advice please??!!

[rachie8476]

Hi, just wondering if anybody can help me...my russian tortoise keeps lifting all four legs of the ground and stretches them out. she does this for around 10 minutes or so and then returns to normal. it has been happening daily now for about one week. does anybody know what this could be. thanks xx

 

[October]

Welcome to TFO!

Is she stretched out continuously, or is she stretching over and over again for 10 minutes.
It could be she's just stretching, especially if under the basking light. Or she could be straining and trying to poo. How often do you soak her?

 

[Fernando]

If she is doing this under a basking warm area, she can just be warming her body up. They extend their legs to get warm on the neck and legs.

 

[rachie8476]

yes she does this under her basking side of the vivarium but not directly under the heat source. I bathe her every other day and she poo's alot. her temp's under the basking area are around 30'c which i have read is ok.
we recently bought a male star who is housed in a viv above hers, could this have anything to do with it? thanks

 

[Tom]

Sounds like normal basking behavior to me. 30 seems a bit on the cool side for directly under the basking lamp. I'd make it closer to 35-36, but only in that one spot.

What you are describing sounds to me like a comfortable basking tortoise. I doubt it has anything to do with the new star above her.

 

[rachie8476]

ok thanks for your help. i shall up the temperature for her then. She lives in a 4ft x 2ft enclosure and has a 100w bulb do i need to use a 150 w bulb perhaps?

 

[Fernando]

Or you can just adjust the height of the bulb. Make sure you are measuring with a good thermometer,