Slowing Down - Hibernation?

Dunskis13

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I have a tortoise who lives in a large tortoise table. He’s normally active and eating his bugs but recently he’s slowed down a lot and I watch bugs crawl over him and he’s just chilling there. He doesn’t move as much and I’m curious if this is his body preparing for hibernation? I have a heat lamp on him and the room he’s in doesn’t get too cold but could his body still naturally be preparing?
 

wellington

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What species are you talking about? Many will slow come fall/winter. Not all hibernate though.
If it is a hibernating species, have you had him over a year to know if he is healthy enough to hibernate? If it's a hibernating species, and you don't want to hibernate him, then keep the lights on longer and make sure the temps don't get lower then the lowest temp recommended for day and night.
 

Tom

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I have a tortoise who lives in a large tortoise table. He’s normally active and eating his bugs but recently he’s slowed down a lot and I watch bugs crawl over him and he’s just chilling there. He doesn’t move as much and I’m curious if this is his body preparing for hibernation? I have a heat lamp on him and the room he’s in doesn’t get too cold but could his body still naturally be preparing?
What species and where are you? What are the four temperatures in the enclosure?
 

Dunskis13

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What species are you talking about? Many will slow come fall/winter. Not all hibernate though.
If it is a hibernating species, have you had him over a year to know if he is healthy enough to hibernate? If it's a hibernating species, and you don't want to hibernate him, then keep the lights on longer and make sure the temps don't get lower then the lowest temp recommended for day and night.
It’s a box turtle. I was given him by my aunt whose neighbors bought it for their kids which quickly grew bored of the slow moving tortoise.

I live in the country where the house is wood furnace heated. I keep him in what ends up being the warmest room and i don’t think it gets too cold. He’s just been slowing down. Not as active and not eating as much
 

wellington

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Does he have a basking area to lay under to warm up? They need to bask under 95-100 basking light in order to digest their food properly. Just a warm room won't work.
If he has a basking spot, proper heat and lighting, then yes, he may be slowing for winter as box turtles hibernate. They will eat less and eventually stop eating to empty their gut of food. They can not hibernate with food in their gut.
However, if you are not going to let him hibernate them bump the temp to 80 during the day, lower at night, 70 is fine still the basking spot of 95-100 and make sure its brightly lit for 12-14 hours a day.
 

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