Weird tort behaviour after moving

[speedyTortoise]

Hi guys, we just moved from California to North Carolina, and my 10 year old Russian tort started acting a little weird. We shipping him with Reptiles2you and ups. Before the move, he was running around, digging, climbing, and eating well. He rushed to the food plate when I placed it and ate all the food. He ate arugula and lettuce and weeds we grew in the garden. Now, he is only active for around 1 hour in the morning and then he digs a hole and sleeps for the whole day. He also doesn’t have a good appetite. He only eats his favourite food, like the butter lettuce and carrots, and only from my hand. I have heard they torts would be stressed from getting shipped, but it’s already almost 2 weeks. Should I be worried?

 

[zovick]

Hi guys, we just moved from California to North Carolina, and my 10 year old Russian tort started acting a little weird. We shipping him with Reptiles2you and ups. Before the move, he was running around, digging, climbing, and eating well. He rushed to the food plate when I placed it and ate all the food. He ate arugula and lettuce and weeds we grew in the garden. Now, he is only active for around 1 hour in the morning and then he digs a hole and sleeps for the whole day. He also doesn’t have a good appetite. He only eats his favourite food, like the butter lettuce and carrots, and only from my hand. I have heard they torts would be stressed from getting shipped, but it’s already almost 2 weeks. Should I be worried?

It could take 6 weeks or even more for your tortoise to get used to his new environment. They do not like change very much. Just keep doing your old normal routine with him daily and eventually he should come out of his depression.

 

[SinLA]

Was going to say same. Needs way way more time to settle in…

Congrats on your move, glad he made it safely.

 

[speedyTortoise]

It could take 6 weeks or even more for your tortoise to get used to his new environment. They do not like change very much. Just keep doing your old normal routine with him daily and eventually he should come out of his depression.

Oh, ok. Thanks!

 

[Tom]

Oh, ok. Thanks!

But be sure all the conditions are correct too. Double check temps and lighting. Increased soaks are a good idea when appetite and activity is down too.

 

[speedyTortoise]

But be sure all the conditions are correct too. Double check temps and lighting. Increased soaks are a good idea when appetite and activity is down too.

Alright. He came out of his hide a second time today when I called him and let me stroke his neck. I also gave him an extra soak.

 

[speedyTortoise]

Hey guys. How should I give my tortoise a bath without stressing him if he is always in his hide?

 

[speedyTortoise]

My tort has been in his the whole day for the past 2 days. Usually, he would come out of his hide in the morning when I call him. He would be outside for an hour and go back in his hide. But now, he doesn't even come out. When I peak in his hide (I don't pick it up, I just look in it through the opening) in the morning I can see that he is awake and even facing the entrance, but he isn't coming out. This is a problem because now I can't feed him at all OR give him baths, which I do every other day without taking him out of his hide, which would be stressful to him. Is this something that will pass or is it something else?

 

[speedyTortoise]

But be sure all the conditions are correct too. Double check temps and lighting. Increased soaks are a good idea when appetite and activity is down too.

His temps are good, his basking spot is around the 90's, opposite side is cool. Humidity is good as well.

 

[zovick]

His temps are good, his basking spot is around the 90's, opposite side is cool. Humidity is good as well.

You should take the tortoise out of the hide and soak it for 20-30 minutes DAILY. Not soaking the tortoise simply because he is staying in the hide will be detrimental to its health. After you soak it, put in in front of a pile of its favorite foods each day. The tortoise will get used to the routine after a while.

 

[Tom]

His temps are good, his basking spot is around the 90's, opposite side is cool. Humidity is good as well.

Here is a breakdown of the four heating and lighting essentials:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

You good on all of these?

 

[speedyTortoise]

Here is a breakdown of the four heating and lighting essentials:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

You good on all of these?

Everything except the ambient light. His enclosure is normally pretty bright, and for some of the time there lamps and such they are on.

 

[speedyTortoise]

You should take the tortoise out of the hide and soak it for 20-30 minutes DAILY. Not soaking the tortoise simply because he is staying in the hide will be detrimental to its health. After you soak it, put in in front of a pile of its favorite foods each day. The tortoise will get used to the routine after a while.

That might be a problem because his favorite foods are the least healthy. His favorite foods are pepper and carrots. He also likes butter lettuce, so I will definitely give him they daily and a little pepper too.