Unusual behavior?

jlpicc

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We've had our Russian for a month and a half, and are 1st time reptile owners. He is in a much smaller enclosure then we'd like, because we had planned to bring home a baby that day, and ended up with an adult. We figured we would have plenty of time to design what we wanted our enclosure to look like and where to put it and what not, but obviously not: we researched, designed, had proofed by someone who knew how to build, revised, and finally have placed the order for supplies.

The problem is now he has started sleeping in a funny position with his legs twisted at odd angles, and tonight he didn't even crawl into his hide to sleep, he just stayed asleep under his lamp which has since turned off for the night. He is still eating ok.

We figure he is unhappy in his enclosure since he spends time trying to get out. We do take him outside for a little about once a week and keep a close eye on him.

The other possible factor is we have been feeding him a few dandelions from the yard, but don't have many, and our neighbor just told us that she treated our yard with weed killer in the spring and never told us. Might this have hurt him? The rest of his diet is a wide variety of store bought greens.

Is his behavior unusual, or is he just responding to the heat? (Our AC is broken)
Should we be worried?
Sorry for the excessive detail, but I feel like the first thing everyone asks is about the enclosure.
 

dmmj

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How hot is it? To hot will make them lethargic,. Pesticides is a possibility, but not as likely. A pic of him sleeping will help. They sleep with their legs and neck all stretched out, when they are content.
 

Grandpa Turtle 144

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I live in AZ and at night it can be 75 degrees and that's cool for a tort they are happier at 85degrees so it could be he's cool and it takes a wile for him to warm up . And if he's behind glass and can see out he'll want out the grass is always greener on the other side
Put them outside he ll be happier. .


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WillTort2

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Probably too hot, with the heat we've been having on the east coast(95 degrees some days). Make sure you have a water dish he can climb into for heat relief. Have his heat lamp off during the hottest part of the day. Try adding a freezer pack to the cool end of your enclosure or suspend it above the enclosure to drop the temperature. Your range for Russians should be from 70 to 75 on the cool end and 95 to 100 under the basking lamp.
 

jlpicc

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So I didn't ignore what was said here, but he stopped laying like that for awhile so I couldn't catch him doing it, then he started sleeping in his hide again. But he was like that again tonight and I snapped a picture ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1405384878.802529.jpg
Granted he is under his lamp, but that's what he looked like.

His new enclosure should be done later this week, so that should make for a happy turtle!
 

jlpicc

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He will have a rock in his permanent enclosure but he usually sleeps under his carpet. He seems to like it.
 

Moozillion

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He looks just fine!!!
My Hermann's almost always basks and sleeps with one back leg forward and one back! We call it the tort yoga pose!!!:)
 

jlpicc

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He looks just fine!!!
My Hermann's almost always basks and sleeps with one back leg forward and one back! We call it the tort yoga pose!!!:)
Oh good! It was just odd after he hadn't done that for the first few months.
 

Yellow Turtle01

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:D my russian sleeps weird too, they;re just adorable that way. His color is really unique, I like it!
 

leigti

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I think it's very cute when my Russian sleeps with both hind legs sticking straight back that way I know she is relaxed.
 

Anthony32

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My RT Tedo did the same thing a few days ago I was worried I over feed but he is moving around now I am new to the tortoise world and I don't have an answer but I think it might be a faze they go thru
 
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