"Brumation"?

Chromatic

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Sorry you guys, I am just full of questions today... I've been spending my entire day at work reading threads on here because I'm so bored, and want to increase my knowledge.
Anyways, I am wondering if my redfoot is going through some sort of "brumation," even though redfoots don't do this?? but she spends pretty much all of her time in her cave, she barely moves, and I am suspecting it because I've not been keeping it warm enough for her in there... could this be the case?

As soon as I get home (in 3 hours) I'm going to adjust her enclosure so that it's much warmer in there for her, and see if that makes a difference. She's never been super active, and I just figured it's because she's a tortoise, and they don't do much... but I have noticed that she usually picks a spot, buries herself and doesn't move for long, long periods of time.

Someday soon I will get a camera so I can keep an eye on her while I'm at work, because I do want to see when she drinks and whatnot (she doesn't really do this while I'm at home and it worries me, but she could be doing this while I'm away, so not sure...). Just curious if maybe it's been too cold in there for her so she's been very very slow. In this case, raising temps would solve this issue, correct?
 

Tom

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Depends on what the temps are. What's the ambient enclosure temp? Closed chamber? Do you have a UV bulb? What type? Basking bulb?

Without knowing the temps, we can't say that warming the enclosure is the way to go. It may already be warm enough, and something else is the problem. On the other hand, if you think it is too cool, it probably is. What does the thermometer have to say about it?
 

Toddrickfl1

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Sorry you guys, I am just full of questions today... I've been spending my entire day at work reading threads on here because I'm so bored, and want to increase my knowledge.
Anyways, I am wondering if my redfoot is going through some sort of "brumation," even though redfoots don't do this?? but she spends pretty much all of her time in her cave, she barely moves, and I am suspecting it because I've not been keeping it warm enough for her in there... could this be the case?

As soon as I get home (in 3 hours) I'm going to adjust her enclosure so that it's much warmer in there for her, and see if that makes a difference. She's never been super active, and I just figured it's because she's a tortoise, and they don't do much... but I have noticed that she usually picks a spot, buries herself and doesn't move for long, long periods of time.

Someday soon I will get a camera so I can keep an eye on her while I'm at work, because I do want to see when she drinks and whatnot (she doesn't really do this while I'm at home and it worries me, but she could be doing this while I'm away, so not sure...). Just curious if maybe it's been too cold in there for her so she's been very very slow. In this case, raising temps would solve this issue, correct?
Your temps should be in the mid 80s. How old is this tort? Everything your describing is pretty normal behavior for a baby. They spend 95% of their time hiding til they're a little older.
 

Chromatic

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At night it's usually low 70s, when I originally got her I did read there should be a day temp and night temp but today reading about RF specifically needing the same consistent temperature I will change that immediately. I've got the UV bulb, I only keep that on during the day.
Day time temp is high 70s low 80s.

Don't trust my thermometer after reading about them today and I will go pick up a better one after work. I especially don't trust the humidity readings it gives- at night when the lights are off, it can go so high as above 90% and during the day it says it's like 50 or less.. although I stuck this one high up which was probably really stupid. regardless, I keep her substrate pretty damp every day and she's got moss in there as well. I lightly water it every day when it starts looking dry.

Her enclosure has a mesh top, also read today it should be completely enclosed? In the past I covered at least half of the top in plastic to help with humidity but I stopped because I didn't think it did too much.

No basking bulb, although the heat bulb is right above her cave where she hides to keep her warm. I can't give bulb specifics right now since my memory is terrible. However her night bulb was a very very dark purple that emitted barely any light, and I read to avoid anything that emits light, and that bulb just died after like two weeks anyway so I need a new one regardless... I'll probably end up redoing her whole enclosure.

----

She's just a few years, not a baby but definitely not an adult. She's about 4 or 5 inches long.
 

Tom

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At night it's usually low 70s, when I originally got her I did read there should be a day temp and night temp but today reading about RF specifically needing the same consistent temperature I will change that immediately. I've got the UV bulb, I only keep that on during the day.
Day time temp is high 70s low 80s.

Don't trust my thermometer after reading about them today and I will go pick up a better one after work. I especially don't trust the humidity readings it gives- at night when the lights are off, it can go so high as above 90% and during the day it says it's like 50 or less.. although I stuck this one high up which was probably really stupid. regardless, I keep her substrate pretty damp every day and she's got moss in there as well. I lightly water it every day when it starts looking dry.

Her enclosure has a mesh top, also read today it should be completely enclosed? In the past I covered at least half of the top in plastic to help with humidity but I stopped because I didn't think it did too much.

No basking bulb, although the heat bulb is right above her cave where she hides to keep her warm. I can't give bulb specifics right now since my memory is terrible. However her night bulb was a very very dark purple that emitted barely any light, and I read to avoid anything that emits light, and that bulb just died after like two weeks anyway so I need a new one regardless... I'll probably end up redoing her whole enclosure.

----

She's just a few years, not a baby but definitely not an adult. She's about 4 or 5 inches long.
Those temps are much too low. It should never drop below 80, even at night.

Mesh tops don't work for species that need high humidity.

Moss should never be used. It does nothing and it an impaction risk.

Damp substate will give this species shell rot. You need humidity, but the surface of the substrate should be relatively dry most of the time.

What type of UV bulb? The cfl bulbs typically sold in pet shops can sometimes burn their eyes and this would cause them to hide all day to avoid the pain.

You need a CHE or RHP set on a thermostat to control ambient temps.
 

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