I need some help! Is it natural for my baby tortoise to be sleeping so much? Every time I check up on him is he buried in the ground and sleeping.

I know that he was probably a little tramatized from the move from my boyfriends apartment to mine. I feel like he is less active now than he was at my boyfriends. I go to work in the early morning and I'm back by the afternoon, but he is always sleeping Should I be waking him in the morning before I leave and put him on a regualar wake and sleep schedule?

I've been trying to keep track of his food to make sure he is eating it, but he doesn't turn over his little pots and chew on the plants anymore (he use to do this all the time). This is my first tortoise so am I worrying for nothing?

Thanks for the help in advance!

kat

Hi Kat,
Young tortoises sleep a great deal, but should be active 4 to 6 hours a day.
How long are your lights on for? Do they come on at the same time everyday? What are your temperatures, warm end, cool end, under the basking lamp and night time?
What and how are you feeding him?

Danny

Lights go out at 10PM and on at 5AM. (I leave for work at 7am and come home at between 2 and 4pm). Temperature is 70 deg in the shade (constantly) and around 95 (sometimes more) deg on the sunny side by his rock night time all lights turn off - everything stays at 70 deg until lights on in the morning.

right now he is always giving a good bunch of timothy hay (always avaiable) then i feed him once in the morning (mix of kale, clover sprouts, carrot tops, parsley, and carrot pieces (cut very small)). If the food is gone by the time im back for work ill put some more out next to his hay. Also the salad has his multi vitmim and calcuim mixed in. And a cuddle bone is always available too.

Hi Kat,
Your lights are on a bit long. I'd go with the basking spot on for 10 hours a day and your other lights on for 12 hours.
Your diet needs changing also. This time of year when it's hard to find weeds, leafy greens at the grocery store are fine. Romaine, green leaf and red leaf lettuce, escarole, curly endive and dandelion are the best. With kale, collard greens, beet greens and turnip greens feed every once in a while.

Danny

Thanks so much for your help! I really appreciate it

How come when the lights are left on longer, he tends to sleep more?

What are the differences between a winter and summer diet?

Hi Kat,

I have two little hatchlings; born mid Oct and start Nov. They are my first tortoises as well. One is quite active now that he has settled in, and the other one sleeps all the time. If I lift his log up and talk to him he will pump his head and front legs a few times but he does not get up and wonder around at all really. If I dig him out he sit in the same place for ages, will maybe eat, and then go back to sleep again. I am not sure how normal this is. Does this sound familiar?

Laura

Yep! It sounds very familiar lol. I'm trying to put mine on a sleeping schedule. I wake him up before I go to work, and then again when I come back from work. Usually if I'm around I notice he moves around more often then when I'm not. But the head/body bobbing thing rings a big bell. He use to do it a lot but now its just when he is waking up. Looks like we have sleeping beauties for tortoises >_< lol

When the lights are on longer it is obviously hotter so he will be less active and sleep more

I found my hatchling Greek Comet is an early riser. She is up about 3 or 4 in the morning. Cruises around her habitat, warms herself and waits for breakfast about 6 am. She eats naps and then in the early afternoon about 1 or so she is up again. She beds down about 3:30pm. I would have missed her up so early if I hadn't had a few sleepless nights. So now I know she is really up more than I think the little stinker.
Maybe yours are doing something similar?