Change in behavior

[Urtle]

Ok so I recently discovered a change in my tortoises daily routine. Im not sure if there is something wrong with him but I noticed he doesnt leave his house as often. He spends the majority of his day sleeping or just staying in his house.

A month ago he would be out of his house by 8 to 10 AM grazing and cruising until 3 PM where he would head back. Now I rarly see him leave his house. He leaves every other day or every other two days, grazes for about couple hours and heads back.

He doesnt look sick... hes actually very active and has a big appetite when hes out and about. However, he doesnt leave his house as much anymore. I guess this is normal tortoise behavior?

 

[Missy]

How old is he and where do you live?

 

[Urtle]

he is 7 years old... southern california

 

[Laura]

That sounds like Winter Routine..
Not sure if its much to worry about or not.. SInce he does still eat and cruise.. Plenty of water? Normal poop?

 

[Urtle]

great looking poop and plenty of water

 

[Tom]

June gloom? Seriously. Its been cold and overcast every morning. He lives outside, right? What kind of heat have you got him on over night?

 

[Urtle]

No extra heat source

 

[Tom]

Well there you go. Its too cold at night outside in SoCal. Its been in the 40's up here, probably low 50's where you are. That's not good for them. They are tropical torts. While they can survive cold temps like that, its not good for them. You need a heat source of some sort. You do have a "doghouse" of some sort, right? I've got an extra pig blanket I can loan or sell you if necessary.

 

[Urtle]

I see... yes I do have a doghouse. It would be great if you could sell me your extra pig blanket, what are the dimensions?

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or loan

 

[Angi]

What is a pig blanket? Do tortoises get under it? Is it made out of pig? Or used for pigs. I can't imagine pigs needing blankets. None of my pig farming friends use them or talk about it anyway.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

It sounds to me like it's too cold for Urtle in SoCal now. If it's 50 degrees at night, I agree with Tom, he does need some nighttime heat. I never turn off Bob's mat but we live in the Pacific North West. Tortoises need to be over 85 degrees in order to metabolize their food and act reasonably normal.

Angi...It's actually called a "farrow pad" it's made out of heavy plastic or rubber. It's got a heat element inside and I have a thermostat attached to Bob's. His is shaped like a triangle and it fits right into the corner of his sleeping box. It's how some of us keep our bigger tortoises warm at night...
Pig farmers use them to keep the Mom and the piglets warm...

This is Bob and his pig blanket when it was brand new 4 years ago. Now Bob is too big for it and he hangs off of it. It only covers his stomach now. They really grow very fast. He was about 30 pounds here. He is 80 pounds now and that's his sleeping box that he has just totally wrecked...

 

[Urtle]

It sounds to me like it's too cold for Urtle in SoCal now. If it's 50 degrees at night, I agree with Tom, he does need some nighttime heat. I never turn off Bob's mat but we live in the Pacific North West. Tortoises need to be over 85 degrees in order to metabolize their food and act reasonably normal.

Angi...It's actually called a "farrow pad" it's made out of heavy plastic or rubber. It's got a heat element inside and I have a thermostat attached to Bob's. His is shaped like a triangle and it fits right into the corner of his sleeping box. It's how some of us keep our bigger tortoises warm at night...
Pig farmers use them to keep the Mom and the piglets warm...

This is Bob and his pig blanket when it was brand new 4 years ago. Now Bob is too big for it and he hangs off of it. It only covers his stomach now. They really grow very fast. He was about 30 pounds here. He is 80 pounds now and that's his sleeping box that he has just totally wrecked...

Maggie is he really 30 lbs in that picture?? I have never weighed my tortoise but his plastron is a little over 11 inches in length and he feels like he weighs in the 10-15 lb range.

Its funny Ive always thought about using a heat pad but never did because I felt like it would over heat. What temps do they reach?

 

[Angi]

Thanks for explaining the Pig Blanket Maggie. Most people I know who raise pig just do it for 4-H so they would not have litters. Do you plug them into electricity or do they use batteries. Trudy may need one of these. I will check the feed stores for them. That is one thing we have plenty of

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Thanks for explaining the Pig Blanket Maggie. Most people I know who raise pig just do it for 4-H so they would not have litters. Do you plug them into electricity or do they use batteries. Trudy may need one of these. I will check the feed stores for them. That is one thing we have plenty of

You would plug them into an electric socket. But you only need one for a bigger tort who lives out in a shed or dog house...

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Bob looks so young and skinny in this photo!

Right before he hit his growth spurt, apparently.

Just look at those gawky back legs! Too cute.

Hope Urtle(?) gets warmed up and lively again soon.

 

[Tom]

I see... yes I do have a doghouse. It would be great if you could sell me your extra pig blanket, what are the dimensions?

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or loan

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I have an 18x18" or an 18x28". I use the Kane heat mats because that's the one I can find easily. Maggie and Yvonne use a brand called Stansfield. I've never used that one, but the ladies say they are durable and great.

The Kane mats are designed to be 30 degrees above ambient. I have mine set on a thermostat to come on at 68 degrees. Nights here in the winter are typically in the high 30's, so it works out great. On the really cold nights when it dips down into the 20's I run a Pearlco over them too. My tortoise house is big enough that they can move off of the heat whenever they want, but still be indoors. If night temps are in the 60's, like summer, I unplug them.

Alternatively, you could just run an overhead CHE (ceramic heating element) on a thermostat. Tyler likes to use red or blue "Night" bulbs, because he can do an easy visual check from a distance to make sure they are on and working. I have to go feel mine or run a remote temp probe.

BTW, can you bring him in at night, until you get some heat going out there? I worry that he'll get sick on you.

 

[Urtle]

ok will do

 

[Maggie Cummings]

To answer the questions, I am not sure he was 30 pounds there, I am trying to put the pictures together with some sort of a time line. That box and the mat were acquired the first year I moved here and that was almost 5 years ago. Bob was 65 pounds this last Christmas when he sat on Santa's lap. He was 30 pounds the first year I lived here. He was 80 pounds in April.
My mat is on a thermostat and I don't know what temp it is set on as it is numbered 1 thru 10 and I have never put a thermometer on the mat itself. I don't ever turn it off as it is always cool or cold here at night.