Caring for hatchling Tortoises

Hatching tortoises are independent from their parents from the moment they hatch. As such, they have almost identical needs to their parents and can be raised in the same way for the most part.

However, there are a few guidelines that need to be followed to raise your hatchlings into adulthood.

• Hydration is very important in hatchlings. I bath my hatchlings 1 or 2 times a day and make sure that they have a deep substrate to bury into to preserve hydration. I water the soil as often as I would a potted plant to make sure it is suitably moist.

• Feeding in moderation is the key. Remember it is easy to overfeed a baby tortoise and it is possible to over-feed on even the best diets. Aim for a gradual weight gain; one or two grams a month is ideal for smaller tortoises

• Make sure that you weigh them at the same time every time (For example after their morning bath) and make a note whether or not they have urinated or defecated prior to weighing, as in a small tortoise, urinating and defecating can make a huge different to their weight.

• Keep an accurate weight chart so that you can monitor their weight gain. A slow and steady growth is a lot healthier for a tortoise and tortoises grown too rapidly can suffer a host of problems.

• When outdoors make sure they have plenty of shade. Small tortoises heat up quickly and although they are adapted well to these temperatures, a small tortoise can easily come dehydrated if shade is not offered.

• Birds such as magpies and crows have been known to attack small tortoises in the UK. Be sure to cover them with suitable netting to prevent this kind of attack.

• Under the heat source in the hatchling’s indoor enclosure, I recommend that you have a slight slope. If the hatchlings fall on their back whilst climbing over one and other or over an obstacle, then they will easily be able to right themselves because of the slope.
Aside from the difference in size, hatchling tortoises are exact replicas of their adult counterparts and other than the above guidelines, they will thrive in a similar environment scaled down to fit their size.