Is she trying to hibernate?

[sloughli]

We have a new 4-5 year old female Greek. She had a cold last week, which she seems to have mostly gotten over (couple of little nose bubbles here and there, but really just when she first wakes up), but now all she seems to want to do is burrow in her substrate all the time. I have to go in and dig her out to get her to warm up and eat, which she's happy enough to do for a bit, but then she's back to digging herself in again.

So, two questions:

does this mean her enclosure is too hot and she's trying to escape the heat? During the day I only have one basking light in addition to the UV light going, so it's 95 on the hot side, and probably around 80 on the cold side. At night I turn off the basking, and the warm side is probably more like 85, and the cool 75, though I'm sure it's cooler in the mulch where she likes to be.

or, could she be trying to hibernate? She's eating well so I really don't think so, but why else would she totally bury herself all the time? Seriously, I look in her enclosure and wonder if she's escaped! I have to dig around to find her.

I'm just worried that she's sick or unhappy and I just want to do all I can for her. Part of me says let her do what makes her happy, but I don't want her cold to come back either.

Thanks!
S

 

[Dougie27]

I think you should lower the temp.

 

[mike taylor]

If she is sick don't drop the temperature in the enclosure it will only make things worse . What are you using to check the temperature heat gun or them disk thermometers? Sounds to me its to cold and digging down to control its temperature . Never let a sick tortoise hibernate . If it has stuff coming out of its nose you need to increase temperature at lest five degrees and don't let it get lower than 80 degrees .

 

[sloughli]

Seems like she must have been too cold in her hideout...I put a heat pad under that side, and she stopped burrowing. AND, she must have been getting too cold at night, because her runny nose is now so much better. Don't know why she thought it would be warmer if she went deeper, but whatever...problem solved. Thanks.

 

[ascott]

Don't know why she thought it would be warmer if she went deeper, but whatever...problem solved.

The deeper the dig the more stable the temp (without knowing if she was seeking cooler or warmer I suppose you will never know)....I also would not be too quick to dismiss the overall behavior of the tort...a tort will tell you their needs are not being met.

Simply placing the heating element in the spot favored spot and the tort now not being interested, to me, is not solving the problem but seems to have rather chased the tort away vs resolving a situation...

Have you checked all of the temps during the day and during the night (I see you shut down heat sources for night and the enclosure you say goes into the 70s, if you have a runny nose tort then the temps should not drop below 80 at night, in my opinion)? Have you checked the temps at different times of the day and night when the burrowing is at its peak?

 

[sloughli]

she still goes in her hideout at night, she still likes that same spot, she's just not burrowing there anymore. i have a thermometer and a heat gun, and the the temp in her enclosure (at surface) is (hot-side/cool-side) 95/85 during the day, and 85/75 at night, but the heat pad under her hideout (where she sleeps) keeps it warmer under the mulch. She doesn't burrow anymore but she does still like to scooch into the mulch, so I think she's warmer than that at night. The fact that her nose bubbles/respiratory issues have gone away makes me think that she's doing well, but of course I'll be keeping an eye on her. thanks for the input.

 

[ascott]

she still goes in her hideout at night, she still likes that same spot, she's just not burrowing there anymore. i have a thermometer and a heat gun, and the the temp in her enclosure (at surface) is (hot-side/cool-side) 95/85 during the day, and 85/75 at night, but the heat pad under her hideout (where she sleeps) keeps it warmer under the mulch. She doesn't burrow anymore but she does still like to scooch into the mulch, so I think she's warmer than that at night. The fact that her nose bubbles/respiratory issues have gone away makes me think that she's doing well, but of course I'll be keeping an eye on her. thanks for the input.

Ahhh, now I understand Good deal.