Is my tort depressed?
- Thread starter samiburke
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Hello and welcome 
Baby tortoises do sleep a lot.
How long have you had him?
Newcomers can be slow to learn that everything is safe and start exploring... you just have to be patient as it can take weeks for him to adapt. Stick to a routine so that he knows what to expect and when... start the day with lights on, heat on, soak (which hydrates and gets him used to being handled) and then feed him... then leave him to his own devices, so he can be brave and start trying things.
Finally, get a thermometer and check the 4 important temperatures. If these are wrong, your tort will be inactive. these are: Under the basking lamp, warm end, cool end and overnight minimum.
Just to reassure you. Tortoises are largely solitary in the wild, meeting up to mate and moving on, they don't get lonely
Have you read Tom's Beginner Mistakes thread?... it's got loads of useful information.
Baby tortoises do sleep a lot.
How long have you had him?
Newcomers can be slow to learn that everything is safe and start exploring... you just have to be patient as it can take weeks for him to adapt. Stick to a routine so that he knows what to expect and when... start the day with lights on, heat on, soak (which hydrates and gets him used to being handled) and then feed him... then leave him to his own devices, so he can be brave and start trying things.
Finally, get a thermometer and check the 4 important temperatures. If these are wrong, your tort will be inactive. these are: Under the basking lamp, warm end, cool end and overnight minimum.
Just to reassure you. Tortoises are largely solitary in the wild, meeting up to mate and moving on, they don't get lonely
Have you read Tom's Beginner Mistakes thread?... it's got loads of useful information.
I've had him since march and he was very active, walking all around his tank and on his log. I soak him every morning when he gets up then feed him and spritz throughout the day. It's only been the pas week tht he's been overly shell-ish and sleepy. I've read Toms thing and he eats normal I'm just worried as to why he suddenly doesn't walk around so much. He's always basking and the temp never goes below 85. At night it's around 75. When I hold him and let him out of his tank he walks all over the place so is it just his tank he's getting tired of???
Double check the temperatures . It might be getting too hot, or your basking lamp may not be at quite the right height.
How big is the enclosure and how big is your tort?
How big is the enclosure and how big is your tort?
No he eats his weight practically every day. His eyes are normal and the only time I see bubbles come out his nose is when I soak him. He just seems overly sleepy all of a sudden. He pees and poos normally and when I'm holding him and have him out of his tank he is normal
They do have quieter periods from time to time, so it's probably just worth keeping an eye on him for another week or so.
May we see a picture of him as well as a pic of his enclosure? Please. Pictures sometimes are worth a thousand words....
Pictures sometimes are worth a thousand words....
what about calcium? sunshine?
UV? How often do you soak him?
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