40 year old tortoise inside for 1st time - hates it!

[groovygarden]

We've had our spur thigh in the UK for about 30 years. Last year he wasn't very well as the weather was pretty bad and he never really got going.

He woke from hibernation a week ago and the weather is being very English again. For the first time we've had him inside on a tortoise table and under a lamp, and it's definitely giving him more energy. He's drinking, but not eating yet, but I can tell he's thinking about it!

The problem is he hates the tortoise table. He is pacing round and round the edges, and I'm finding it really distressing to see and hear. He normally has the run of our quite large garden, and even then he is constantly marching around trying to escape.

The table isn't huge, but is as big as we could manage - about 1 metre (plus a hide area) by 80cm.

I'm worried he's using all his small energy reserves up with his pacing.

Even though it's cold outside, he won't sleep in the tortoise table. Last night, after 2 hours of darkness he was still pacing round and round, and I gave up and took him outside. He crawled down into his burrow and went straight to sleep!

He can't sleep outside tonight as we've having lots of gardening work done tomorrow, and I'm worried that he'll get hurt.

I'm not sure what to do to make him settle. Any suggestions gratefully received! I'm really worried about him

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi groovygarden:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like us to call you?

I'm afraid you're just going to have to put up with it until the time comes he can go back outside. There is no magic pill.

 

[Jacqui]

(Did you happen to post this thread twice? Then did Yvonne delete the one I was answering on? Because my post has vanished. )

My suggestion was what if you placed him into a small container at night. Then he would not have the room to move around and might settle in faster for sleeping. Otherwise, it's just going to take him some time.

 

[Yvonne G]

OOOPS! Its too bad there wasn't a function where if one mod is working on a post/thread, it becomes unavailable to anyone else. Sorry!

 

[SailingMystic]

Is the table interesting?? A place to hide or dig into?? Mine did this too. He warmed up and finally I let him run and explore inside for about 30 minutes and he then warmed more and settled. Mine seemed to become excited and restless-- so I let him run it off

 

[groovygarden]

Yes, I think maybe I'm going to have to live with it - my main concerns are that's he's stressed and using up his energy. He hasn't stopped for the last 2 hours!

I think I could put more stuff on the table to make it interesting, but he's completely ignoring everything there at the moment.

I'm hoping it's stressing me out more than it is him!

Apologies for the double posting (I wrote "double pacing" there first - it really is getting to me!). Thanks for sorting that out Yvonne. My name's Sara.

 

[Jacqui]

Sara, I am going to go out on a limb here, but I am pretty sure it is more stressful to you in the long run then your tortoise. *hugs* Just remember, it's only going to be for a short time.

 

[Tom]

Is it completely dark in there at night? I mean like pitch black? Imagine how dark it is outside down in a hole. Deeper substrate for burrowing might help too. In most cases they will adjust to a new routine within a week or two...

Good luck. Hope he settles in.

 

[groovygarden]

Thanks for the advice and support!

He's ramped it up and has managed to flip himself over three times now. I've admitted defeat and popped him outside in his favourite spot, which is safe and as warm as I can get it.

Not sure it's the right thing, but I'm really worried he's going to flip himself over during the night.

The time inside has definitely helped him and I'm taking heart from the fact that he put up quite a fight when I picked him up! Big difference to a few days ago. He's older than me, so I'm hoping he knows best...!

I think I'll keep bringing him inside for a few hours warm up every day though. He'll just have to lump it!

 

[ascott]

I have CDTs here...they woke up a couple of weeks ago...they have been outdoors ever since...well up until friday night---since we had an arctic storm (stupid) come through I had to bring them inside...well, they are only inside while they brumate and outdoors the rest of the year....I have done the warm spot and find that they can not settle indoors...so what I find works is to put them in their sleeping boxes while they are indoors...they go into their boxes into the completely dark closet and this is where they calm down nicely and accept the space and sleep...tomorrow I hope they will be able to go back out *fingers, toes and legs crossed* for at least the daytime.....

I have one of the CDTs that has to come in every night to sleep as he has horrible eyesight and I do not leave him out over night ---when he comes in he goes into his sleeping box then back out for the entire day....the smaller, dark quiet box works best here when they do have to come inside...just thought I would share with you...