Hi I’m in the uk and we have lovely weather this week, 18 degrees which is lovely. My two Russians are in an insulated heated shed where they can please themselves if they want to go out or stay in, once I’ve opened the hatch doors. Since the nice weather I’ve had their lamps on till 10 30 and by then they can’t wait to be outside. They stay out till around 12’0’ clock then go in for their siesta, but that’s it then they don’t come out again. I’ve tried putting their food outside to tempt them out but no they stay in a corner until the next day. Is this normal ?
Not what I expected!
- Thread starter Suey
- Start date
18 is pretty darn cold. It was 31-32C here yesterday.
Their heat lamp, and other ambient lighting, should be on for 12-13 hours a day. Any less and the short light cycle will make them think it is still winter and they should be brumating while eating for warmer weather to return.
Also, do the two of them live in the same enclosure? If yes, this is bad. Torts should never in pairs. Groups can sometimes work, but not pairs. The chronic stress from this is enough to shut them down and make them want to go hide all day.
More info here:
tortoiseforum.org
Their heat lamp, and other ambient lighting, should be on for 12-13 hours a day. Any less and the short light cycle will make them think it is still winter and they should be brumating while eating for warmer weather to return.
Also, do the two of them live in the same enclosure? If yes, this is bad. Torts should never in pairs. Groups can sometimes work, but not pairs. The chronic stress from this is enough to shut them down and make them want to go hide all day.
More info here:
The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise
I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...
tortoiseforum.org
