My 10-12 year old Russian buries himself in his substrate daily. If I dont dig him out in the morning, he wont come out to eat. He usually only does this in the winter, does that mean he is trying to hibernate?
Tortoise buries himself daily
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It may well be a reaction to shorter day-length and/or lower temperatures in his environment, which is a "sorta" yes to your question.
If you provide constant lighting and heat year around, then it's likely something else.
Jamie
If you provide constant lighting and heat year around, then it's likely something else.
Jamie
That is what it means, but if you want him to brumate, there is a correct way to lead into and out of it. If you don't want him to, then you need more light, longer light duration and warmer temps.
Do you provide heat in his enclosure or just rely on your room temps and how long have you had him?
This caresheet is mainly written for much younger torts but it will still be useful for older tort care.
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
I've had him since 2011. I just rely on room temps at night as I was advised long ago not to use a heat pad, but can easily obtain one if needed. I took him to the vet in the past 6 months and he got a clean bill of health. He has behaved like this before in the winter but not every single one. I recently came across this website so I figured I would ask about his winter behavior.Do you provide heat in his enclosure or just rely on your room temps and how long have you had him?
This caresheet is mainly written for much younger torts but it will still be useful for older tort care.
If you post pics of his enclosure you'll get good advice to make sure it's a safe and happy home.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...
I dont have pictures of the enclosure but its a 40 gallon 24x36 terrarium. I use cypress mulch for his substrate. He has a hide log, a cool side, and a hot side. This is the lamp I use.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CRJXJZ4/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
He is fed a dark leafy lettuce mix daily with a fruity treat every once in a while. He is also bathed weekly.
I really appreciate the care sheet! Any feedback is welcome!
There's a lot of old out of date information on other websites and social media etc but the caresheet is up to date and written by a member who has been involved in research and thankfully shares his findings with us.
At 12 years old your Tort could really do with a much bigger enclosure now. 4 x 8 feet is the minimum recommended for adults of the smaller species, but the bigger the better. Torts are roaming creatures who need to be able to move about for digestion and bone health in a safe and secure environment.
The MVB bulb used to be popular because it's convenient, but in recent years they have been found to dry and damage shells as well as being fragile and needing frequent changing because the uvb fades quickly so are pretty expensive.
Many of us now use T5 HO tubes for uvb with a separate flood basking bulb (spots are too intense) and a che run through a thermostat for night heat and extra heat if needed.
Reptile heat mats are not suitable for tortoises. if they bury themselves and dig down to it they will get burned. If night temps are too cold a CHE and thermostat would be better because they just give heat so torts have the darkness the need to sleep.
We've all had to make changes to help out torts thrive and you'll only find the best of current methods here from many experienced keepers, so read away and ask as many questions as you like.
At 12 years old your Tort could really do with a much bigger enclosure now. 4 x 8 feet is the minimum recommended for adults of the smaller species, but the bigger the better. Torts are roaming creatures who need to be able to move about for digestion and bone health in a safe and secure environment.
The MVB bulb used to be popular because it's convenient, but in recent years they have been found to dry and damage shells as well as being fragile and needing frequent changing because the uvb fades quickly so are pretty expensive.
Many of us now use T5 HO tubes for uvb with a separate flood basking bulb (spots are too intense) and a che run through a thermostat for night heat and extra heat if needed.
Reptile heat mats are not suitable for tortoises. if they bury themselves and dig down to it they will get burned. If night temps are too cold a CHE and thermostat would be better because they just give heat so torts have the darkness the need to sleep.
We've all had to make changes to help out torts thrive and you'll only find the best of current methods here from many experienced keepers, so read away and ask as many questions as you like.
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I would up it to 14 hours and also add more light. You can get LED strips or screw-in bulbs at the hardware store. Get something in the 5000-6500K color range. Most of them are 2500 and they look yellowish. This info is on the package.
75 at night is quite warm for a Russian, and that is probably the reason he isn't really trying to brumate. I wouldn't change it at this point.
Read the diet info in the care sheet for better foods. No fruit. It upsets their tummies.
40 gallons is way too small for a Russian. As an adult, they need at least 4x8'.
