Hey, need answer (Too Cold?)

Hay im new here my name is luis from Wales UK I'm a new tortoise keeper and I have a sulcata tortoise but I got her from a pet shop and she's already 4 years old I had here in a tortoi table and in summer time I have her outside I accidentally kept here like a Greek tortoise and followed that care cause the pet shop sold them as Greeks in winter months I kept here at room temperature and she slept almost all day but was trying to get out of her tortoise table constantly after I thought hey why is my tort not hibernating I did a bit of research and found out its actually a sulcata... so I kept her all this 4 years wrong and with to cold temperatures i then started to buy a heat spot and she stayed under that but since February this year she was rarely eating but i know they can live quite long without eating much however as the temps turned warmer this spring i set her outside as usually but she still didn't eat much only dandelions and mulberry leaves and sometimes a little bit of grass
Today this morning I checked on here in my garden and sadly she was not moving
I tried to touch here so that she wakes up but nothing I then brought here inside cause I had to go somewhere and after I returned she was walking again and I was like wtf so my question would be was she just to cold? Or how does that work she litterraly looked dead... I'm now keeping her inside fulltime sorry for long post

The first step is to correctly ID your tortoise. Can we see a few pics? There is a lot of confusion due to the common name "spur thigh", shared by greeks and sulcatas.

Hi Luis, and welcome to the Forum!

As you now know, Sulcatas come from warm Africa. They have not evolved to understand 'cold'. Your tortoise needs to be kept at around 80F degrees all the time. If it's outside, then there must be some sort of heated shelter provided. If the tortoise doesn't go into the heated shelter, then you have to put it in there. How big is the tortoise now?

. . . and like Tom has suggested, yes, pictures of the tortoise please!

Welcome from Kent, UK to you @Hyperx

If you are in Wales, it is far more likely that you have a Greek (Testudo graeca aka Spur Thighed Tortoise) than a Sulcata (Centrochelys sulcata aka African Spurred Tortoise). Sulcatas are not common here in the UK.

There is a huge difference in eventual size (3kg v 50kg) and also in their care.

We really do need a photo of the head and shell and ideally one of the plastron (undershell) and tail too. Photos of your current enclosure and lighting will help to advise you further.

This is him

Hyperx said:

This is him View attachment 270551

Click to expand...

That looks to me like a Russian Tortoise. Not a Sulcata.

He is a Greek not a Sulcata.

I recommend you read the TFO care guides and compare them with your setup.

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Greek Tortoise Care
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-care-guide.174622/

JoesMum said:

He is a Greek not a Sulcata.

I recommend you read the TFO care guides and compare them with your setup.

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Greek Tortoise Care
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-care-guide.174622/

Click to expand...

I think it's a Russian Tortoise.

Toddrickfl1 said:

I think it's a Russian Tortoise.

Click to expand...

Now I am looking at it on my ipad not my phone, I am inclined to agree. Definitely not a Sulcata though

It could very well be simple statuary. lol

Hyperx said:

This is him.

Click to expand...

You have a Russian tortoise. Testudo horsfieldii or Agrionemys horsfieldii.

Its not a sulcata nor a greek, nor a spur thigh of any kind.

Here is the care info for your species:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Read those and come back with all your questions.

Hi Luis I'm in Wales too.
Now you have the caresheet you can start to provide the correct care for your little tort.
They all have different needs so it's important you get it right.
Ask as many questions as you like someone will get back to you.

Also if you can, go back to the pet store and let them know that they ID your tortoise wrong and that they need to do better or don't sell them.

Thank u all for the fast responses I read the and I have to say I didn't knew that tortoises need so much care its so hard to do everything right I'm also at a point where I cant accomplish all what is needed cause I'm a student and i don't have much money i decided its best for the tortoise to find another home
I went to the pet shop but they really don't care and even said that they now more than a little kid... so they won't listen
I'm currently writing with an older lady on Facebook near me she got 6 Russian already and a big garden plus separate enclosure for every tort this Saturday I'm meeting her and she said if I liked the place I could leave the tort by her so what are some things that say she has experience and what are things that say better don't let the tortoise there thx for all ur help