horsefield depression

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janehug26

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[/b][/size][/font]Hi everyone, am new to the site, and hopeing one of you will be able to help me with my horsefield. Mr blue is 25, i have had him 3 years in which time he has not had a successful hibenation but that never bothed him. Then i moved his house to other side of the room and thats when he changed its like he is frightend to come out of his bed, he isn't eating very much. That was a few weeks ago. I forgot to say mr blue is an indoor tortorise. Most grateful for any help.:p
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Jane:

If he's in the same habitat, but a different orientation in the room I don't see that it should make any difference. Could it be that this side of the room is cooler than where he was before?

Start with the basics and go all over your tortoise-keeping from the beginning. Lights, heat, food, etc. Just to be sure you have everything like it is supposed to be.
 

Tom

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I agree with Yvonne. I'd bump up temps another 5-10 degrees and see what that does too. Is sunshine an option? Often that will get them revved up again.
 

GeoTerraTestudo

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I have moved my Russians' tubs a couple times, and they do seem curious about the change for a while, but they quickly get used to it, so I don't think that's it. Maybe there is a draft in that corner of the room that makes it too cold, or direct sunlight that makes it too hot, or something like that. Another possibility is that there could be loud noises or vibrations coming through that wall that are frightening him. Tortoises don't have the best hearing (they seem to hear mostly low-pitched sounds), but they are very good at picking up vibrations through their shells, especially the plastron, which is in contact with the ground. If you have a neighbor that is playing loud music with a thumping bass line or something, then the vibes might be scaring your tortoise. Similarly, if that side of the room is closer to frequent foot traffic in your household, then your tortoise might not be feeling calm enough to feed normally. Finally, maybe that side of the room is too bright or too dark all the time, so maybe your tortoise isn't getting a good circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle), which could stress him out. Any of this seem plausible to you?
 

tortoisenerd

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Temps are the biggest thing with tort keeping, so double check those with a good thermometer like a temp gun... With an indoor setup, you need to be checking the temps every couple days. Even if you have a thermostat set, the humidity in the room or sun coming in can change the temps drastically. I make sure I keep things as consistent as I can by using an inside wall away from a window. I minimize the heat needed by raising up the enclosure as well. Can we see some enclosure photos? A few weeks should be enough to adjust to a change like this, assuming no other changes. Great comments about the vibration...my tort freaks with the vacuum and such.
 

janehug26

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emysemys said:
Hi Jane:

If he's in the same habitat, but a different orientation in the room I don't see that it should make any difference. Could it be that this side of the room is cooler than where he was before?

Start with the basics and go all over your tortoise-keeping from the beginning. Lights, heat, food, etc. Just to be sure you have everything like it is supposed to be.

Hi emysemys

Thank you for your reply. Mr blue has all the things he should have, in the way of heating, and light. Thank you for your help though.
Jane:)



GeoTerraTestudo said:
I have moved my Russians' tubs a couple times, and they do seem curious about the change for a while, but they quickly get used to it, so I don't think that's it. Maybe there is a draft in that corner of the room that makes it too cold, or direct sunlight that makes it too hot, or something like that. Another possibility is that there could be loud noises or vibrations coming through that wall that are frightening him. Tortoises don't have the best hearing (they seem to hear mostly low-pitched sounds), but they are very good at picking up vibrations through their shells, especially the plastron, which is in contact with the ground. If you have a neighbor that is playing loud music with a thumping bass line or something, then the vibes might be scaring your tortoise. Similarly, if that side of the room is closer to frequent foot traffic in your household, then your tortoise might not be feeling calm enough to feed normally. Finally, maybe that side of the room is too bright or too dark all the time, so maybe your tortoise isn't getting a good circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle), which could stress him out. Any of this seem plausible to you?
rra testu
Hi geo testudo

Thank you for your reply. I think you and tom have solved the problem of Mr blues depression. The side of the room that he is on has less sun light then the side i moved him from, so i will move him back, and see how he goes. Thank you again for your help.
Jane:)

tortoisenerd said:
Temps are the biggest thing with tort keeping, so double check those with a good thermometer like a temp gun... With an indoor setup, you need to be checking the temps every couple days. Even if you have a thermostat set, the humidity in the room or sun coming in can change the temps drastically. I make sure I keep things as consistent as I can by using an inside wall away from a window. I minimize the heat needed by raising up the enclosure as well. Can we see some enclosure photos? A few weeks should be enough to adjust to a change like this, assuming no other changes. Great comments about the vibration...my tort freaks with the vacuum and such.

Hi Kate

Thank you for your reply. I think tom and geo terra testudo have solved the problem with Mr blue. There is not much sun light on the side of the room were i moved him to, so going to move him back and see how he is in a week or two.

Jane :)
 
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