Tortoise Problems (doesn't eat well, sleeps a lot)

[Lyn W]

Hi NonO
Are you in the UK?
Your substrate is not recommended as pellets are too dry. Have a look at the caresheet for your tort and see what substrate is recommended to help humidity levels.
The mirror could be stressing him out as they do not understand glass and reflections so he may think he has competition in there. They are territorial and do not like other torts on their patch.
I use an Arcadia mini d3 mercury vapour bulb (MVB) which - if you are in the UK - I bought it from Pets at Home for £39,(80W) it gives heat light and essential uvb in one bulb - but whichever brand you buy make sure it is not a coil or long thin loop type as these damage torts eyes.
For night heat I use a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) which just gives heat as torts need darkness at night to sleep. I run the CHE through a thermostat which turns it on and off to stop it form getting too hot or cold.
Mine are similar to this. I use the MVB and che in wide dome hoods to make sure no heat is lost as it rises. All bought from The Range

But hang this over the enclosure rather than use the clamp as clamps have been known to fail and cause house fires - and it reduces the area of uvb if at an angle. If hanging you can adjust the temp by raising or lowering the bulb in its holder.

Also add to your shopping list a digital temp gun which is great for spot checking the different areas
and a digital temp and humidity meter.

 

[Non0]

Today we went out and bought her a light with UVA & UVB

 

[Non0]

Ok. He I'm in the UK and I also removed the mirror and added her new light. I'll make sure I get a themometre later this weekend and I'll also get the night beat thing. Any suggestions on the good brands for the night light. The reptile shop I bought the light on didn't say anything about a night heat thing, is it necessary?

Pellets. I have been trying to remove these from her diet but she just seems so addicted. I struggle to feed her veg too. However, she hasn't eaten much recently and the shop said something about them slowing down because they normally hibernate. They also said she will sleep a lot more now because of hibernation.

 

[Non0]

Also the water. Is it normal for her not to drink much. I've never seen her drink from the drink pot but I have seen her drink when I soak her every other day.

 

[Lyn W]

Ok. He I'm in the UK and I also removed the mirror and added her new light. I'll make sure I get a themometre later this weekend and I'll also get the night beat thing. Any suggestions on the good brands for the night light. The reptile shop I bought the light on didn't say anything about a night heat thing, is it necessary?

Pellets. I have been trying to remove these from her diet but she just seems so addicted. I struggle to feed her veg too. However, she hasn't eaten much recently and the shop said something about them slowing down because they normally hibernate. They also said she will sleep a lot more now because of hibernation.

The CHE only gives heat not light as torts need darkness to sleep.
I bought my CHE and the thermostat from The Range - £22 and £35 respectively. The thermostat will only come on when temps drop below temp setting and in the UK I would say both are needed as it gets pretty chilly here at night. The thermostat also switches the CHE off to prevent overheating. So a great safety precaution. A lot of money I know but will save you a lot in vets bills. You will have to check the caresheet to find out what your min and max temps should be and advise you on humidity.
Just remember that
correct temps + humidity= healthy tort
too cold +humidity = sick tort.
If they are too cold they will try to hibernate at this time of year so hopefully with your new MVB his appetite will improve but pellets alone are not great for him and you need to introduce some of the fresh foods recommended on the caresheet.
Reptile shops may sell torts but they don't always know too much about aftercare.
The pellets I was talking about are the ones you have as substrate, they are not recommended for any tort as they are too dry- your caresheet will also recommended a better one to help humidity levels.
I have rarely seen my tort drinking but he always has a plant saucer big enough for him to self soak in as they absorb water as well as drink it and I soak my leopard in luke warm water everyday - not necessary everyday but I like to make sure he is hydrated.

 

[Non0]

Is there a reason you call her a he? The shop said she was a girl but after looking up how to sex a tortoise there was evidence suggesting she was a boy. Do you think she is a boy?

 

[Lyn W]

Is there a reason you call her a he? The shop said she was a girl but after looking up how to sex a tortoise there was evidence suggesting she was a boy. Do you think she is a boy?

No - just habit of calling mine 'he', but I doubt the pet shop could tell either yet. So your tort may well be a she or you could eventually find out that she is a he when he/she is a bit older. My tort is about 4 and a vet thought mine was a girl but within the year 'she' showed me she was in fact a 'he'!
When they are old enough males develop a concave shape in the plastron for mating and the tail shape is also different in males and females.

 

[Non0]

I've just taken her out and put her under the light because she kept going crack to bed even though she's been asleep for 16 hours. I put her in front of some pellets, lettuce, cabbage and parsley all blitzed together but she didn't eat them. She probably would eat them if I had fed her but I want to try and avoid that. Is the pellets and veg mixed together a good idea? Any ideas on how to stop her from just eating from my hand?

 

[Lyn W]

I've just taken her out and put her under the light because she kept going crack to bed even though she's been asleep for 16 hours. I put her in front of some pellets, lettuce, cabbage and parsley all blitzed together but she didn't eat them. She probably would eat them if I had fed her but I want to try and avoid that. Is the pellets and veg mixed together a good idea? Any ideas on how to stop her from just eating from my hand?

Check www.thetortoisetable.org.uk to check if those foods are OK. I'm not sure of cabbage or parsley is. It will also tell you what else is tort safe. .
Ordinary lettuce doesn't have any nutritional value - iceberg, cos and lisalad or sainsbury's mixed leaf salad little gem aren't good, they are like junk food to a tort.
Some of the mixed bags like Florette Classic crispy have a better mix of leaves - radicchio, frisee, escarole, endive etc. Romaine is ok once on a while. You can buy seeds for tortoise foodto grow your own - dandies, clover etc - for winter use. I also use some kale, spring greens, pak choy leaves, carrot leaves. Let your caresheet guide you though as the diet for my leopard will be different to your tort. If she is hungry she will eat what is in front of her. Maybe soak the pellets and spread them on some leaves. As a guide a tort should eat the amount to fill his shell (if you can imagine it as a bowl), if she eats all give more if any left feed a little less. My tort likes to eat after having a soak.
My leo is sleeping a lot at the mo because of the time of year. Even though he has mvb and che etc and his temps are the same its as if he can sense the season, maybe something to do with the natural light.

 

[Non0]

She should eat as much as her shell how often?

 

[Non0]

Cabbage is safe for her to eat but parsley on the other hand should be fed in small quantities.

 

[Lyn W]

She should eat as much as her shell how often?

Put that amount down when you feed her every day, if she eats it all give more, if not don't.
I leave more than the volume of my tort's shell every morning (his shell is about 28cm long and about 20cm high)
Sometimes it's all eaten so I give more when I get home after his soak,
sometimes he leaves some, so I don't give more. It's only a guide.

 

[Lyn W]

Cabbage is safe for her to eat but parsley on the other hand should be fed in small quantities.

cabbage leaves only?

 

[Lyn W]

...........Ordinary lettuce doesn't have any nutritional value - iceberg, cos and lisalad or **sainsbury's mixed leaf salad little gem aren't good, they are like junk food to a tort...........

**Correction - Sainsburys mixed leaf salad is fine - it somehow got moved to where I was writing about little gem lettuce not being good.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

A good guide for foods, especially the ones in bold.
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm

 

[Non0]

Thanks guys I'll take a look. And yes it says cabbage is fine but doesn't say anything about cabbage leaves and stuff. It just says cabbage.

 

[Non0]

I'll try feeding her soon and I'll give you guys an update on her appetite later.

 

[Lyn W]

Thanks guys I'll take a look. And yes it says cabbage is fine but doesn't say anything about cabbage leaves and stuff. It just says cabbage.

Actually The Tortoise Table has all cabbage varieties and Parsley down as a definite DO NOT FEED, so I don't know where you found your info but I would go with these links to find out why.

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?catID=621

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?catID=355

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I find that The Tortoise Table is rather over cautious, as it should be.
A little bit of cabbage and parsley as part of a balanced diet won't do any harm, in my opinion.

 

[Lyn W]

I find that The Tortoise Table is rather over cautious, as it should be.
A little bit of cabbage and parsley as part of a balanced diet won't do any harm, in my opinion.

But not regularly or as the main food?