My torts sleep pattern

Amel

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I have a 4 year old female spur thighed and recently she has been sleeping pretty much all the time. She gets up for food and wonders around before/after food for a short period but then goes back to sleep. For the past few days she hasn’t been getting up properly in the morning as she usually does, she’s been sitting looking it of her hide but not going for a walk around.

Is there something wrong with her?

I’ve recently changed her light bulb (UVA, UVB, IR) and putting fresh substrate in tonight but is there anything else I can do?

As I’ve written this, the little rascal has come out to see me [emoji23] but I still would like her to have more exercise!
 

Maro2Bear

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Greetings. Just wondering if this enclosure is inside or outside? You’ve had some whacky weather there recently, sun, rain, high temps...etc.
 

Amel

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It’s inside as I live in a flat. Yes it’s. Been awful! I did think it may have been too hot for her at times but luckily it’s cooling down here now.. finally!
 

Amel

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Greetings. Just wondering if this enclosure is inside or outside? You’ve had some whacky weather there recently, sun, rain, high temps...etc.


It’s inside as I live in a flat. Yes it’s. Been awful! I did think it may have been too hot for her at times but luckily it’s cooling down here now.. finally!
 

JoesMum

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Hello and welcome

I suspect our heatwave weather in the UK has played its part in messing up your tort's routine.

You need to check the temperatures in the enclosure by day and by night. My suspicion is that it has been getting too hot in there.

Too hot leads to aestivation, a sort of summer hibernation, where the tort becomes inactive. I know that inside my house has been over 28C and that's without a basking lamp and UVB lamp warming up a confined space. Seasonal changes in temperatures affect house temperatures and this has a knock on effect to your tort's home. You can't just setup and assume things will stay right.


Joe lived in the garden, but in this type of weather he would do very little in daylight hours and be more active at dusk and dawn, even eating after it got dark.

You will need to be creative with ventialating the enclosure and adjusting the height of lamps so the temperatures are more comfortable for your tortoise.

Food needs to be put out in the evening so you tort can feed even when you are asleep. Serve it soaking wet so your tort ingests water as it eats. To prevent dehydration it is vitally important that you soak your tort for at least 30 minutes every day without fail.
 

Maro2Bear

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It’s inside as I live in a flat. Yes it’s. Been awful! I did think it may have been too hot for her at times but luckily it’s cooling down here now.. finally!

I guess you should continue to watch your tort and see if things change with your enclosure’s temperature, etc. Continue to feed and water and soak.

We have a 70lb Sulcata, does the same... likes to hang out looking out “watching” the world go by. Comes out for food and water....etc.

Our Sully Watching the World
1410127A-DB9D-4AA3-8495-192B8C07D979.jpeg
 

Amel

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I guess you should continue to watch your tort and see if things change with your enclosure’s temperature, etc. Continue to feed and water and soak.

We have a 70lb Sulcata, does the same... likes to hang out looking out “watching” the world go by. Comes out for food and water....etc.

Our Sully Watching the World
View attachment 246744

Your tort is absolutely adorable!!! I guess they’re just ‘people watching’ [emoji23]

Thank you for the advice, I’ll keep an eye on the rascal!
 

Amel

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Hello and welcome

I suspect our heatwave weather in the UK has played its part in messing up your tort's routine.

You need to check the temperatures in the enclosure by day and by night. My suspicion is that it has been getting too hot in there.

Too hot leads to aestivation, a sort of summer hibernation, where the tort becomes inactive. I know that inside my house has been over 28C and that's without a basking lamp and UVB lamp warming up a confined space. Seasonal changes in temperatures affect house temperatures and this has a knock on effect to your tort's home. You can't just setup and assume things will stay right.


Joe lived in the garden, but in this type of weather he would do very little in daylight hours and be more active at dusk and dawn, even eating after it got dark.

You will need to be creative with ventialating the enclosure and adjusting the height of lamps so the temperatures are more comfortable for your tortoise.

Food needs to be put out in the evening so you tort can feed even when you are asleep. Serve it soaking wet so your tort ingests water as it eats. To prevent dehydration it is vitally important that you soak your tort for at least 30 minutes every day without fail.

Yeah she did sleep throughout the heatwave bless her. Ok thank you.

I always get mixed messages about temp so roughly what should her temp be?

She always has baths, she had two a day last week due to the weather! I think I need a new bowl for her water though as I don’t think she’s keen on this new one!
 

JoesMum

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There is no mixed message

Directly under the basking lamp should be 33-35C (This lamp needs to hang vertically, adjust temperature under it by raising or lowering)

The ambient temperature in the rest of the enclosure for a very young tort should be 27-29C throughout day and night with 80% humidity

Things can be more relaxed for a larger tort, but temperatures should range across a large enclosure from 29C (warm side) down to 18C (cool side) and not drop below 15C at night.
 

Amel

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PS If you post photos of your tort's enclosure and lighting we may be able to make suggestions that will help

IMG_1533045951.035285.jpgIMG_1533046055.117922.jpg

Here is her enclosure, light set up and the type of bulb I use- I also use a 160w but we have run out.
P.s that isn’t Itzel in the enclosure it’s her fake friend [emoji23]
 

JoesMum

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A tortoise tabl,which that effectively is, does not hold the temperatures and humidity necessary for a young tortoise to be healthy.

For a young tort you need a closed chamber. For an older tort you need something much, much bigger

Please read the following and compare with your setup

Beginner Mistakes
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Care of young torts (written about Russians, but applies to allyoung testudo)
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/
 

Amel

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Location (City and/or State)
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There is no mixed message

Directly under the basking lamp should be 33-35C (This lamp needs to hang vertically, adjust temperature under it by raising or lowering)

The ambient temperature in the rest of the enclosure for a very young tort should be 27-29C throughout day and night with 80% humidity

Things can be more relaxed for a larger tort, but temperatures should range across a large enclosure from 29C (warm side) down to 18C (cool side) and not drop below 15C at night.

Just checked temp under light and it’s: 34c
Around the enclosure it’s 29c
 

Amel

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Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
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A tortoise tabl,which that effectively is, does not hold the temperatures and humidity necessary for a young tortoise to be healthy.

For a young tort you need a closed chamber. For an older tort you need something much, much bigger

Please read the following and compare with your setup

Beginner Mistakes
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Care of young torts (written about Russians, but applies to allyoung testudo)
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

Thank you for the advice, I’ll read up!
 

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