I have a Russian tortoise that I think might be trying to go into hibernation. He is staying in his tunnel more than he usually does. I am not sure if him going into hibernation is a very good idea because recently he has had a parasite in him (Which I can't remember the name of right now) and I don't want him going into hibernation unless he is healthy. I did notice recently that the temperature was cooler than normal so I bumped it up to a 150 watt basking bulb instead of a 100 watt basking bulb. Does anyone have any ideas on what I should do?
Hibernation?
- Thread starter Shellz
- Start date
Hello and welcome to TFO @Shellz
The shorter days can certainly bring about a strong urge for a tort to hibernate even if it is kept indoors.
Inactivity can also be brought about by incorrect temperatures (too hot as well as too cold). Can you tell us the 4 important temperatures at tortoise level in the enclosure please? That's warm side, cool side, directly under the basking lamp and overnight minimum.
The other possible cause is that you have a compact coil (CFL) type UVB bulb. These hurt tort eyes and the tort will hide away to avoid the light.
Photographs of your enclosure and lighting will help us to identify any possible issues.
If you haven't already, I recommend that you read the following
Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
Russian Tortoise Care
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
