My tortoise hasn’t burrowed

TiaAnaise2002

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Hi, I’ve just gotten a young elongated tortoise and I’ve got all his lamps and I’ve got some soil terrain but he hasn’t burrowed and im not sure wether that’s a bad thing or not and he just sits in his log I got him all day image.jpg
 

Tom

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Hi, I’ve just gotten a young elongated tortoise and I’ve got all his lamps and I’ve got some soil terrain but he hasn’t burrowed and im not sure wether that’s a bad thing or not and he just sits in his log I got him all day View attachment 341249
I don't keep this species, but I love them and am interested in them, so I read all I can about them. They are shade dwelling forest tortoises. Your florescent tube might be too bright and the tortoise is hiding from the brightness.

Your enclosure also looks a bit too dry, and too barren. Try adding some safe plants, more hiding areas, more furniture and dampen the substrate more.

The enclosure is also too small. Torts need a lot of room to roam inside their heated enclosures.

How are you heating it and what is the temperature?
 

TiaAnaise2002

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I don't keep this species, but I love them and am interested in them, so I read all I can about them. They are shade dwelling forest tortoises. Your florescent tube might be too bright and the tortoise is hiding from the brightness.

Your enclosure also looks a bit too dry, and too barren. Try adding some safe plants, more hiding areas, more furniture and dampen the substrate more.

The enclosure is also too small. Torts need a lot of room to roam inside their heated enclosures.

How are you heating it and what is the temperature?
Hi Thankyou I will definitely try that and get a bigger encloser, the temperature is 30 degrees Celsius on one side and 19 degrees Celsius on the other side I’ve only had that tube light for one day and he seems more active now I have it, I did have a uvb+uva lamp before I changed the lamp to a basking lamp and got the tube. I’ve order wood chippings and some orchid moss for him. I’m just worried that he might get ill or something I do might make him ill.
 

Tom

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Hi Thankyou I will definitely try that and get a bigger encloser, the temperature is 30 degrees Celsius on one side and 19 degrees Celsius on the other side I’ve only had that tube light for one day and he seems more active now I have it, I did have a uvb+uva lamp before I changed the lamp to a basking lamp and got the tube. I’ve order wood chippings and some orchid moss for him. I’m just worried that he might get ill or something I do might make him ill.
30 is fine, but 19 is much too cool. The whole enclosure should be 27-30C all the time.

It looks like you have coco coir for substrate. That works fine, but it needs to be damp and hand packed to reduce the mess and dust, and to help keep humidity high. I would not use wood chips, and moss shouldn't be used because tortoises will eat it and it can cause impaction.

This species does not need a basking lamp. Just over all warm temps.
 

TiaAnaise2002

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30 is fine, but 19 is much too cool. The whole enclosure should be 27-30C all the time.

It looks like you have coco coir for substrate. That works fine, but it needs to be damp and hand packed to reduce the mess and dust, and to help keep humidity high. I would not use wood chips, and moss shouldn't be used because tortoises will eat it and it can cause impaction.

This species does not need a basking lamp. Just over all warm temps.
What would you recommend for a heat lamp then as I’m from the uk and it’s quite cold here all year round
 

Tom

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What would you recommend for a heat lamp then as I’m from the uk and it’s quite cold here all year round
Not a heat lamp, but a radiant heat panel or a a CHE, or two CHEs, controlled by a thermostat.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
  2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night.
  3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
  4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.
Your species doesn't need the basking lamp. Your species will need less ambient lighting than basking species too.
 

Sarah2020

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As an idea visit an aquarium shop and buy some rocks and some plastic plants and place them around the edge to make a tunnel/path between side and plant on either side. This provides shelter and interest and breaks up end to end vision.Hope you get this resolved. Tortoise take time to settle you do not know the history if handling and transport and diet etc.... Over time it will settle in. Good luck
 

TiaAnaise2002

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Not a heat lamp, but a radiant heat panel or a a CHE, or two CHEs, controlled by a thermostat.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
  2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night.
  3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
  4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.
Your species doesn't need the basking lamp. Your species will need less ambient lighting than basking species too.
Could I use one of these?
Reptile Heat Lamp Terrarium Light - Ceramic Heated Emitter Non Light Chicken Cooper Brooder for Lizards Tortoise Snake Pets Rest Screw E27 220-240V 50W 2 Pack, Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08114MJST/?tag=
Or could u send me a link to one you recommend and I can order it right away.
 

Maro2Bear

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Could I use one of these?
Reptile Heat Lamp Terrarium Light - Ceramic Heated Emitter Non Light Chicken Cooper Brooder for Lizards Tortoise Snake Pets Rest Screw E27 220-240V 50W 2 Pack, Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08114MJST/?tag=
Or could u send me a link to one you recommend and I can order it right away.

Yes, thats exactly what Tom is recommending. These should also be used with a thermostat (with a probe). You then set your thermostat to the ambient temp you desire & it turns your CHE on & off to maintain that temp. Don’t just plug in the CHE without a thermostat….it will just keep warming & warming up (and not turn off).

Look for one like this (that works on your plugs)

➡️➡️ https://www.lllreptile.com/products/35058-zoo-med-reptitemp-digital-thermostat
 
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TiaAnaise2002

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Yes, thats exactly what Tom is recommending. These should also be used with a thermostat (with a probe). You then set your thermostat to the ambient temp you desire & it turns your CHE on & off to maintain that temp. Don’t just plug in the CHE without a thermostat….it will just keep warming & warming up (and not turn off).

Look for one like this (that works on your plugs)

➡️➡️ https://www.lllreptile.com/products/35058-zoo-med-reptitemp-digital-thermostat
Thankyou I really appreciate it, just ordered it for him so hopefully will be much better for him.
 

Tom

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Thankyou I really appreciate it, just ordered it for him so hopefully will be much better for him.
In your current small enclosure, one or two of those might be enough. You'll have to watch the thermometer and see. When you move him to a larger enclosure, hopefully soon, you might need 100 watt CHEs.

If you can find them, radiant heat panels work better and they even out and spread out the heat more.

With this extra electrically generated heat, things will dry out faster, so be prepared to start regularly dumping more water into the substrate to keep humidity up. This has to be done by feel because each enclosure is different, and your own enclosure will be different depending on the room temp and seasons.
 

TiaAnaise2002

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In your current small enclosure, one or two of those might be enough. You'll have to watch the thermometer and see. When you move him to a larger enclosure, hopefully soon, you might need 100 watt CHEs.

If you can find them, radiant heat panels work better and they even out and spread out the heat more.

With this extra electrically generated heat, things will dry out faster, so be prepared to start regularly dumping more water into the substrate to keep humidity up. This has to be done by feel because each enclosure is different, and your own enclosure will be different depending on the room temp and seasons.
Do I need a separate lamp for uva or will the ceramic heat plate and uvb be okay?
Also are radiant heat Panels heat matts because when I type it in nothing comes up?
 

Tom

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Do I need a separate lamp for uva or will the ceramic heat plate and uvb be okay?
Also are radiant heat Panels heat matts because when I type it in nothing comes up?
Tortoises don't need UVA and UVA is already in the incandescents.

Radiant heat panels are mounted over head. They are not heat mats. Here is one I found on a quick search:
 
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