Waking my tortoise up

[SamJ21]

I have a 9 year old Horsfield tortiose called Arnie. I have the uvb light and basking light on a timer from about 8 am till 9 pm but Arnie doesn't come out of his hide unless he is woken up. Is this normal? He is in a tortoise table with a built in house and log hide in the house. He doesn't tend to make it to his hide before the lights go out either I put him in when I check on him before I go to bed.

 

[lismar79]

I wake my russian up every morning, my sulcata gets up on her own. I think it depends on the tort.

 

[abbiesparrow]

I have a Russian tort and she doesn't come out all day until late in the evening where she eats her food and basks for a while then she goes back into her bed. I think it's perfectly normal.

 

[leigti]

How long have you had your tortoise? I had to get my Russian tortoise up every morning for the first two weeks I had her but after that she gets up by herself. My lights are also on timers.

 

[phebe121]

My leopards are active all day except for a few naps and then bed but the start getting about 5 am

 

[SamJ21]

Hi thanks for all your replies. I have had Arnie for about a month now but I have only recently moved him from a vivarium to a tortoise table that we have had made for him.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who has to wake my lazy little monkey up hopefully he will start goin to bed on his own and waking up too.

 

[ascott]

Since you have had him for a short time and also have moved him from a vivarium (which holds heat and humidity differently than a table) to the tortoise table he is adjusting on a couple different levels....have you closely watched the temps in the new enclosure to make sure that the temps are warm enough....this is a species that naturally brumates when the weather gets to the winter/cold months--so activity may slow even if you are keeping all of the lights on and heat during the day....

 

[SamJ21]

Yes I have been closely monitoring his temps. I am awaiting the hygrometre to check humidity.

But honestly I think he is loving the heat at the min as his last owner neglected him as he only had a heat mat the hardly met 60f and no uvb light for 5 months!!!

When I first gave him the correct heat an light he just dug down an hid but now I think he is getting used to it an loving it

 

[Tom]

This is the time of year when they would typically be hibernating. This might be a contributing factor to your issue. I would hope to see a behavior change in your tortoise as we get closer to spring and the days get longer and warmer.

 

[ascott]

Yes I have been closely monitoring his temps. I am awaiting the hygrometre to check humidity.

But honestly I think he is loving the heat at the min as his last owner neglected him as he only had a heat mat the hardly met 60f and no uvb light for 5 months!!!

When I first gave him the correct heat an light he just dug down an hid but now I think he is getting used to it an loving it

I bet all is fine, but it is always good to make sure with a change that the necessary things are still the same or better.....you could simply be dealing with a tort that is feeling the deep seeded design to slow/sleep during winter.....

 

[SamJ21]

Just a quick update:

Arnie has started to wake up in the morning on his own and come out to play now since Friday but still doesn't got to bed till I pit him in his hide.

 

[ascott]

Just a quick update:

Arnie has started to wake up in the morning on his own and come out to play now since Friday but still doesn't got to bed till I pit him in his hide.

Nice....keep buggin him and forcing the daily grind till he gets back to business....

 

[Tyanna]

I let my tortoise do his own thing usually, especially since it's the "slow" time of year for them. He usually sleeps all day, only waking up to eat.

My girl is awake before the lights goes on, and naps under her basking light almost all day, other than to eat. Then puts herself to sleep a little before the lights go off.