Is my turtle depressed, or trying to hibernate?

[cristina lazaro]

Hey everybody! So my turtle Lucy spends all day dug into one little spot of the enclosure… She doesn’t come out and hasn’t eaten for two days now even her favorite thing, earthworms (which is really all she’s wanted to eat it all the last five or six feedings… She never touches her vegetables even though I chopped them small and mix them in with the other food) the temperature in the enclosure ranges from 70° to 90° and she has a UVB light, I am just concerned that she is not getting the correct Treatment . I wanna be a good turtle mom. Is she sad or hibernating?

 

[wellington]

What's the humidity? Does she have a area she can swim in? Boxies like a deep substrate, kinda swampy/moist and they can enjoy a wading dish or pond, depending on size of enclosure.

 

[cristina lazaro]

she does have A dish, but are usually have to for soak her once a week because she hardly goes in… Her substrate which is a coconut fiber substrate is very moist at all times almost muddy but not quite just moist enough to ball up… I really don’t know what’s wrong but I’m a little concerned being that before at least she was eating her worms and now she doesn’t even want to eat that let alone other veggies… Her eyes were clear and she seems reactive so I don’t think she sick and I’m just hoping she’s not depressed… Wondering if she could be attempting to hibernate?

 

[JoesMum]

What are the temperatures in the enclosure?. Lack of activity is almost always due to low temperatures

Boxies do hibernate and will detect the change of the seasons even if kept indoors as light levels outside affect those inside. You have to kid your tort it is summer if you are not hibernating your tort. This may involve additional light to make it brighter (lights need to be on for at least 12 hours - use a timer) and additional heat to stop ambient temperatures dropping too low especially at night (use a Ceramic Heat Emitter with a thermostat 24/7)

I very much doubt your tort is depressed. Torts don't really do depression. They can become stressed and withdrawn. Causes of stress include too much noise, being kept with another tortoise, change to the enclosure, being hauled out of the enclosure on a regular basis for 'cuddles' or to roam the floor.

 

[PJay]

It sounds like you have her set up well enough and maybe she is just reacting to the shorter, cooler days we are having in the US lately. Could you post some pictures of her enclosure so we can have a good look? Some current pics of Lucy's face might help too.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

It isn't unusual for box turtles in indoor enclosures to slow down a bit during the winter. Mine certainly does. Your temperatures sound fine. Dig her up a couple times a week and soak her in warm (not hot) water. Try feeding her during or after the soak. She'll probably poop in there, too.

If you have a kitchen scale that measures grams, you can weigh her, before and/or after her soaks. Keep a record of it, so you can tell if she loses any weight over time. It will establish a baseline that you can refer to later. You'll be glad you did, this time next year when you have to go through this again.