help tanker is trying to hibernate

[Kolorbl1nd]

I dont know what to do. last year he didnt hibernate and this time all he does is burrow and sleep. ive been giving him baths and letting him walk around my appartment but hes not eating and he just burrows a hole and stays there. should i hibernate him and how?

 

[Laura]

he needs consistant heat, not being allowed to walk around on the floor.. and at least 14 hours of light per day. Or he will start shutting down...

 

[Kolorbl1nd]

he needs consistant heat, not being allowed to walk around on the floor.. and at least 14 hours of light per day. Or he will start shutting down...

his heat is 100 all day but hes hiding in the dirt

 

[ascott]

As much as we like to think we can alter what evolution has equipped some tort species...we are fooling ourselves but surely not fooling our tort counter parts....This is my opinion and is what I will stand by....

Now, if you are going to overwinter your tort...then you will want to do just as suggested....but at the same time be prepared that this tort may have a strong drive to dive (down into the earth that is) and no matter what you do to "bother" him/her....the evolutionary clock can and does affect individual torts in a variety of ways....so if your tort is being overwintered you will want to make sure that you do more than simply heat and light em up--you will want to disturb him on a regular routine schedule--

You will want to assure he remains hydrated (so you may need to do forced soaks every two or three days) as well as exercised (so he can not just fall into that evolutionary rest) and food continually be offered...and if all of this fails then you can let him do short fake brumations for about a week or two at a time and then totally pull him up and out and get him moving by any means you need to ....as a tort that is not actually brumating is still using reserves yet not doing all of the other things a tort fully awake nor a tort brumating is doing...so this can create health issues...

If you elect to allow him to brumate then you will need to make yourself well educated in a rather small time frame (which can be done but is not the ideal thing) also, how long have you had the tort? Have you had the tort in your care for at least an entire year? How did he brumate last year?--where/in what/who did it?

Most importantly though---please go down your enclosure checklist and assure that there is not a problem there and can be creating this false sense of "oh he is wanting to brumate" you know?

Also, are you keeping his enclosure (or most of it) at 100 degrees? Remember, this species also has been designed to retreat and dive when the temps are too hot consistently....so you will want to get a hold on your overall temps (cool dry side/ warm middle ground-ambient/ and basking/hot spot)....

 

[Kolorbl1nd]

As much as we like to think we can alter what evolution has equipped some tort species...we are fooling ourselves but surely not fooling our tort counter parts....This is my opinion and is what I will stand by....

Now, if you are going to overwinter your tort...then you will want to do just as suggested....but at the same time be prepared that this tort may have a strong drive to dive (down into the earth that is) and no matter what you do to "bother" him/her....the evolutionary clock can and does affect individual torts in a variety of ways....so if your tort is being overwintered you will want to make sure that you do more than simply heat and light em up--you will want to disturb him on a regular routine schedule--

You will want to assure he remains hydrated (so you may need to do forced soaks every two or three days) as well as exercised (so he can not just fall into that evolutionary rest) and food continually be offered...and if all of this fails then you can let him do short fake brumations for about a week or two at a time and then totally pull him up and out and get him moving by any means you need to ....as a tort that is not actually brumating is still using reserves yet not doing all of the other things a tort fully awake nor a tort brumating is doing...so this can create health issues...

If you elect to allow him to brumate then you will need to make yourself well educated in a rather small time frame (which can be done but is not the ideal thing) also, how long have you had the tort? Have you had the tort in your care for at least an entire year? How did he brumate last year?--where/in what/who did it?

Most importantly though---please go down your enclosure checklist and assure that there is not a problem there and can be creating this false sense of "oh he is wanting to brumate" you know?

Also, are you keeping his enclosure (or most of it) at 100 degrees? Remember, this species also has been designed to retreat and dive when the temps are too hot consistently....so you will want to get a hold on your overall temps (cool dry side/ warm middle ground-ambient/ and basking/hot spot)....

Thank you for responding,
Ive had tanker for a year now. i got him in june of last year. i kept him awake last winter.and kept giving him regular baths and exercise time. I also had a smaller enclosure then. idk if that has anything to do with it. however, this winter he is not eating more than a couple bites in a span of a couple days. ive never seen him like this. i pull him out everyday and try to get him moving so he might eat or give him a warm bath and when i put him back in, he burrows. his temps are: basking 100-105, warm 80-95, cool 60-70. do you think i should move him into a smaller place?

 

[GBtortoises]

No tortoise will brumate (hibernate) under conditions that warm and with the correct day light duration and intensity. However, they may go into aestivation if too warm and or dry consistently.
The daytime temperatures are plenty hot enough, actually a bit too hot overall. What is the night time temperature when the lights are shut off? What type of lighting is being used?

 

[Kolorbl1nd]

No tortoise will brumate (hibernate) under conditions that warm and with the correct day light duration and intensity. However, they may go into aestivation if too warm and or dry consistently.
The daytime temperatures are plenty hot enough, actually a bit too hot overall. What is the night time temperature when the lights are shut off? What type of lighting is being used?

at night its about 60-65 with light off and im using exoterra solar glow 125w. i also have a heat lamp but my temps are hot enough so i dont have it on. my enclosure is 3 by 5 foot.

 

[GBtortoises]

65 degrees is fine, even cooler would be better but that is often difficult to do indoors. The basking temperature is good, the daytime activity temperatures at the cooler end could be around 70-75 and not quite so high in the middle or warm end. Many tortoises, especially temperate climate species like Russians become inactive when ambient daytime temperature begin to climb above the low 80's.

MVB lamps by themselves do not provide enough light (or UV) for an entire enclosure. They produce a lot of heat because of the type of of lamp that they are. But they fall short when it comes to providing anything but very localized light and UV. You might want to try using a tube style UV lamp, at least a 3' with a 4' being better, in an enclosure of that size. This will light the entire enclosure with daytime lighting as well as providing UV distribution throughout the enclosure. Much as would take place in nature when the sun is out. When using the UV tube you can also replace the MVB lamp with a standard incandescent bulb or spot lamp of appropriate wattage which makes it easier to control basking heat and general temperatures more effectively.

How long is the light on during the day?

 

[Kolorbl1nd]

65 degrees is fine, even cooler would be better but that is often difficult to do indoors. The basking temperature is good, the daytime activity temperatures at the cooler end could be around 70-75 and not quite so high in the middle or warm end. Many tortoises, especially temperate climate species like Russians become inactive when ambient daytime temperature begin to climb above the low 80's.

MVB lamps by themselves do not provide enough light (or UV) for an entire enclosure. They produce a lot of heat because of the type of of lamp that they are. But they fall short when it comes to providing anything but very localized light and UV. You might want to try using a tube style UV lamp, at least a 3' with a 4' being better, in an enclosure of that size. This will light the entire enclosure with daytime lighting as well as providing UV distribution throughout the enclosure. Much as would take place in nature when the sun is out. When using the UV tube you can also replace the MVB lamp with a standard incandescent bulb or spot lamp of appropriate wattage which makes it easier to control basking heat and general temperatures more effectively.

How long is the light on during the day?

ok i will pick up a tube style uv lamp, what wattage? i do have a regular bulb at the opposite end to give him light but its not uv. the light is on for 13-14 hours a day. i just gave him a soaking and he actually ate a little nit but now hes right back into his hide. im thinking about rearranging his enclosure today. i feel like he gets bored quickly too, maybe that has something to do with it

 

[GBtortoises]

Tube UV's come basically by length, not wattage. You have to have the correct fixture for the lamp. Actually rearranging a tortoises enclosure often or in a major way is what will often cause them to hide and/or stop eating. Tortoises are creatures of habit and most need somewhat consistently familiar surroundings to establish a routine. Once they feel secure in their environment they will begin to come out of hiding to bask, eat and explore. I doubt very much that your tortoise is bored.

 

[Kolorbl1nd]

Tube UV's come basically by length, not wattage. You have to have the correct fixture for the lamp. Actually rearranging a tortoises enclosure often or in a major way is what will often cause them to hide and/or stop eating. Tortoises are creatures of habit and most need somewhat consistently familiar surroundings to establish a routine. Once they feel secure in their environment they will begin to come out of hiding to bask, eat and explore. I doubt very much that your tortoise is bored.

oh ok thats good to know. thank you so much for your help.