We've had our russian for about 2 weeks now. At first she acted normal (as far as we know), ate good, basked, etc. I took her to the vet and they said she had worms, so she was treated for that. I recently build her a new enclosure (5x3 tortoise table) and now she hasn't come out of her log hide in 3 days. She isn't eating and is burrowed down under her log. It's not particularly cold in our house (72 degrees), but is this tort trying to hibernate? This is our first one so I'm not sure what to do. Should I let it be or should I get it up everyday or what? Any advice will be helpful.
Is my new russian trying to hibernate?
- Thread starter hair2831
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Take a moment to read your own post. You've had the tortoise for only two weeks, she's been to the vet already and recently placed into a new, unfamiliar environment (new enclosure). All within the past two weeks. Tortoises are very much creatures of habit. They need to be allowed time to first feel secure in their surroundings and then establish a routine. I believe that you may need to give her some time to do so.
In the meantime can you tell us what her environment is like? What are the ambient day and night temperatures within her enclosure? How much light during the day is she exposed to and what type of lighting? Does she have have constant access to water or is being watered (soaked) in a seperate container regularly? What type of substrate and how deep is it? Hide boxes and/or other shelter? By the way, the size of your enclosure is great! It will allow plenty of room for lots of activity once she comes out and starts checking out her new enclosure.
In the meantime can you tell us what her environment is like? What are the ambient day and night temperatures within her enclosure? How much light during the day is she exposed to and what type of lighting? Does she have have constant access to water or is being watered (soaked) in a seperate container regularly? What type of substrate and how deep is it? Hide boxes and/or other shelter? By the way, the size of your enclosure is great! It will allow plenty of room for lots of activity once she comes out and starts checking out her new enclosure.
What you said makes sense. She has been through a lot in a short time! The cool side of the enclosure during the day is 71 degrees and the basking side is about 105. I have two lights on one end. One is a powersun 100watt and the other is just a 150watt basking bulb. I have one in each corner on the end of the box. At first I just had the powersun, but it didn't produce enough heat, imo. And this way, she can choose between just heat or uvb and heat. The nighttime temps are around 72. I leave the lights on for about 12 hours a day. Also the humidity level is right around 60%.
The substrate is a mix of play sand and coco coir (mostly coir), and it is around 4" deep at the moment. We feed her greens daily and keep fresh water in the enclosure. We also soak her a couple of times a week for up to 30 minutes. There is a half log hide and a flower pot hide in the box right now, and she loves the half log. She sleeps under it most nights burrowed down.
The substrate is a mix of play sand and coco coir (mostly coir), and it is around 4" deep at the moment. We feed her greens daily and keep fresh water in the enclosure. We also soak her a couple of times a week for up to 30 minutes. There is a half log hide and a flower pot hide in the box right now, and she loves the half log. She sleeps under it most nights burrowed down.
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The temperatures and humidity levels and just about everything else you're doing sounds great! The night time temperature could be lower, in the 60-68 degree range. Russian tortoises really do not need warm temperatures at night and in fact are more active with a 15-20 degree temperature differential from night to day. My own group of Russians is set up very much the way that you're describing your set up with the exception of night time heat. The room that my tortoises in gets down to about 65 degrees at night. All heat and light sources are off. Because of my house heat it simply won't go any lower. But when the lights come on in the morning the Russian tortoises are almost always the first ones to come out of their shelters to bask under the lights.
I am not fond of using sand as a substrate material. I used to but never liked the fact that it was dusty when it dried out and stuck to everything that was slightly moist including food and a tortoise's eyes and mouth. For adults I switched to just cypress mulch. Adult Russians really don't need the as much moisture content in their substrate as growing young do either. Mine seem to have no problem digging in it and burying themselves! For young tortoises I use a combination of organic potting or top soil, coconut coir and ground leaf litter & sphagnum.
The half log and flower pot are great because Russian have a natural inclination to burrow and indoors they seem to like hide areas that are close to their body size and not large expanses.
I am not fond of using sand as a substrate material. I used to but never liked the fact that it was dusty when it dried out and stuck to everything that was slightly moist including food and a tortoise's eyes and mouth. For adults I switched to just cypress mulch. Adult Russians really don't need the as much moisture content in their substrate as growing young do either. Mine seem to have no problem digging in it and burying themselves! For young tortoises I use a combination of organic potting or top soil, coconut coir and ground leaf litter & sphagnum.
The half log and flower pot are great because Russian have a natural inclination to burrow and indoors they seem to like hide areas that are close to their body size and not large expanses.
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