Sluggish and sleepy

Unitygraph

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2020
Messages
41
Location (City and/or State)
California
Hi everyone,
Yesterday, I noticed that my 2 year old Sulcata wouldn’t come out his night box. He was sleeping til 2pm. He’s usually out way before then. I live in Southern California. So the weather is great right now. I just noticed that he has no appetite. He tried to eat one mizuri pellet. Had half a pellet. I noticed that he seems very sluggish and sleepy. When I take him out he just wants to Sit and sleep in the shade. I soaked him more, since I noticed his change in behavior. He also hasn’t pooped in a couple days. I had cactus, hibiscus, dandelions and clovers for him, but still no change. Didn’t want to eat and found no interest. There have been youn green persimmons that have dropping, that I have caught him nibbling on. Do you think that’s what it may be? Not sure what else I can do. Attached a couple pics of him today, when I pulled him out of his night box. Reaching out to Tom for some advise especially. Thanks, J
 

Attachments

  • 160CA2F3-8A28-4FCA-BA49-D6658BAB4B9F.jpeg
    160CA2F3-8A28-4FCA-BA49-D6658BAB4B9F.jpeg
    2.1 MB · Views: 13
  • 8548E5F7-350D-49B8-9DDF-9F626FA6727E.jpeg
    8548E5F7-350D-49B8-9DDF-9F626FA6727E.jpeg
    1.4 MB · Views: 9

TammyJ

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2016
Messages
7,120
Location (City and/or State)
Jamaica
He looks great. I am sure Tom and others here will help.
 

Unitygraph

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2020
Messages
41
Location (City and/or State)
California
That sucks. I haven’t got one reply. No help. It’s already Tuesday. I appreciate you Tammy for at least acknowledging my email. I think he’s getting better I guess. He’s eating again. Not a whole lot but eating. He’s still a bit wobbly. But he’s not sleepy as much. Though I did find one loose scale around the side of is back foot. It’s not bleeding. I wonder if I should cut the scale off. Not sure if that the thing that’s causing him to wobble.
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Its hard to say. Your weather is pretty darn nice & your Sully looks to be in pretty good shape. We too have a Persimmon Tree that self selects & drops fruit this time of year. I wonder how many your Sully might have eaten. They aren't very tasty & nasty tart. 😡. Keep offering good foods & some good water soaks. Good luck.
 

Unitygraph

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2020
Messages
41
Location (City and/or State)
California
Its hard to say. Your weather is pretty darn nice & your Sully looks to be in pretty good shape. We too have a Persimmon Tree that self selects & drops fruit this time of year. I wonder how many your Sully might have eaten. They aren't very tasty & nasty tart. 😡. Keep offering good foods & some good water soaks. Good luck.
Its hard to say. Your weather is pretty darn nice & your Sully looks to be in pretty good shape. We too have a Persimmon Tree that self selects & drops fruit this time of year. I wonder how many your Sully might have eaten. They aren't very tasty & nasty tart. 😡. Keep offering good foods & some good water soaks. Good luck.
Thank you so much for the reply. He actually pooed after how many days. Walking a bit more. He’s eating, but not as savagely as usual. He’s doing a lot better though. Slowly but surely.
Its hard to say. Your weather is pretty darn nice & your Sully looks to be in pretty good shape. We too have a Persimmon Tree that self selects & drops fruit this time of year. I wonder how many your Sully might have eaten. They aren't very tasty & nasty tart. 😡. Keep offering good foods & some good water soaks. Good luck.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Hi everyone,
Yesterday, I noticed that my 2 year old Sulcata wouldn’t come out his night box. He was sleeping til 2pm. He’s usually out way before then. I live in Southern California. So the weather is great right now. I just noticed that he has no appetite. He tried to eat one mizuri pellet. Had half a pellet. I noticed that he seems very sluggish and sleepy. When I take him out he just wants to Sit and sleep in the shade. I soaked him more, since I noticed his change in behavior. He also hasn’t pooped in a couple days. I had cactus, hibiscus, dandelions and clovers for him, but still no change. Didn’t want to eat and found no interest. There have been youn green persimmons that have dropping, that I have caught him nibbling on. Do you think that’s what it may be? Not sure what else I can do. Attached a couple pics of him today, when I pulled him out of his night box. Reaching out to Tom for some advise especially. Thanks, J
Sorry. I didn't see your thread. Feel free to use the little @ symbol with anyone's user name to get their attention.

I have a few questions:
What part of CA are you in?
Where does the tortoise live? Inside or outside? What is the size of the enclosure?
How are you heating the tortoise and what is the overnight low temperature where the tortoise sleeps?
What is the approximate length of the tortoise and weight in grams?
How often do you soak the tortoise and for how long?

With this info, we will help get things sorted out.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I'm thinking your little guy may be backed up a bit. Constipation causes them to go off their feed. Set him in a large tub of water where his feet barely touch the floor then stay there and watch so he doesn't get into trouble. When the tortoise scrambles around trying to get out it loosens up the bowels and this should help a lot.
 

Unitygraph

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2020
Messages
41
Location (City and/or State)
California
Sorry. I didn't see your thread. Feel free to use the little @ symbol with anyone's user name to get their attention.

I have a few questions:
What part of CA are you in?
Where does the tortoise live? Inside or outside? What is the size of the enclosure?
How are you heating the tortoise and what is the overnight low temperature where the tortoise sleeps?
What is the approximate length of the tortoise and weight in grams?
How often do you soak the tortoise and for how long?

With this info, we will help get things sorted out.
Sorry. I didn't see your thread. Feel free to use the little @ symbol with anyone's user name to get their attention.

I have a few questions:
What part of CA are you in?
Where does the tortoise live? Inside or outside? What is the size of the enclosure?
How are you heating the tortoise and what is the overnight low temperature where the tortoise sleeps?
What is the approximate length of the tortoise and weight in grams?
How often do you soak the tortoise and for how long?

With this info, we will help get things sorted out.


  1. I live in Los Angeles county, near Compton. In the city of Carson. (Southern California)
  2. He stays outside. Roughly 66ft x 72ft (backyard).
  3. At night, I lock him in his night box that has an ambient temp of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I use a oil filled radiator heater on one side and he has a heated Kane mat on the other end. In his night box, on the other end gets as low as 76-77 degrees Fahrenheit. I also cover the top of the night box with a tarp, to keep in the heat.
  4. Overnight low temperature outside is 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
  5. Weight is: 4989.516g / size: 12.75” in length
  6. I soak him 1hr to sometimes 1-1/2hrs. Can you ever oversoak?
Note: he seems to be back to normal. He’s eating a lot more now, walking a lot more, pooping. The only thing different now, is that he won’t come out his night box unless I take him out. Usually, before I head off to work. I unlock and open his door or drawbridge of his box and he just goes through the freezer flaps after a couple hours.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
  1. I live in Los Angeles county, near Compton. In the city of Carson. (Southern California)
  2. He stays outside. Roughly 66ft x 72ft (backyard).
  3. At night, I lock him in his night box that has an ambient temp of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I use a oil filled radiator heater on one side and he has a heated Kane mat on the other end. In his night box, on the other end gets as low as 76-77 degrees Fahrenheit. I also cover the top of the night box with a tarp, to keep in the heat.
  4. Overnight low temperature outside is 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
  5. Weight is: 4989.516g / size: 12.75” in length
  6. I soak him 1hr to sometimes 1-1/2hrs. Can you ever oversoak?
Note: he seems to be back to normal. He’s eating a lot more now, walking a lot more, pooping. The only thing different now, is that he won’t come out his night box unless I take him out. Usually, before I head off to work. I unlock and open his door or drawbridge of his box and he just goes through the freezer flaps after a couple hours.
1. That's right near where I grew up!!! I was around Rosecrans and Western, just for reference. That helps because now I understand your climate better. Very mild weather. Never super hot and never super cold. Some coastal influence, but not cold and clammy all the time like Redondo Beach.
2. That is a good size for a sulcata.
3. Keep the whole box 80+ all night all year. I turn my box thermostats up to 86 in winter since the days aren't as warm. This species needs warm temps and they don't do well when temps dip too low at night.
4. I was asking more about the overnight low wherever the tortoise was sleeping, and you answered that in number 3.
5. Okay, so not a tiny baby any more. I move them outside at around 8-10 inches, so you are well past that. I asked about the size because some people move them outside too early, and it can cause some problems.
6. My friend Dean used to soak his almost daily for 6 hours. He lived in Palmdale and would put little ones in a big kiddie pool with water. Their outside time was literally in a big soaking tub for six hours a day. So no, 1.5 hours will do no harm whatsoever. Dean's tortoises were all healthy thriving and growing faster than all of mine. I regularly soak for an hour.
 

Unitygraph

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2020
Messages
41
Location (City and/or State)
California
1. That's right near where I grew up!!! I was around Rosecrans and Western, just for reference. That helps because now I understand your climate better. Very mild weather. Never super hot and never super cold. Some coastal influence, but not cold and clammy all the time like Redondo Beach.
2. That is a good size for a sulcata.
3. Keep the whole box 80+ all night all year. I turn my box thermostats up to 86 in winter since the days aren't as warm. This species needs warm temps and they don't do well when temps dip too low at night.
4. I was asking more about the overnight low wherever the tortoise was sleeping, and you answered that in number 3.
5. Okay, so not a tiny baby any more. I move them outside at around 8-10 inches, so you are well past that. I asked about the size because some people move them outside too early, and it can cause some problems.
6. My friend Dean used to soak his almost daily for 6 hours. He lived in Palmdale and would put little ones in a big kiddie pool with water. Their outside time was literally in a big soaking tub for six hours a day. So no, 1.5 hours will do no harm whatsoever. Dean's tortoises were all healthy thriving and growing faster than all of mine. I regularly soak for an hour.
Wow, that’s cool to know. So you know exactly what type of weather we have here. Thanks for all the info. Really appreciated. He’s almost back to normal. It’s just since he’s been getting better, his appetite is almost back to normal. Though the other thing is, now I have to pull him out of his night box, which I never had to do before. He wont come out on his own anymore. Still trying to figure out why.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Wow, that’s cool to know. So you know exactly what type of weather we have here. Thanks for all the info. Really appreciated. He’s almost back to normal. It’s just since he’s been getting better, his appetite is almost back to normal. Though the other thing is, now I have to pull him out of his night box, which I never had to do before. He wont come out on his own anymore. Still trying to figure out why.
Dog you have. dog?
 

Unitygraph

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2020
Messages
41
Location (City and/or State)
California
Dog you have. dog?
No dogs or cats. Though there is a stray cat that drinks from my tortoises bowl from time time. There are squirrels during the day in the persimmon tree. There are raccoons, possums, rats, but they don’t come out til late and my Sulcata is already locked away. Once in a great while my Sulcata may be left out at night around 9pm, because I so happen to come home late. That’s about it.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
No dogs or cats. Though there is a stray cat that drinks from my tortoises bowl from time time. There are squirrels during the day in the persimmon tree. There are raccoons, possums, rats, but they don’t come out til late and my Sulcata is already locked away. Once in a great while my Sulcata may be left out at night around 9pm, because I so happen to come home late. That’s about it.
Its been over 100 degrees up here. I'd blame it on the weather, but you probably aren't getting over 80-85 down there, right?
 

Hippytort

Active Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 14, 2012
Messages
107
Location (City and/or State)
Southern CA
I'm in southern CA too. Yorba Linda. I can tell you that my Sal sometimes gets sluggish and inactive for no apparent reason. He was just this past week in his house for six straight days. I check on him daily ,and he looks content (as far as I can tell). Today he came marching out, took a loooong drink, Ate a big handful of hay and some greens. and is now lounging in the rose garden, (probably thinking of what he can destroy).
I think, and I could be wrong, that this is just the way Sulcates act. I've had mine since 2009 and he has always done this from time to time with no indication of being sick. I know it's hard not to worry but just about the time I start to get worried, out he comes. And I always have a big mess to clean up in his house!
 
Top