Tortoise sleeping all day

[Matthew Rees]

Hey
I have a nearly 2 year old Hermann tortoise, had her exactly a year ago yesterday.
She's been really active since I've had her, eats really well too, still enjoys a bath every other day.
But over the last 10 to 15 days, she started sleeping alot more, to the point where she hasn't woken up the last 3 days tidy.
She hasn't hibernated at all yet, but I was wondering if this is normal.
It's almost spring here in Wales, so I thought it would be a little late to hibernate?

I do check her all over, her shell, her eyes so on.
When I have pulled her out of her vivarium she goes a little active again, actually tries to get back to vivarium.
I always put food out for her and fresh water daily, but she isn't coming out to eat.

Is there anything I should be concerned about?

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome,
Check your temps because its still pretty cold even when the sun shines
Can you post a picture of her enclosure so that we can see if there's anything affecting her behaviour?
My tort is pretty reluctant to leave his cosy hide at the moment too.

Torts don't have to hibernate as long as you keep the temps up.
If you do want then to hibernate you need to make sure the temps don't fluctuate to wake them too early. Many keepers use a fridge for this. But you've plenty of time to research that if you want to do it next winter.
Some species like my leopard, may slow down in the winter but never hibernate.

 

[Matthew Rees]

Hi and welcome,
Check your temps because its still pretty cold even when the sun shines
Can you post a picture of her enclosure so that we can see if there's anything affecting her behaviour?
My tort is pretty reluctant to leave his cosy hide at the moment too.

Torts don't have to hibernate as long as you keep the temps up.
If you do want then to hibernate you need to make sure the temps don't fluctuate to wake them too early. Many keepers use a fridge for this. But you've plenty of time to research that if you want to do it next winter.
Some species like my leopard, may slow down in the winter but never hibernate.

All photos I've just taken, and the tort when ive taken her little house off her

 

[Lyn W]

Thanks
The first thing that you need to change asap is the substrate.
Pellets are too dry for any tort to be happy in and will go mouldy when wet producing spores that could affect breathing etc.
Have a look at this up to date caresheet which will suggest safe alternatives.

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

Your thermometer and I guess humidity gauges are not reliable types and placed too high to measure at tort level. Most of us use a digital thermometer/hygrometer with a probe and a temp gun is great for spot checking temps around the enclosure.

The water dish would be easer to access and exit of it was sunk level with the surface of the new substrate you get.

It's difficult to tell for sure without seeing a pic of the full enclosure but maybe you should be considering something bigger for her now. 4 x 8 feet is the minimum recommended size for the smaller species, but the bigger the better.
Some safe plants to break up the area and make it somewhere she could explore might also make her want to move more.

 

[Matthew Rees]

Thanks
The first thing that you need to change asap is the substrate.
Pellets are too dry for any tort to be happy in and will go mouldy when wet producing spores that could affect breathing etc.
Have a look at this up to date caresheet which will suggest safe alternatives.

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

Your thermometer and I guess humidity gauges are not reliable types and placed too high to measure at tort level. Most of us use a digital thermometer/hygrometer with a probe and a temp gun is great for spot checking temps around the enclosure.

The water dish would be easer to access and exit of it was sunk level with the surface of the new substrate you get.

It's difficult to tell for sure without seeing a pic of the full enclosure but maybe you should be considering something bigger for her now. 4 x 8 feet is the minimum recommended size for the smaller species, but the bigger the better.
Some safe plants to break up the area and make it somewhere she could explore might also make her want to move more.

Brilliant thank you, orchid bark was something I was going to use a year ago but i was told that substrate will be fine. I have been thinking about a digital thermometer for a while now too.

Thanks for your help, I'll keep you posted

 

[Lyn W]

Forget other websites and FB etc., you won't go far wrong if you follow the caresheet here and ask as many questions as you like someone will be around to help you.
www.thetortoisetable.org.uk is a good guide to tort safe plants for food and enclosures. Spider plants are popular.
Any shop bought plants put in enclosures need to have roots washed and be repotted in chemical free soil then left for at least a year for any absorbed fertilisers/pesticides/feed etc. to grow out so if you can get cuttings from established safe plants that would be quicker. Then leave them in a pot and sink that into the substrate so it can be changed easily of nibbled or trampled.

 

[Matthew Rees]

Forget other websites and FB etc., you won't go far wrong if you follow the caresheet here and ask as many questions as you like someone will be around to help you.
www.thetortoisetable.org.uk is a good guide to tort safe plants for food and enclosures. Spider plants are popular.
Any shop bought plants put in enclosures need to have roots washed and be repotted in chemical free soil then left for at least a year for any absorbed fertilisers/pesticides/feed etc. to grow out so if you can get cuttings from established safe plants that would be quicker. Then leave them in a pot and sink that into the substrate so it can be changed easily of nibbled or trampled.

Thanks, I'll get looking for a bigger enclosure so I can start making it better for my tortoise.

Would you recommend a open enclosure like a tortoise table? Or a vivarium like I have now but only bigger?