My Tortoise Won't Sleep-Please Help!

[Gillian M]

Hi everyone. With temperature dropping daily torts are getting ready for hbernation, we all know that. However, last night my Greek tort worried me. Usually by 6-7pm it's usually fast asleep. Last night it just would not fall asleep, and kept trying to climb outside its eclosure. As for room temperature I think it was fine: 25 degrees celcius. I couldn't do much so I "left it alone" so as to say.
To make things worse I got up this morning to find it was wide awake, which is something that happens very rarely. I tried to feed it but it wouln't eat, and still won't.This I expect.....torts tend to lose appetite in Winter, but what of sleep? Could it be in pain?
Appreciate anyone's help. Thanks.

 

[ascott]

Have you changed anything at all for the enclosure/routine/diet? Even what you might find minor? What type of enclosure is the tort housed in? What are the day and night temps?

 

[Jabuticaba]

How long is the light on?

 

[Gillian M]

Thanks your answers.
The enclosure of my tort is a transparent one (but not glass of course). As for its diet my tort has refused to eat anything but lettuce since I got it which is now more than 3.5 years. I told forum members and was told: "Try other food." I did but it just would not eat. So I kept feeding it lettuce. I soak it in warm water daily. I take it out for a "walk" in the sun when the weather permits.
As for change, well, I changed the carpet of the sitting room in Oct. 2014. My tort seemed astonished at the beginning but later on things went fine: it seemed to have got used to it.
Room temperature is almost the same day and night as I put on the central heating, making room temperature 24-25 degrees celcius. Isn't that ok?
As for the light it's on all night long. Is it too much?
Notice that my tort's been asleep since two hours now. Is it making up some sleep?
Your help would very much be appreciated. Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[Yvonne G]

He obviously wants to get to a different place. Has he hibernated in the past? Maybe he's looking for a better place to "dig in."

As to the light, tortoises need a day/night cycle. You need to turn off the lights at night. If it's not warm enough, you can buy a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) that puts out heat without light.

 

[wellington]

You also need to get it to eat better then just lettuce. Tuff love is needed. Chop up the food, lettuce and the better items mix and spritz with water. Tortoises can go quite some time without eating. You need to not give in. When she is hungry she will eat. As she does, put in less lettuce and more of the healthier stuff. Eventually slowly taking away the lettuce until you are no longer feed any lettuce. Also, the carpet, is that in her enclosure? She needs a more natural substrate, dirt, coconut coir, cypress mulch or combo of them.

 

[Gillian M]

He obviously wants to get to a different place. Has he hibernated in the past? Maybe he's looking for a better place to "dig in."

As to the light, tortoises need a day/night cycle. You need to turn off the lights at night. If it's not warm enough, you can buy a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) that puts out heat without light.

Yes, my tort has hibernated the past years, and in the same plac and witout trouble or problems. So why would it be looking for "a better place" as you put it? And what is meant by "a better place?"

 

[Yvonne G]

A cool, dark place where he feels safe and can sleep in peace.

 

[Gillian M]

You also need to get it to eat better then just lettuce. Tuff love is needed. Chop up the food, lettuce and the better items mix and spritz with water. Tortoises can go quite some time without eating. You need to not give in. When she is hungry she will eat. As she does, put in less lettuce and more of the healthier stuff. Eventually slowly taking away the lettuce until you are no longer feed any lettuce. Also, the carpet, is that in her enclosure? She needs a more natural substrate, dirt, coconut coir, cypress mulch or combo of them.

Believe me I've tried to feed my tort other things but it refused. I was told by a member in the forum: "If it won't eat anything else then lettuce be it," which was a convincing answer: I didnt have the heart to leave the poor thing to without food, though I know that torts can manage to"fast" if so I may put it.
As for the carpet it is on the floor. It's not in my tort's enclosure, but my tort can see it of course.

 

[Gillian M]

By the way my tort is still in deep sleep since the past four or five hours. Is that ok?

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Are you saying that your tortoise has hibernated at room temperature?

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm a little worried about your tortoise. Frantic movements then deep sleep. Are you sure he's alive?

 

[Gillian M]

Are you saying that your tortoise has hibernated at room temperature?

No. My tort is asleep, it hasn't begun hibernating yet.

 

[Gillian M]

I'm a little worried about your tortoise. Frantic movements then deep sleep. Are you sure he's alive?

Thank GOD that mt tort is alive.. I just cheked as your message gave me a terrible fright. and there haven't been any "frantic movements" from my tort, as you put it.

 

[Tom]

I wouldn't sleep either if the sun stayed up all night.

They need it dark at night, and your room temps at night are plenty warm enough for this species. You might even want to let it get a little cooler.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Where, in the past, has your tortoise hibernated?

 

[Gillian M]

I wouldn't sleep either if the sun stayed up all night.

They need it dark at night, and your room temps at night are plenty warm enough for this species. You might even want to let it get a little cooler.

Many thanks your message. I'll apply what you mentioned as far as temperature is concerned and make the room a bit cooler.
I woke my tort up after I received a terrifying message from Yvonne asking: Is your tortoise alive?" I tried to feed it once again but it would not eat. It's now wide awake.
Once again thanks your help.

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm sorry that I scared you. I was just interpreting what you had told us:

... Last night it just would not fall asleep, and kept trying to climb outside its eclosure.

To me that sounded "frantic", and then you said he was sound asleep, which made me wonder if he was still alive.

It's very hard to get the real picture from the printed word. I hope your tortoise is ok, and I'll leave this thread to others now. Again - sorry!

 

[Gillian M]

I'm sorry that I scared you. I was just interpreting what you had told us:



To me that sounded "frantic", and then you said he was sound asleep, which made me wonder if he was still alive.

It's very hard to get the real picture from the printed word. I hope your tortoise is ok, and I'll leave this thread to others now. Again - sorry!

Don't worry. Please, please be a bit more diplmatic when you want to or have to send such frightening messsages. Believe me I assumed that people who have been dealing with torts for such a long time should be able to understand what the issue is even from a messag....it's like talking to a doctor on the phone, without the doctor having to see the patient.
Yes my tort was fast asleep. I've cooled down the room a bit like Tom suggested and put my tort to bed. It is about to fall asleep.

 

[Tom]

I also took it the way Yvonne did. I've also seen what she was describing too.

Just throwing that out there for conversation sake...