Advice - Russian Tortoise Not Eating.

Hi everyone,

I have a just over 2 Yr old Horsefield tortoise. It has hardly eaten for two - three weeks.. Just wants to sleep. It did try one day with some rocket (trying everything) but regurgitated it all 20 mins later.
Shell length 60mm..Weight 45g.
I took the tortoise to a specialist who said my enclosure maybe too cold at night. Its still warm here at the moment & the enclosure is 22C coolest to 33C hottest under the UV / heat lamp? Plus the tortoise has been fine for two years when the ambient has been below 0C outside, so I think the enclosure is not the issue.

Also, if the tortoise is warmed in a bath, dried & put into the hot end of enclosure, why would it choose to go to the cooler end if it was too cold? Surely it would stay in the warm area??

I've bathed it, taken it outside into direct sunlight & warm ambient, but no signs of eating. Seems lively when out in direct sunlight but when I put it back into enclosure, straight back to a corner to sleep.

Any other thoughts?

Thank you

Paul

Could we see a picture of your enclosure?
Cold temps are usually what cause low activity. Your basking temp should be around 37-38 degrees.

Your tortoise is probably trying to go into brumation(hibernation), which might explain why it keeps going to the cool side.

Thank you for your reply.

I have taken a photo of the thermometer under the lamp & a few other photos to help.

ShellTort said:

Hi everyone,

I have a just over 2 Yr old Horsefield tortoise. It has hardly eaten for two - three weeks.. Just wants to sleep. It did try one day with some rocket (trying everything) but regurgitated it all 20 mins later.
Shell length 60mm..Weight 45g.
I took the tortoise to a specialist who said my enclosure maybe too cold at night. Its still warm here at the moment & the enclosure is 22C coolest to 33C hottest under the UV / heat lamp? Plus the tortoise has been fine for two years when the ambient has been below 0C outside, so I think the enclosure is not the issue.

Also, if the tortoise is warmed in a bath, dried & put into the hot end of enclosure, why would it choose to go to the cooler end if it was too cold? Surely it would stay in the warm area??

I've bathed it, taken it outside into direct sunlight & warm ambient, but no signs of eating. Seems lively when out in direct sunlight but when I put it back into enclosure, straight back to a corner to sleep.

Any other thoughts?

Thank you

Paul

Click to expand...

60mm (2.3 inches) seems a bit small for a 2 year old Horsefield/Russian. 3-4+ inches is what I'm typically used to in a 2 year old. Females or very well-fed/healthy specimens on the hand, may sprout past 4+ inches in the first two years.

Your tortoise enclosure is too open. I also think it may be time to upgrade to a larger sized enclosure. Better to plan ahead when you have the time then to build one haphazardly.

Your current basking fixture only heats up a small area. What type of bulb are you using?

Mercury vapor bulb's heat may be too intense for the tortoise. What type of substrate is that? Are you also using sand/gravel/soil? It doesn't look very burrow friendly. In my the substrate looks rather dry and may not do a very good job in retaining heat when a tortoise submerges into it.

I also don't believe the current thermometer you have is accurate enough for use. Affordable analog gauges are quite inaccurate and require constant calibration to be remotely reliable. A digital food/weather grade thermometer and hygrometer reader will be far more accurate to gauge temperature and humidity levels.

What is your typical diet for your Horsefield/Russian? Have you taken a look at this care sheet for Horsefield/Russian tortoises yet?
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

That is a very small tortoise for its age.
I agree with the above, you are not heating any of the enclosure except under the lamp, and the thermometer you are using are not very accurate. Invest in a digital IR thermometer from amazon.
I have noticed that my Russian has started to slow down this last week or so, eating less, sleeping more. Sometimes I think that they know it’s that time of year when it’s cold, they sense it. Keep your lights on 12-14 hours per day and keep your tortoise warm. I hear the whole room with an oil radiator

My male did this last year, went off food and buried himself for weeks in September. At the time I figured he was trying to hibernate so I left him be and only disturbed him once a week to eat/soak. He came out of it fine in spring. I learned later it isn't really good for them, you either need to hibernate him (in a fridge believe it or not) at the right temperature, or keep him active.

I suggest just keeping him active, don't let him totally bury himself (tightly packed coco coir helps) soak either every day or every other day, always have food available, and make sure your temps are proper and winter does not lower them.

I personally have a room with a bare floor I let mine run around in and explore, it is easy to put a few things in for them to explore like hides and rocks and literally turn it into a huge playground for them. Block the doorway and make sure there is nothing at all on the floor debris wise they can eat. Takes 5 minutes to break down and they love it. Hard floor only, empty is ideal, suggest a sweep and mop before each use.

So FAR mine are active/eating and it is past the date last year when he burrowed down.