My new Greek

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margotlynn

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I received my new greek tortoise on Thursday. She keeps hiding and sleeping. I understand this is normal behavior for babies, but she is 5-6 years old and captive-bred. I have set up her habitat exactly according to specifications, but she just stays most of the time in her hide box; occasionally venturing out to eat or bask (but not too often). Is there an adjustment period for adult torts as well. I suppose there probably is and I am just being paranoid. She is my first pet (I am 30 years old). I am just wondering how long I should let her hide before trying to get her to be more social?

Thanks,
Margot
Western Washington
1 greek tortoise- Athena
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Margot:

Have you actually measured the temperatures around different areas in the habitat? It may be too cold for the tortoise.
 

margotlynn

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That is the strangest part, Yvonne! She is in a tortoise table with a heating pad under the bed room that goes on at night. During the day it is only about 75 in there. (At night it warms up to upper 80's or 90's, depending on how close she far down through the substrate she has dug). The basking temp during the day is 95-98. The odd part is that Athena keeps going into the coldest part of the enclosure. It is as if she is looking for the cold. I dig her out during the day and place her under the basking lamp. She will sit there for a few minutes, munch on some greens (providing that there are no people directly around her) and then go back to the cold part and go to sleep. I am wondering if this is because they put her in hibernation to ship her? Perhaps she is confused and thinks she is supposed to be hibernating? Maybe this is normal? I am just not sure.
 

GBtortoises

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Wow! Turn down the heat! Seriously, the night time temperature for any Greek subspecies should be cooler and no where near 80s or 90's. The basking temp is fine, even a bit warmer, 100-105 is good. An ambient temperature of 75 degrees is good too, even a little warmer is fine, into the low 80's as long as the basking temperatures under the light source are within range. Shipping does not put a tortoise into hibernation. Your tortoise is not hibernating but may be trying to aestivate because of the constantly hot conditions. Hibernation takes place to escape cold weather conditions, aestivation takes place to escape hot and often dry conditions. The two actions serve somewhat similar purposes for tortoise but take place under very different circumstances.
First and most important make sure that your tortoise is well hydrated. Food, while obviously important, is third on the list for a tortoise in new surroundings. First and foremost is a sense of security. A tortoise placed in an all new environment needs to feel secure enough to venture out and explore it's new surroundings, drink and forage for food. This is best done by setting the tortoise's enclosure up with it's needs and then essentially leaving it alone, especially from constant handling, except what is absolutely necessary. Second is hydration. This is absolutely crucial. Many tortoises can easily become dehydrated quickly, especially in hot conditions even if they aren't very active at the time. Dehydration can lead to, among other things, a build up of toxins being stored in the wastes, reduced appetite and other issues.

It's also good to know from what geographical region your Greek tortoise is from. Tortoises known as "Greek" tortoises actually inhabit an extremely vast region of the world with very different climates throughout. Generally speaking they are from three different regions: The Northern Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa. While it's good to know the subspecies of your tortoise, especially if you intend to breed them or get another one, it's more important to know which region they came from or their parents came from.
Did you purchase from the person who actually bred the parents and produced the offspring or from another source? The reason I ask this is because many dealers will sell wild caught tortoises as "captive bred", "captive born" or "farm raised" when in fact they may be wild caught. Truly captive born tortoises usually more easily adjust to different captive conditions than do a bit older wild caught animals.
Some photos of the tortoise and it's enclosure would help greatly too.
 

margotlynn

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Thanks so much for the information! I read in a few different places that it shouldn't go below 80 degrees. So I was worried. I believe her parents were from Jordan. I will follow your advice and keep you posted. Thanks so much. Photos to come.
Thanks again,
Margot
 

Tccarolina

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Some of mine are from Jordan. They live outside, and it's been so cool this spring, that its rarely risen above 80 degrees in the daytime (although the tortoises absorb heat and reach warmer temps then that when the sun is shining). Every night has reached into the 50's. The golden's are up and in position for the sun before it hits the ground. Yesterday, it was cool and overcast in the 60's and they were out feeding all day!
Indoors, your tortoise deals with more stress, so less then ideal temps will affect him more adversely, but you will be fine to let the night temps drop at least into the 70's.
 
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