Sleeping a lot

[Gem]

Hi all, looking for some advice on my 9 year old female hermanns, Tilly.
I hibernated her this year, but she woke up after just a month, so I gave her a warm bath and put her back into her tortoise table with my male tortoise Tommy who is 7 (he could not hibernate this year as he has had problems with his legs and has been treated by the vet). Ever since coming round from hibernation all she wants to do is sleep in her hay. Even if I take her out and put her under her heat lamp she just marches back under the hay! She also has a very small appetite.

Tommy on the other hand is still eating normally and comes out everyday (in his own time) to bask under the lamp.

I feed them everyother day and bath them individually twice a week in warm water. They are kept on a 50/50 mix of compost and sand.

Any ideas anyone? Would appreciate some advice!

Thanks, Gem

 

[GBtortoises]

What is the ambient temperature within the enclosure and the temperature under the basking light? How many hours of light?

Is the male harrassing the female? Trying to mate with her?

What was she fed after first coming out of hibernation and what is she being offered now?

 

[Gem]

The temperatre under the basking light is 85 degrees and the ambient temperature is the ambient is around 65. Tommy has not been harassing Tilly since last summer, when I seperated them. She was offered some mixed greens sprinkled with cuttlefish bone when she came out of hibernation, and is being offered the same now with clover and dandilion as weeds are just becoming available in the garden.

Thanks, Gem

 

[GBtortoises]

If 86 degrees is the temperature directly under your basking light then it's much too cold, as is an ambient temperature of 65 degrees. Temperatures directly under the basking light needs to be in the range of 95-105 degrees. Ambient temperatures need to be in the range of 75-85 degrees during the daytime for normal functions to take place including eating and proper digestion.

Hermann's (and other Northern Mediterranean species) right out of hibernation first need to drink. Hibernation, even under ideal conditions, usually dehydrate tortoises. Along with that dehydration they have wastes that were stored during hibernation that they need to flush from their systems. After that takes place they should be offered a diet very high in fiber. This will allow the bacteria in their digestive system, which relys on high fiber foods, to re-establish itself to a correct level. Calcium should not be fed without proper hydration first. While calcium is very important to a female out of hibernation it is secondary to both water and fiber. Once they haven taken in water and enough high fiber foods they will then begin to consume calcium. Often in large amounts. During this time access to water should always be present also.

If the male is not harrassing the female to the point that she is hiding all the time then the root of the problem might likely be the lower overall temperatures.

You didn't mention if there is a UV light available to them. If they (or she) is recently out of hibernation and kept indoors without exposure to unfiltered natural sunlight than artificial UV lighting is highly recommended. A tortoise newly out of hibernation requires UVB for it's body to begin producing vitamin D3 in order to aid in proper calcium absorbtion.

If the intent is to house the male and female together keep in mind that while the male may not have been hibernated he may still be triggered to breed the female. The females scent along with daylight and temperature increases are all the key components that drive a male to breed. So they do bear watching. At this point she is weaker while he is stronger. Some males will pursue and harrrass a female to the point of her not eating and constantly hiding. This is absolutely not good for her well being, especially in a confined area where she has no escape or relief from an persistant male!

 

[Gem]

So what wattage heat bulb do you recommend I purchase if my current one is not strong enough? I do have a UV light in their indoor enclosure, and as the weather gets warmer they will be spending more and more time outside in their purpose built tortoise garden.
Also what is the ideal diet for them?

 

[GBtortoises]

To some degree the wattage size of the bulb that you need to reach a certain temperature range is going to be determined by ambient air temperature of the room that they're being kept in. Along with the distance that the bulb is mounted from the substrate. The rule of thumb that most people go by is that the bulb wattage needs to be strong enough that it produces the desired temperature when mounted no closer than 12" from the tortoise's carapace. Any closer and you run the risk of a tortoise getting too hot if one should partially climb on top of another to bask (which they do occasionally). If it gets so hot that you have to move the fixture out past 16" the bulb is producing too much heat for the application needed. It is difficult to accurately determine what wattage you need since everyone's situation is different. I have a room full of enclosures that because of all the basking lights, reaches a temperatures in the mid to high 70's within the room during the daytime. Because of all the lights I only need 40 watt bulbs to reach the desired temperatures for basking under the lights. I also have a huge monthly electric bill because of them! LOL

As far as diet goes, basically (very basically), I believe in feeding them a good quality, varied diet consisting of about 85% greens (including fresh and dry) and 15% vegetables. The key word variety and lots of it! I personally have never used supplemental vitamins in any form. The only supplement that I have ever used is calcium carbonate in powder form or cuttlebone for larger tortoises. I do not coat their food with, but offer it seperately in a shallow dish for them to consume as they feel they need to, which most do on a regular basis.

My Hermann's and other Northern Mediterranean tortoises are fed a diet that is high in fiber, with some naturally occuring protein and calcium. They are watered frequently while indoors and have constant access to calcium carbonate, hay. While outdoors water, hay and calcium carbonate are available at all times.

Different people have different views on diet and what foods are better or worse but I think most agree that in general, restricting them to just a few food items is not beneficial to a tortoise's long term health.