The last couple of weeks my Russian tort hasn't been eating much. He pretty much stays buried all the time. I keep his temps around 95 at the hot end, mid 80's for the center, and around 70 on the cool end. He tends to stay buried in the center part of his enclosure. I soak him once a week. Any suggestions of how I can get him to be more active and eat better?
Low appetite
- Thread starter rhondak
- Start date
Mine has been doing the same thing. I even made it brighter and he still doesn't want to eat much or do much. Just double check all temps and if all is well, I wouldn't worry too much. It could just be the winter blues
Thanks. I was wondering if it was because of it being winter. Last year we had him in a smaller enclosure that was glass so I am wondering if the new open wooden enclosure was an issue. I check the temps often with a temp gun just to make sure the temps are good. I just don't like the fact that he doesn't eat much at all. I changed his uvb bulb today even though it is only a few months old just in case the UVB rays are not what they should be but than again when he stays buried he isn't getting much of the Rays anyways, lol.
zoe98love
Member
It's probably just the winter blues. Russians are usually hibernating around this time of year. You can try to increase the amount of time his lights are on and keep the temperatures warm!
I love the term 'winter blues' 
I wake mine up everyday to bask, eat, and soak. He's in 'lazy mode'
In few months when his biological clock says it's time to wake up, he'll be more active.
I wake mine up everyday to bask, eat, and soak. He's in 'lazy mode'
In few months when his biological clock says it's time to wake up, he'll be more active.
ok I cant say I've ever had a winter problem with my Nank, though at the end of last winter he refused to eat and got really lethargic, so after being scared as all heck I called the vet (and I don't like phones) and brought him in the very next day, they gave him a shot of fluids which perked him up and that night I actually caught him nibbling romaine (his favorite green: I'd been trying to bribe him to eat) The vet mentioned a "post hibernation slump" that tortoises sometimes encounter at the end of winter, kind of like the beginning even if they don't hibernate, which Nank doesn't. No one here's ever said anything like it but I think it was just an extension of winter blues a little later in the season, because literally he doesn't even notice its winter right now.
Soaks are definitely the way to go, if it were me I'd do more while he's still being sluggish, but that's just from my past experience with the fluids helping... it doesn't hurt to try.
Soaks are definitely the way to go, if it were me I'd do more while he's still being sluggish, but that's just from my past experience with the fluids helping... it doesn't hurt to try.
