Is there a problem with my tortoise ?

[james1990]

Hi,
i have got a few months old russian tortoise the other day. i am a new keeper so dont have much experience but have done quite a lot of research before buying one.
He spends a relitivly long periods just lying about (well i think its long time), and i am wondering if this is normal. yesterday was was the first full day i have had him and he was slow and didnt move to much untill the middle of the afternoon when he seemed to be very active for an hour or two.
he was asleep (or still) before i went to bed last night and is still relativly still or asleep a couple of hours once i get up. is this normal ?
thanks.

 

[Greg T]

Since he is relatively new to you, you don't know his tendancy for activity. I have three with different activity levels. One will walk and eat all day, one will find a hiding spot for a while, then come back out, then go hide, and the last one will sleep in late, walk around a while, then go take a nice long nap again.

You can try a few minor changes in his environment to see if that helps, like raising the temperature a few degrees, or leaving the light on longer. When mine seem sleepy, a quick warm water soak in the sink usually wakes them up nicely.

Keep watching him, make sure he eats, drinks and poops. Good luck!

 

[GBtortoises]

Lying around where? Under the basking light, in a hiding area or out in the open? Most young tortoises won't lay out in the open in a new environment at first. Their initial instinct is to find a hiding spot for a few days.

Under healthy, normal circumstances, temperature and daylight duration determine a tortoise's activity level throughout the day (and night). What are the temperatures during the daytime under the basking light measured at the substrate? What are the temperatures at the opposite end from the basking light during the daytime? And what are the temperatures at night in the enclosure? I would first look at temperature and if they are all within normal ranges.

 

[james1990]

ok, thanks ! i have checked the temperature and it is within the normal ranges. after him lying still under leaves and stuff for pretty much all day i brought him out for a soak, dried him then put him back for 15 mins. i decided to bring him out and put him on my floor and he has burst into life and he was roaming around everywhere at high speed !

 

[tortoisenerd]

Congrats on the shell baby! Do you have a name yet?

The reason torts will run around when you put them on the floor is because they are scared and looking for a place to hide. The floor is a very dangerous place for them as it is cold, and even dust or hair can be a hazard. Please don't let your tort roam on the floor. Best to have a big enough enclosure they don't need to be let out to exercise. The enclosure also needs to grow as the tort grows, regardless of how large of an enclosure you start with.

Can you post photos of the tort and enclosure? Also, post the temperature gradient in the enclosure and what you feed (and plan to feed) the tort. This will best let us give you some advice as to if anything is a problem. Your tort should be up and active each day--eating, basking, walking, and hiding. But, a lot of laying around is normal, especially for hatchlings. As a new owner it is tough to know what is normal, so that is why I ask for you to post about your care so we can try to give our best guess instead of just saying that it sounds normal.

Torts all have different hours of activity. Some get up as soon as their lights come on, and some like mine sleep until late morning. Hatchlings nap a lot during the day and sleep a lot at night, but they should get up and eat and bask daily. If they aren't doing that, then is when you worry. Your tort will likely get into a routine after a few days, and truly settle in after a few weeks or months.

Are you planning to take the tort to the vet for a checkup and fecal test for parasites?

 

[james1990]

yeh cheers for your help. well to be honest. after that soak i gave him he is completly different. he is running around his encosure, clibling the log etc. i personally think maybe he was getting dehydrated, although the was a water dish in the enclosure for him. i will post pics up later today i think.
i have called him mervin ... aka merv

 

[tortoisenerd]

Awww Mervin is a great tort name. If you don't think he is using the water in the enclosure, and the soaks don't stress him out, it can only be beneficial to continue doing so. Daily is good for a new tort or hatchling. For an older tort, every other or every third day is more suitable. Torts take time to settle in...keep that in mind. For a young hatchling, I actually wouldn't have a log or any other things in there to climb. I would only use hides with vertical sides. They tend to flip over, and you can't watch them all the time. Not to try to scare you, but some torts can't flip back over on their own.