do russians hibernate?

[khanvict]

for over the past week i have noticed mr. munchkin do nothing but bury himself inside the substrate and not want to move. he does not eat when he's inside either nor does he bask like he used to. the only activity he is basically getting is when i soak him every few days and take him outside. when he's outside he also eats to his heart's (or stomach's) content and does move about but when i bring him back inside it's the opposite and just goes back to his different burrowing/hiding spots.

if i didn't physically take him outside i'm not sure he'd really move and makes me think he is wanting to hibernate?

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Yes, Russians do hibernate, but not this time of year. You say he's acting fine when he's outside - what are his temps like when he's inside? Could he live outside?

 

[dmmj]

there could be any number of reasioons why he is like that, remember they come from up high in the mountains, if your russian is a Wild Caught specimen, this weather is most likely lovely to him/her.

 

[khanvict]

Yes, Russians do hibernate, but not this time of year. You say he's acting fine when he's outside - what are his temps like when he's inside? Could he live outside?

the cool side of the enclosure is 78degrees and the warm is just at 90. one of the things i am also wondering about is if the air conditioning being on affects him. the air flow is not directed towards the enclosure but it is on nonetheless during the summer months and can't help but think that he may not take kindly to the un-natural air circulating around the room?

i also considered if maybe the substrate/bedding was not satisfactory to him but there are 3 different kinds now in the enclosure: organic mulch, coconut coir, and a coco straw mat

i live in an apartment complex so the leisure of him completely being outside on his own is not currently available.

 

[tortoisenerd]

What kind of bulb/s are you using? Do you have UVB? That's an odd temp gradient as I'd want to see more like 70 to 95. As long as hes not right under a vent, just make sure the temps you are giving us are accurate (taken today with an accurate thermometer like a temp gun), and that is probably fine. If you are in an apartment, how do you take him outside? He should not roam on any grass with chemicals, which is 99.9% of public grounds. I would take him out for some sun time in a plastic tub with substrate. While he's in a funk, get him up 1-2 times a day and place him in front of his food or under a hide right next to the basking spot to encourage movement. Have him checked for parasites. I wouldn't be surprised if you are just letting him out on the apartment's grass, the reason he runs around is because he feels scared and is looking for a place to hide. He needs a secure enclosure with a hide to go outside in. He won't hibernate unless its for example 50 F or under. What he is doing is either going through a funk, something of your care is off, or he could be sick. I'd double check the temps, take photos of the enclosure for us to look at, place him in front of the food and otherwise encourage him to move around, and get a vet check up with fecal exam for parasites.

 

[khanvict]

What kind of bulb/s are you using? Do you have UVB? That's an odd temp gradient as I'd want to see more like 70 to 95. As long as hes not right under a vent, just make sure the temps you are giving us are accurate (taken today with an accurate thermometer like a temp gun), and that is probably fine. If you are in an apartment, how do you take him outside? He should not roam on any grass with chemicals, which is 99.9% of public grounds. I would take him out for some sun time in a plastic tub with substrate. While he's in a funk, get him up 1-2 times a day and place him in front of his food or under a hide right next to the basking spot to encourage movement. Have him checked for parasites. I wouldn't be surprised if you are just letting him out on the apartment's grass, the reason he runs around is because he feels scared and is looking for a place to hide. He needs a secure enclosure with a hide to go outside in. He won't hibernate unless its for example 50 F or under. What he is doing is either going through a funk, something of your care is off, or he could be sick. I'd double check the temps, take photos of the enclosure for us to look at, place him in front of the food and otherwise encourage him to move around, and get a vet check up with fecal exam for parasites.

- it is a mvb. i'm not sure how to lower the temperature if that is the room temperature with the a/c on (it's texas summer heat). i will probably move the bulb a few inches closer to achieve slightly higher temperatures.
- the temperatures i took earlier today but i don't have a temperature gun. where's the cheapest place to get one from?
- when i do let him roam out there, his main objective seems primarily to be to eat what he can find. what's weird is that he does not take the spring mix i offer him but rather only eats what he gets a hold of outside. he does not seem apprehensive or scared when i observe him.
- i think i bother him enough by handling him when i soak him or take him outside but i will try placing him by the food or near the hide in the basking area.
- he has 3 hides now to take refuge in at different spots of the enclosure but half of the time he just digs himself into the substrate.
- if it wasn't for some unexpected car repair expenses i would take him to the vet but now unfortunately i may have to wait a couple of weeks for that =/

here's a picture of the enclosure

the bedding/substrate from left to right is coco straw mat, then organic mulch, then coconut coir. that is not him in the basket hide on the right by the way, that's a 2nd tortoise i just received yesterday. he's actually hiding in center of the log.

 

[tortoisenerd]

I would have quarantined the new tortoise but too late for that now. Both torts need fecal tests. You should put aside at least a few hundred dollars in an account for vet bills. It really isn't a good idea to add a new tort to your tort's existing enclosure as your old tort can feel like his space has been encroached. Look for signs of bullying, but it can be all emotional and not physical. If your old tort isn't eating and otherwise being himself within a few days, and this started when you put the new tort in, then you need two enclosures. I would have made the new tort an enclosure and after a quarantine made a new enclosure for the two of them that is larger, What does he find to eat outside, and is it free from chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides? 78 for a low is fine if thats as low as you can get it (any higher than 80 for a low in summer though I wouldn't be happy about) and yes I would lower that bulb to get the basking temp of 95 since the enclosure is large enough to keep that low temp still. You can get a temp gun on Ebay or similar starting at $25. I have the PE1. I would add even more hides especially now that you have two torts in there--preferably one for each tort in each temperature zone. Some fake plants would be welcome additions as you already have three box/log type hides. They won't take up much floor space and you can use duct tape to attach them in place to the side or bottom of the enclosure. I got some awesome ones at Michael's craft store. Just take care not to get anything that can be climbed.

I got a shrub and my tort likes to climb and jump off the plant! The ones with the large leaves to provide shade are good. I'd still like more info about the outside time such as if its an enclosure with hides, etc. If its just a set the tort outside to run around that isn't a good idea and can explain the behavior. Its a bad idea to let your tort eat random weeds without identifying them as safe to eat, and you need to ensure the yard is chemical free (apartment complex lawns are very likely full of chemicals--ask the groundskeepers). Outside time when temperatures permit is great, but you would do better with some sort of set enclosure the torts are used to and provides hides so they feel secure. When you put the tort outside and it is scared it will run around like crazy looking for a hide, and then when you place it back inside in its home, it is feeling a sense of relief and wants to go hide for a long time to feel secure, not eating and such. I think this is a possible scenario from what you have told me. If a tort isn't eating, I would only keep it inside right now so it can have the least amount of change/stress in its life and so you can get it eating and figure out what is going on. Was the tort eating the spring mix indoors before you started taking it out and/or before you got a second tort?

 

[khanvict]

I would have quarantined the new tortoise but too late for that now. Both torts need fecal tests. You should put aside at least a few hundred dollars in an account for vet bills. It really isn't a good idea to add a new tort to your tort's existing enclosure as your old tort can feel like his space has been encroached. Look for signs of bullying, but it can be all emotional and not physical. If your old tort isn't eating and otherwise being himself within a few days, and this started when you put the new tort in, then you need two enclosures. I would have made the new tort an enclosure and after a quarantine made a new enclosure for the two of them that is larger, What does he find to eat outside, and is it free from chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides? 78 for a low is fine if thats as low as you can get it (any higher than 80 for a low in summer though I wouldn't be happy about) and yes I would lower that bulb to get the basking temp of 95 since the enclosure is large enough to keep that low temp still. You can get a temp gun on Ebay or similar starting at $25. I have the PE1. I would add even more hides especially now that you have two torts in there--preferably one for each tort in each temperature zone. Some fake plants would be welcome additions as you already have three box/log type hides. They won't take up much floor space and you can use duct tape to attach them in place to the side or bottom of the enclosure. I got some awesome ones at Michael's craft store. Just take care not to get anything that can be climbed.

I got a shrub and my tort likes to climb and jump off the plant! The ones with the large leaves to provide shade are good. I'd still like more info about the outside time such as if its an enclosure with hides, etc. If its just a set the tort outside to run around that isn't a good idea and can explain the behavior. Its a bad idea to let your tort eat random weeds without identifying them as safe to eat, and you need to ensure the yard is chemical free (apartment complex lawns are very likely full of chemicals--ask the groundskeepers). Outside time when temperatures permit is great, but you would do better with some sort of set enclosure the torts are used to and provides hides so they feel secure. When you put the tort outside and it is scared it will run around like crazy looking for a hide, and then when you place it back inside in its home, it is feeling a sense of relief and wants to go hide for a long time to feel secure, not eating and such. I think this is a possible scenario from what you have told me. If a tort isn't eating, I would only keep it inside right now so it can have the least amount of change/stress in its life and so you can get it eating and figure out what is going on. Was the tort eating the spring mix indoors before you started taking it out and/or before you got a second tort?

i understand it probably wasn't the smartest thing to introduce the new tort right away but the short time they spent together the new tort seem to be interested in getting to know mr. munchkin but all mr. munchkin really wanted to do was just go back to his burrows. no aggressive behaviors initially but i'll be monitoring their interactions closely. mr. munchkin was this way prior to introducing the new tort so the behavior is a continuation of some other factor.

here's a picture i caught of the two of them just sitting together there for a moment:

i guess i will discontinue outside activity time until i ask the groundskeeper about the chemicals because i'm not sure. i've lived in this complex for 20 years and never noticed them do anything besides mow the lawn and turn the sprinklers on but it's not like i've been observing closely enough to recall or know if they are using chemicals or not.

there are no hides for him outside where i take him, mostly just grassy areas along the sidewalk paths but he doesn't have that panic mode in him. he does, as you describe, come back and mostly just want to hide again when i bring him inside. i assumed it was from being tired from the extra outdoor exercise/activity but your explanation of the lack of security is probably right. he was not eating the spring mix indoors previously either. the first time i saw him eat anything was the first time i took him outside where he eats the clover looking greens or weeds. the new tortoise eats the spring mix just fine otherwise i thought it might even be spring mix itself.

i had a patch of grass in the enclosure for a few weeks and mr. munchkin really seemed to like it. he would initially hide in it but then would just eat most of the grass and left himself with nothing to hide in. the parts he didn't eat died off rather quickly. i will work on re-adding some more plant-life to the enclosure.