New Russian tortoise trying to hibernate?

[BenO83]

I bought a 5 year old Russian tort from a reptile show last week. I have stayed him in warm water every other day and have a good size enclosure for him with a heat lamp, hide and shallow water bowl. I have been giving fresh kale and lettuce daily but he isn't eating. I even left a strawberry to temp him. Each time i go to his enclosure he is in his hide and has dug down in the topsoil and seems to be sleeping. If i take him out he will walk around the room until he finds something to hide under and that's it. I'm concerned he is trying to hibernate and I'm not sure what to do. Any help is appreciated.

 

[drew54]

I bought a 5 year old Russian tort from a reptile show last week. I have stayed him in warm water every other day and have a good size enclosure for him with a heat lamp, hide and shallow water bowl. I have been giving fresh kale and lettuce daily but he isn't eating. I even left a strawberry to temp him. Each time i go to his enclosure he is in his hide and has dug down in the topsoil and seems to be sleeping. If i take him out he will walk around the room until he finds something to hide under and that's it. I'm concerned he is trying to hibernate and I'm not sure what to do. Any help is appreciated.

What are your four temps and set up?
Could you provide pics of your tort and enclosure?

 

[LaLaP]

Hi and Welcome!

Have you read these?

https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

From your post I can say that you should work on your new torts diet a bit. Never feed him fruit. Also kale and lettuce shouldn't be fed too often. Check out the links and tell us about your temps and enclosure like @drew54 had asked and we can help.

Oh and it's very possible that your new tortoise is just going through an adjustment phase. They often deal with change by hiding. Most likely he just needs some time to feel secure in his new home. But in the meantime you can get his care dialed in... and we can help

 

[BenO83]

Thanks, I'll check the temps this evening and pay some pics of his enclosure.
Is there something i can pick up today to feed him that would be a better option?

 

[LaLaP]

If you're looking for grocery store options try to find endive, escarole or cactus pads. These are the best but they can be challenging to find. If you have a Mexican market they usually have cactus pads called nopales. If you can't find any of that get spring mix and pick out the spinach (spinach isn't good for them). Really the best foods just grow wild in most places... weeds!
Try to find dandilions. Look up photos of plantain weed (not the banana like fruit), sow thistle, white clover (make sure you don't pick sorrel). These are just a few. For more options and to see photos go to tortoisetable.org. It's a very useful site to help identify plants that are tortoise safe. Make sure everything is pesticide and chemical fertilizer free. Hope this helps!

 

[LaLaP]

Oh and btw weeds are harder to come by in some places in the winter so if you don't find any try agin in the spring. I'm lucky that in my climate weeds grow all year but I'm not sure about your area.

 

[BenO83]

http://imgur.com/gallery/E8TVGGP

I hope this works. Got some pics of him during his soak tonight. I forgot my temp gun at work. I'll make sure to grab it tomorrow

 

[drew54]

http://imgur.com/gallery/E8TVGGP

I hope this works. Got some pics of him during his soak tonight. I forgot my temp gun at work. I'll make sure to grab it tomorrow

You can also get dandelion greens, watercress, turnip greens, and mustard greens.

 

[drew54]

Adorable tort!

 

[LaLaP]

http://imgur.com/gallery/E8TVGGP

I hope this works. Got some pics of him during his soak tonight. I forgot my temp gun at work. I'll make sure to grab it tomorrow

He's a handsome guy.. and shy. Just wanna make sure... does he open his eyes? They are closed in all the pics. Not opening eyes at all is an indicator of problems but you didn't mention that so I assume he does open them when he's walking around.

 

[BenO83]

He's a handsome guy.. and shy. Just wanna make sure... does he open his eyes? They are closed in all the pics. Not opening eyes at all is an indicator of problems but you didn't mention that so I assume he does open them when he's walking around.

It takes him a few minutes to open them. Seems better after a soak

Walker 2 https://imgur.com/gallery/z3zLUoz

 

[LaLaP]

So there are some improvements you'll need to make with his enclosure. Here's the one that is hard to hear... it's not big enough. 4x8ft is recommended. They need room to roam and they need different temperature zones which is hard to create in a small space. There are lots of good ways to make an easy enclosure... like an old bookshelf. Take a look at the enclosure section.
So is that lamp just heat or is it heat/uvb combo? If it is the combo you'll need to change it and if it's just heat you'll need a UVB light (tube style, not coil).
You'll also want to get a flat rock to feed him on. It will keep his beak trim and keep him from eating the substrate.
All this stuff is talked about in the links that I posted earlier. Read those over again and ask any questions you might have. Almost everyone on this forum has gone through this process of finding out that your enclosure needs big changes. It's a bummer but worth the effort for a healthy tort

 

[BenO83]

The lamp is a 75w incandescent bulb for heat. Currently he is sharing the uvb light with his pond slider cousins in the aquarium. I have a dedicated light for him ordered. They each get 12 hours a day right now. I figured the enclosure would be to be larger eventually. I'll see what i can come up with.

 

[RosemaryDW]

http://imgur.com/gallery/E8TVGGP

I hope this works. Got some pics of him during his soak tonight.

What a cute tortoise!

 

[BenO83]

I finally measured his temps. The basking spot is 95-105. His hide out is in the low 70s

I speak him every other day. He is still very inactive and has only eaten once so far

 

[chellestorts]

Hi! I recently adopted a 15 year old russian tort. He was being surrendered to the pound and a gal was there to take him and foster him. Found out that he had been in an aquarium for his whole life. He is very shy and his tail is stuck to his body and doesn't come out. His shell is turned up at back edge. Other then this, he is very healthy. I got him after he went into hibernation for a week. The day I brought him home, He woke up and walked around my house, didn't eat or drink, charged the female tortoise, then went back to sleep. That was October 6th. I put him in my closet with dirt and hay. He is oddly active while he is in there! every other day, he is moving and burrowing in a different spot.
I had to move him into a rubber box with dirt and sand and put him in a place that doesnt' get much heat or noise. I read that they like it around 40 degrees when they are hibernting. (I know there is another word for what he is doing, not hibernating) Yesterday AND today, he climbed out of the box! Not sure how...then he trucked on over to the sliding glass door to go outside. I put him in a warm soak, outside in the sun. He wasn't that interested in that. He walked around the yard for about an hour and a half. Sat in the sun for a bit on the cement. I moved him back to the grass, in the sun, then He went and buried himself in the leaves and went into a deep sleep. The sun wasn't down yet.
I am so so so so confused as to what to do with this little guy. He did not eat any of the weeds he's come across, today. I've left him outside for the night. I put a box and bricks over hiim to protect him from the raccoons. It seems like he wants to keep sleeping, since it is DECEMBER, but I am clueless as to how to deal with him. I have every intention of making him a large outdoor enclosure in February.
I really appreciate your help!