Tortoise_Tyranny
New Member
I'm sorry if I posted this in the wrong discussion.
Here's the rundown: I've been gone for the summer and just got back around a half a month ago. I have a mature female Russian tortoise at an undeterminable age. She lives with another female Russian in a large enclosure (don't know the exact size, I'll tell you when I find a tape measurer), they have no problems, and I am fully prepared to separated them if needed. Diet of kale and red leaf lettuce, though admittedly it's mostly been red leaf, I'm changing that now. Basking area is 97 and cool side almost exactly 79.
Recently this girl has entered what I think is a very strong hybernation faze, though I'm not entirely sure. I just assumed because of the time of the year. I've dealt with this before in my other Russian's, but it's never been this bad. She doesn't move unless I poke and prod and stick her in water and pick her up over and over, and even then it takes FOREVER for her to open her eyes, let alone fully open them. Sometimes she eats, sometimes it's just a few bites, yesterday she didn't eat at all and today I can't get her to open her eyes. When I stick her in the water sometimes she twitches but today she didn't move at all. I'm gonna be honest, it's freaking it out.
I'm sure I'm not going about this the best way. But how do you keep a tortoise from thinking it's winter when they literally won't wake up?
I'm happy to provide any information you need, and please let me know if you think it could be something else.
Here's the rundown: I've been gone for the summer and just got back around a half a month ago. I have a mature female Russian tortoise at an undeterminable age. She lives with another female Russian in a large enclosure (don't know the exact size, I'll tell you when I find a tape measurer), they have no problems, and I am fully prepared to separated them if needed. Diet of kale and red leaf lettuce, though admittedly it's mostly been red leaf, I'm changing that now. Basking area is 97 and cool side almost exactly 79.
Recently this girl has entered what I think is a very strong hybernation faze, though I'm not entirely sure. I just assumed because of the time of the year. I've dealt with this before in my other Russian's, but it's never been this bad. She doesn't move unless I poke and prod and stick her in water and pick her up over and over, and even then it takes FOREVER for her to open her eyes, let alone fully open them. Sometimes she eats, sometimes it's just a few bites, yesterday she didn't eat at all and today I can't get her to open her eyes. When I stick her in the water sometimes she twitches but today she didn't move at all. I'm gonna be honest, it's freaking it out.
I'm sure I'm not going about this the best way. But how do you keep a tortoise from thinking it's winter when they literally won't wake up?
I'm happy to provide any information you need, and please let me know if you think it could be something else.