Russian Tortoise Hibernating?

[Aimie venchus]

Hello!

We are first time tortoise adopters and adopted a female Russian Tortoise this summer. We are unsure of her age but she is an adult. When we first got her this summer she had a healthy appetite and was very active. Lately she has been burying herself in her hide box with hay and hardly eating. Could she be hibernating? Is it ok to let her hibernate? Currently when I feed her I will bring her out and put her by her food. Sometimes she will take a few bites and go back to her box and some times she goes directly to her box.

We have a constant heat lamp on and the temp stays around 70-75 degrees. We have a thermometer so if it drops below 68 degrees an additional heat lamp will kick on. We also have a uvb lamp that is on from 8am-9pm.

So I guess I am wondering is she hibernating? Do i let her hibernate? If I do, do I continue to offer her food? Do I continue with her soaks once a week?

Thank you!
Shell-e's mom

 

[Aimie venchus]

Picture of her setup..

 

[Jodie]

Hello, she may be trying to hibernate, but that is a process that must be done correctly to keep from being killed or at least making them sick. You need to convincer her it is summer. Turn up the heat and the light. continue at least weeky soaks. Feed her daily. It may take a week or two, but she will snap out of it.

 

[Eduardo Hernandez]

Welcome!

I agree with Jodie, she is trying to go into hibernation but without the proper temps it can be deadly. She needs a basking area of around 95-100 degrees, dropping off to room temperature the rest of the enclosure. She is way too cold to be active, as they are cold blooded creatures.

I would also recommend replacing the water bowl with a terra cotta plant saucer, the one you have is known as a death trap for torts as the sides are too steep, and the torts can fall on their back when going in/out of it. We also tend to recommend at least an 8'x4' enclosure for Russians, even though they're small they still need huge areas to be happy.

What kind of UVB bulb are you using? If its a compact/coiled bulb, those can hurt your torts eye's. Use a long strip UVB or preferably a MVB which provides both heat and UVB.

 

[Aimie venchus]

Welcome!

I agree with Jodie, she is trying to go into hibernation but without the proper temps it can be deadly. She needs a basking area of around 95-100 degrees, dropping off to room temperature the rest of the enclosure. She is way too cold to be active, as they are cold blooded creatures.

I would also recommend replacing the water bowl with a terra cotta plant saucer, the one you have is known as a death trap for torts as the sides are too steep, and the torts can fall on their back when going in/out of it. We also tend to recommend at least an 8'x4' enclosure for Russians, even though they're small they still need huge areas to be happy.

What kind of UVB bulb are you using? If its a compact/coiled bulb, those can hurt your torts eye's. Use a long strip UVB or preferably a MVB which provides both heat and UVB.

Thank you! I will switch out her water bowl and get a new lamp! We are in chicago so we get pretty cold the house stays at 70 but i have been trying to keep her box warmer. I will try the MVB bulb you mentioned. Hopefully with 2 lamps it will warm up.