Rtabrett
New Member
Hey everyone,
After doing some searching I've only found some older information regarding Russians not eating. I've read all of the posts but didn't know if any newer info has surfaced.
My female Russian is estimated to be between 3 or 4 years old. She's in a 5' x 3' x 1' and 1/2'' wooden box with an plexiglass front and completely open top. I have two heat lamps and a UV light that generally keeps the basking temp around 80 - 82 and the cooler side in the 75'ish range, unless its at night when the lamps are off which is lower. I used the ground coconut substrate which I keep pretty moist, and mist the entire area as often as I can.
She hasn't eaten in roughly 6 days and I'm starting to get concerned. She also hasn't Urated in longer than that, at least I haven't noticed. After reading some earlier posts I shortened up her area by about a foot, scrubbed everything top to bottom with an all natural habitat cleaner, new substrate, and have soaked her twice in warm water for about 20 or so minutes.
I feed her two smaller meals a day, once in the morning, and once around dinner time. Small portions like a few dandelions greens, or half shell sized pieces of romaine. Normally she would sit on the food for a minute like some kind of reptilia war dance before chowing down, but now she turns her face away from the food even when hand feeding.
I haven't taken her to the vet yet because she does something similar every year right around when the season changes into fall, but will eventually go back to eating like crazy. She lives inside, but some how she knows when it's getting cooler. She mainly stays in the cooler side of the tank as of late hiding in half a bowl I cut for a shelter. I had her outside today for about a half an hour before the sun went down and it got cooler, and she was moving around and climbing on stuff like she normally does.
Should I freak out yet?
thanks!
-Brett
After doing some searching I've only found some older information regarding Russians not eating. I've read all of the posts but didn't know if any newer info has surfaced.
My female Russian is estimated to be between 3 or 4 years old. She's in a 5' x 3' x 1' and 1/2'' wooden box with an plexiglass front and completely open top. I have two heat lamps and a UV light that generally keeps the basking temp around 80 - 82 and the cooler side in the 75'ish range, unless its at night when the lamps are off which is lower. I used the ground coconut substrate which I keep pretty moist, and mist the entire area as often as I can.
She hasn't eaten in roughly 6 days and I'm starting to get concerned. She also hasn't Urated in longer than that, at least I haven't noticed. After reading some earlier posts I shortened up her area by about a foot, scrubbed everything top to bottom with an all natural habitat cleaner, new substrate, and have soaked her twice in warm water for about 20 or so minutes.
I feed her two smaller meals a day, once in the morning, and once around dinner time. Small portions like a few dandelions greens, or half shell sized pieces of romaine. Normally she would sit on the food for a minute like some kind of reptilia war dance before chowing down, but now she turns her face away from the food even when hand feeding.
I haven't taken her to the vet yet because she does something similar every year right around when the season changes into fall, but will eventually go back to eating like crazy. She lives inside, but some how she knows when it's getting cooler. She mainly stays in the cooler side of the tank as of late hiding in half a bowl I cut for a shelter. I had her outside today for about a half an hour before the sun went down and it got cooler, and she was moving around and climbing on stuff like she normally does.
Should I freak out yet?
thanks!
-Brett
