jh0101
New Member
Hello all. I have had one Russian tortoise for 6 years that I’ve never hibernated. Eight months ago I adopted a second Russian that I have no information about its previous care, but it’s appeared in good health since. I don’t know it’s age, but she’s a few inches longer than my other female who would be 8-9 years of age. I would say 7 days ago (end of February) the newest tortoise seemingly burrowed inside it’s hide and has been in there since, unless I’ve taken it out myself. It hasn’t touched its food, except for a tiny nibble after I took it out a few days ago to soak it, since I was concerned it wasn’t eating. After the soak, it stayed under the heat lamp for a while then returned to it’s hide and has been there since. When I took it out for the soak it was active, it didn’t seem like it was under any duress or sick (the eyes looked fine, it’s legs pushed against my hand as strong as before, etc). It’s cage’s temperatures are right and it’s UVB lighting is fine as well. The hide she’s in is a essentially a 18” by 18” wooden box in one corner of the cage, and it has two entrances. It looks like she’s barricaded both openings with dirt, which she has never done before.
Could the tortoise be trying to hibernate itself, or should I be worried about something else? I thought maybe her previous owners maybe have hibernated her, and she’s trying to do it herself now? I will add, I live in the Midwest, so 2-ish weeks ago we were hit by that terrible cold, and it did affect the general temperature inside my house, nothing drastic - 6 or 7 degrees at most. The heat lamps stayed on as normal. Could this change in weather have affected it and caused it to try to hibernate? If it’s trying to hibernate, should I let it do its thing and it will come out of it eventually, or can I take it out of this state by trying to make it more active?
Thanks.
Could the tortoise be trying to hibernate itself, or should I be worried about something else? I thought maybe her previous owners maybe have hibernated her, and she’s trying to do it herself now? I will add, I live in the Midwest, so 2-ish weeks ago we were hit by that terrible cold, and it did affect the general temperature inside my house, nothing drastic - 6 or 7 degrees at most. The heat lamps stayed on as normal. Could this change in weather have affected it and caused it to try to hibernate? If it’s trying to hibernate, should I let it do its thing and it will come out of it eventually, or can I take it out of this state by trying to make it more active?
Thanks.