# Desert tortoise first time owner



## beauty07 (Oct 24, 2012)

We have a 1 year old tortoise. It seems to be in hibernation for the past 3 days. Do I still need to keep a lamp on him? I can hear him scratching inside of his reptile aquarium. He sleeps in his cage. Do all tortoise sleep under their substrate?


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## Yvonne G (Oct 24, 2012)

Hi beauty07:

If you hear your tortoise scratching, then he's not hibernating. Also, if he lives indoors and hasn't had access to "weather," then he doesn't realize its time to hibernate. If he hasn't been eating, there's probably something wrong.

You have posted your thread under North American Tortoises, but are you sure that you have a desert tortoise? They are usually only found in the western states.


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## wellington (Oct 24, 2012)

Hello and Welcome


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## reticguy76 (Oct 24, 2012)

Mine is around a year also and has slowed down considerably in activity and eating. I believe they have an internal instinctual mechanism that allows them to know it is becoming brumation time (ie, the weather in the house is becoming cooler, if they have windows anywhere around them, they are able to see the days are getting shorter, etc) even if housed inside. My snakes do the same thing. They just know when its breeding season, based on the days becoming shorter and natural temps coming down


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## Yvonne G (Oct 24, 2012)

I have two adult CDT and two youngsters who live outside. I can't allow the adults to hibernate because they have a medical problem. And I'm not ready to allow the youngsters to hibernate yet. So when it starts to get down into the 40's at night I set them up in their indoor habitat for the winter. They have never slowed down because I'm keeping their light on and they are warm. They come out every morning when I turn on the light and sit there to warm up. They eat and wander.

If beauty07's tortoise has stopped eating and is hiding, yet moving around and scratching, there is something wrong. 

Besides that, I wouldn't allow a yearling to hibernate. I still wonder what kind of tortoise it actually is. Can we see a picture please?


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## dannel (Oct 24, 2012)

Welcome!


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## reticguy76 (Oct 24, 2012)

I agree, im wondering what type of tort it is as well. I also agree that if its not eating and hiding but still moving around while hiding, something is off. 

My "yearling" is, I assume, going into a part brumation (haha, if there is such a thing). Meaning, he has slowed down and has burrowed himself in substrate/grass, but still does eat every few days (I still offer food). My room temp is down at night to about 71-72 degrees, but is up around 76-77 in the day and there are two big windows in the reptile room. So, I say partial brumation because, its definitely now like the wild conditions, but the temps are for sure cooler and the days are shorter, which they can sense.


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## SamB (Oct 24, 2012)

emysemys said:


> I still wonder what kind of tortoise it actually is. Can we see a picture please?



I have 9 CDT's at the moment, ranging from 12 days old, 3, 5, 15, 25, 70 years old. And they are ALL different in their habits, or cycles if you will.

The above quote still remains. A picture will help us all trying to help you to determine what type of tortoise/turtle you have before any of us can even phathom a possible answer for you.


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## beauty07 (Oct 24, 2012)

I believe it is a California desert tortoise. We live in California. Now I'm really scared. He hasn't scratched around anymore. I turned on his heat lamp just this moment. I have read that is not necessary for a young tortoise to hibernate so I am thinking of keeping him warm. We do have him inside but we would take him out during the summer. What should I do. Ill post pictures right now so u can all get a better idea of what type of tortoise I have.


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## beauty07 (Oct 24, 2012)

*Type of tortoise*




Sorry it's only his backside eating his food. Can anyone tell if he is a CDT?


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## SamB (Oct 25, 2012)

I would safely say yes. Pushing 2 years old perhaps.

How long have you had him/her?


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## ShadowRancher (Oct 25, 2012)

Such a cute little guy! Hope everything is ok!


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## jtrux (Oct 25, 2012)

I have no idea what it is, but I like it!


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## SamB (Oct 25, 2012)

Looks like my baby CDT's


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## mainey34 (Oct 25, 2012)

Hello, and welcome. How cute


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## beauty07 (Oct 25, 2012)

SamB said:


> Looks like my baby CDT's



Oh yes. Looks just like yours.


mainey34 said:


> Hello, and welcome. How cute



Hello and thank u.
It doesn't look like he's scratching anymore. But I can see him in his cave. I see a very shallow breathing. Is that normal for hibernation?


ShadowRancher said:


> Such a cute little guy! Hope everything is ok!



Thank you. I was just concerned if I should let him hibernate and if I should move him into a box with dirt. But I am not sure if I should disturb his sleep.


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## beauty07 (Oct 25, 2012)

SamB said:


> I would safely say yes. Pushing 2 years old perhaps.
> 
> How long have you had him/her?



I got him in may of this year. My friend said she thinks he is about a year but she wasn't too sure.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Oct 25, 2012)

Welcome!


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## ascott (Oct 25, 2012)

Welcome to the Forum 

May I ask if that picture is showing the substrate that this tort is living on/in? If yes, is that actually all sand (calci sand perhaps?) as the substrate?


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## beauty07 (Oct 27, 2012)

ascott said:


> Welcome to the Forum
> 
> May I ask if that picture is showing the substrate that this tort is living on/in? If yes, is that actually all sand (calci sand perhaps?) as the substrate?



Yes it is a sand substrate. Calcium sand. Is that ok?


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## beauty07 (Oct 30, 2012)

ALDABRAMAN said:


> Welcome!



Thank you.


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