Horsefield tortoise sleeps a lot & doesn't eat much

Snadster

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Hi there!

I know theres been a thread about this already but I had a read through and I'm not sure its the same situation.

We got our Horsefield in December and its about 9-10 months old, its been fine up until recently where its sleeping a lot and not eating as much. We alternate between baby leaf lettuce, broader leaf lettuce and some dandelion leaves out of the garden when we can find them! We do calcium sprinkles once a week as well.

We have a tortoise table with a UV light, a small 'pond',a bridge/tunnel that she sleeps under and a slab for her food. The bedding we use is a brown paper type thing but its never been a problem before.

My mum said she's been giving her a weed out of the garden that it really loves but we don't know what it is, so maybe it could be something dangerous?

Thanks in advance!

-Jess
 

ascott

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The bedding we use is a brown paper type thing but its never been a problem before.

Please offer a pic of what you are referring to....if it is this type of stuff, then I would remove that straight away and I also would begin offering daily warm water soaks that are no less than 30 minutes long....

http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/VvKiEZerb3U/maxresdefault.jpg
 

Snadster

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Please offer a pic of what you are referring to....if it is this type of stuff, then I would remove that straight away and I also would begin offering daily warm water soaks that are no less than 30 minutes long....

http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/VvKiEZerb3U/maxresdefault.jpg


No its not like that!!
We used to give her baths everyday but now we'd been leaving it because we put the pool in her table, I told my mum today to bath her more often for longer so we gave her a 30 minute bath soak and she's been eating a lot more and been a lot more active.

Does anyone know if tortoises can get too hot? Its been really hot here recently and she's been laying in her tunnel with all her legs splayed out and her head really far out
 

Snadster

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here's a picture of our set up
 

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ascott

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Yes, they absolutely can get to hot, especially this species. Aestivation can be prompted if the temps are too warm and the tort can not get out of the high heat to retreat to a cooler place..

Aestivation is from the Latin aestas which means summer, and it is also known as summer sleep. It is a period of dormancy, similar to hibernation, that takes place in hot and dry weather.

So, if the longer soak somewhat energized the tort....I would continue this for another week to assure the tort is hydrated....and remember, unless you are seeing the tort drink on its own in the water dish in the enclosure---then assume it is NOT doing it and offer up a soak.....just what I would do.....
 

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