Brumation vs "slowing down" - do I need to more actively keep him from sleeping the day away?

[SinLA]

Over the last 2-3 weeks my Russian waffles back and forth on activity levels. Some days he seems normal, other days I feel like he's saying he really wants to brumate. Yesterday after soaking I put him outside (beautiful sunny 70s day) and he went into his deepest burrow and hunkered down all day. I dug him out and put him him into his "inside/night box" around 3pm, and he went and sat under the lights and heat lamp until the lights turned off at 7, and then he stayed on the basking rock all night and slept there (never did that before, he always would go into his burrow, never spending the night "out in the open"). Today the lights came on at 7, and he also didn't move away. I gave him a soak around 7:30, put him back in his box and he spent an hour or so under the lights/heat lamp, and then went into the hide to hunker down. No eating yesterday at all, or today so far (tho its early yet).

I don't mind him slowing down, but I don't plan on brumating him so do I need to do more to "actively" wake him up during the day, or should I let him sleep during the day if he wants? The temps in his inside box are 70s at night, high 70s/low 80s ambient during the day, and basking area 95ish.

Thoughts/advice?

 

[Tom]

Over the last 2-3 weeks my Russian waffles back and forth on activity levels. Some days he seems normal, other days I feel like he's saying he really wants to brumate. Yesterday after soaking I put him outside (beautiful sunny 70s day) and he went into his deepest burrow and hunkered down all day. I dug him out and put him him into his "inside/night box" around 3pm, and he went and sat under the lights and heat lamp until the lights turned off at 7, and then he stayed on the basking rock all night and slept there (never did that before, he always would go into his burrow, never spending the night "out in the open"). Today the lights came on at 7, and he also didn't move away. I gave him a soak around 7:30, put him back in his box and he spent an hour or so under the lights/heat lamp, and then went into the hide to hunker down. No eating yesterday at all, or today so far (tho its early yet).

I don't mind him slowing down, but I don't plan on brumating him so do I need to do more to "actively" wake him up during the day, or should I let him sleep during the day if he wants? The temps in his inside box are 70s at night, high 70s/low 80s ambient during the day, and basking area 95ish.

Thoughts/advice?

Leave the lights on for at least 13 hours, even when he hides. You might need to add some ambient LED or some more UV.

LED strips can be found at Walmart or Lowes for about $35. Just plug them in and mount them. I got ones that allow you to change the light intensity and color with switches. Super cool.

What type of indoor UV are you using?

 

[SinLA]

well, he came out after a couple of hours and is now back under his light.

No interior UV since he goes outside most days...

 

[Tom]

well, he came out after a couple of hours and is now back under his light.

No interior UV since he goes outside most days...

In most cases, indoor UV should not be needed when a tortoise gets outside as often as yours, but in the case of someone who is trying to keep a temperate tortoise from brumating, the indoor UV will likely help.

One of the cues that tells a tortoise that it is time to brumate is lowering of the outdoor light intensity. Its not just temperature and length of day. Winter light is less intense than summer light. They can sense this even indoors under artificial lighting.

It is not easy to keep them up in winter. Their body and mind tells them its time to slumber. It can be done, and I have done it before, but its a fight, and it takes some effort to keep them up in my experience, even in our mild climate. I find it much easier to let nature take its course, but with some help to keep them safe.

You can try adding a nice bright LED or two and see if that does it. If not, you might need an HO UV tube.