 2024 7:22 am ..read more

Hi JessyRose and thanks for contacting us. Yes, it's quite a shock when you first see a male tortoise flash! Regarding chasing feet -- for some reason this is something that most tortoises do (I'm not sure why), and they are definitely more attracted to feet if you are barefoot and even more if you have red nail varnish on your toenails. Re not wanting to eat -- I'm not sure why, as I don't think that most males lose their appetite when they reach puberty. How long has he not had an appetite? Also, did he hibernate this year? Usually a loss of appetite is connected with environment, or som ..read more

My male Hermann has become of age where he is now sexually mature. We thought he was a female until we got flashed with his private parts! Was quite the experience! He started being aggressive but since I’ve taught him not to bite and now he’s being calmer and gentle when sniffing my hands or feet. He still likes to chase my feet however and boy can he move! My main concern is he’s stopped wanting to eat and my main question is, is this normal for males when sexually frustrated? I can only get him to eat a few pellets. He’s not really pooping either only teeny tiny bits. I’m concerned as this ..read more

Haha I can imagine. I've probably got a few more years before I can expect any eggs then - my Redfoot is 4 years old and Muddy is about 7. The weather here can get pretty unbearable for those who aren't acclimated to it, because the high humidity and heat creates a sauna-like environment everywhere As far as tortoises are concerned though, the climate is great! Muddy basically lives in a little hut in my backyard with no additional conditioning required, and the year-long sun makes the grass and plants grow fast enough for him to graze everyday (At least for now, he might out-eat them when ..read more

Hi Butimis, Welcome to The Tortoise Table, and congratulations on getting your Marginated tortoise -- they are a lovely species. Light levels and temperature are crucial for tortoises, so getting it right at the beginning is important. First of all here is a link to a care sheet for Marginateds: https://www.tortoise-protection-group.o ... 014New.pdf and it has a section on lighting and heating. You will want either a UVB fluorescent tube with a reflector clipped onto it (to protect your eyes and to direct more of the rays down into table) plus an ordinary basking bulb to produce heat and lig ..read more

I have recently acquired a marginated tortoise and am wondering does anyone have tips for lighting and heating of her tortoise table? Statistics: Posted by Butimis — Thu Apr 25, 2024 6:55 am ..read more

Lol, I'm always more stressed than she is when she lays eggs. If I remember correctly she was about 10 or 12 when she started laying eggs, and that was in 2014. Re hibernation -- yes you're lucky that Redfoots don't hibernate, but for species that do then it's really good for them and they come out of hibernation with renewed energy. In the UK, people who have non-hibernating species like Redfoots, Sulcata and Leopard tortoises spend a fortune on heating a room for them in the winter. They still need temperatures around 30C under a basking light and a cool area of about 20C, and with the big ..read more

Hi Julia, That's a shame, as it sounds like it would have been a great spot for your tortoise enclosure. Let us know how you get on, and please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any other questions or problems. Nina Statistics: Posted by Nina — Wed Apr 24, 2024 7:11 am ..read more