Winter Slowdown?

[thegame2388]

I know it's pretty normal to have a slowdown for tortoise during the winter season but I just want to make sure.

He lives outdoors 24/7 and can come in/out of his outdoor nightbox as he pleases. Temps inside are constant at around 85-87F throughout the day and night (when it's a chilly 40F outside).

Oil-heater and Reptifogger keep the inside at around 85F, 80% humidity where he normally "sleeps" within the box.


However, as the winter season is now upon us, he rarely comes out of his box to eat, poop, whatever. I weighed him 3 weeks ago (he's 2.5 yrs old and weighed 4720g 3 weeks ago), and now he's 4715g. Of course, he pooped and pee'd yesterday during his 1 hour soak so that might explain that, but he used to gain 100g a week! So he's technically supposed to be over 5000g at this point, but he's not.

It's currently overcast and we're expecting an El Nino in California pretty soon, so I'm not expecting much sun at all for this season so his source is UVB/UVA sunlight will be limited. Should I put an MVB in his outdoor nightbox enclosure even though it's not really needed to get him kick-started every morning? I know the temps are fine, but what about the UVB/UVA benefits?

If I'm over-worrying, please let me know.

Thanks

 

[wellington]

Can he bask getting his temps up over 85 to properly digest his food?

 

[thegame2388]

He basks outside when there's sun...but not these days when it's overcoast and cold.

 

[Tom]

I don't use any lights or UV bulbs for any of my outdoor housed sulcatas.

 

[wellington]

I don't use any lights or UV bulbs for any of my outdoor housed sulcatas.

On cold days, they don't get to warm up over 85? This doesn't interfere with their digestion? How many days could they actually go without warming up over 85. This one is only 2.5 years old.

 

[Tom]

On cold days, they don't get to warm up over 85? This doesn't interfere with their digestion? How many days could they actually go without warming up over 85. This one is only 2.5 years old.

He keeps his box 85-87. Same as mine. I've been doing it this way since the turn of the century. We have stretches of 2 or three weeks of daily highs that don't get out of the 50s or 60s every winter. They do just fine.

 

[thegame2388]

He keeps his box 85-87. Same as mine. I've been doing it this way since the turn of the century. We have stretches of 2 or three weeks of daily highs that don't get out of the 50s or 60s every winter. They do just fine.

But are those 2-3 stretches also accompanied with them not EATING?

 

[Tom]

But are those 2-3 stretches also accompanied with them not EATING?

What do you want me to tell you? Every sulcata housed in the Southern States of temperate North America lives this way and has since the late 80's. Its fine. The alternative would be to build a giant Zoo-type indoor tropical housing facility. That would be cool, but its totally unnecessary.

Tortoises do not need to eat every day, and they can eat as much as they want every day. The shorter days and cooler temps causes a reduction in appetite in most of them. This is totally normal and expected.

At least ours have a warm box to retreat to. Many people use a Dogloo with a CHE or a heat mat and thats it.

I told you before that I wouldn't run the lights or the humidifier, but that is your call.

 

[Robertchrisroph]

Hello @thegame2388 your tort. Should be fine. To make sure, check temp with a temp gun? Check temp in two ways so you know all is right with that. No uvb or a is needed outside here in Cali. Do you use mazuri? I use orchard grass as bedding in my night box and I see my king eat it all the time. And I read you soak everyday is this true? For a hour? I know a lot would say great. I say STOP. @Tom might chim in. When you soak it makes them poop. You might be pooping to soon, before he gets a chance to use it. ( maybe) @Tom . Good luck and forum is here for help.

 

[Tom]

Hello @thegame2388 your tort. Should be fine. To make sure, check temp with a temp gun? Check temp in two ways so you know all is right with that. No uvb or a is needed outside here in Cali. Do you use mazuri? I use orchard grass as bedding in my night box and I see my king eat it all the time. And I read you soak everyday is this true? For a hour? I know a lot would say great. I say STOP. @Tom might chim in. When you soak it makes them poop. You might be pooping to soon, before he gets a chance to use it. ( maybe) @Tom . Good luck and forum is here for help.

Yeah, the old "soaking too much causes them to poop and not get the nutrition out of the food" thing has been repeatedly proven totally wrong. If this were the case then all f my babies would be sickly, undernourished and growing very slowly from lack of nutrition. In fact, the opposite is true. They thrive in every way and they do much better than tortoises being raised with less frequent soaking.

Having said all of that, daily soaks are good for hatchlings, but not necessary for tortoise whose weight is now measured in pounds. And while daily soaks are not necessary for larger tortoises, they are not harmful in any way either.

 

[Robertchrisroph]

Knowledge is a wonderful thing. Thank you @Tom

 

[ZEROPILOT]

If the heat ever failed, wouldn't the humidifier become a snow blower?
I can't see a humidifier ever being a good outdoors idea during the winter.

 

[thegame2388]

If the heat ever failed, wouldn't the humidifier become a snow blower?
I can't see a humidifier ever being a good outdoors idea during the winter.

The heat won't and will never fail. Unless the electricity goes out, and if that were to happen, I have an alarm inside the box when it goes below 65F.

Humidity during the night (when he's sleeping in his little area) is 85-90F with 80% in his spot (the fogger is pointed at this direction).

 

[thegame2388]

What do you want me to tell you? Every sulcata housed in the Southern States of temperate North America lives this way and has since the late 80's. Its fine. The alternative would be to build a giant Zoo-type indoor tropical housing facility. That would be cool, but its totally unnecessary.

Tortoises do not need to eat every day, and they can eat as much as they want every day. The shorter days and cooler temps causes a reduction in appetite in most of them. This is totally normal and expected.

At least ours have a warm box to retreat to. Many people use a Dogloo with a CHE or a heat mat and thats it.

I told you before that I wouldn't run the lights or the humidifier, but that is your call.

When will he go back to normal? March-ish?

 

[Tom]

If the heat ever failed, wouldn't the humidifier become a snow blower?
I can't see a humidifier ever being a good outdoors idea during the winter.

That's because you live in FL. Have you ever lived in single digit humidity?

Its crazy I tell ya'.

 

[Tom]

When will he go back to normal? March-ish?

I had to consider this question for a minute before answering.

What he's doing is normal. His activity level and appetite will increase as soon as we have warmer weather. That could be in January, or it might wait until March. Usually mine all pick back up when the days start getting longer again.

This right here is the whole reason I walk around saying "I hate winter" all winter long. Or my other line: "This is not good tortoise weather..."

 

[Big Charlie]

I had to consider this question for a minute before answering.

What he's doing is normal. His activity level and appetite will increase as soon as we have warmer weather. That could be in January, or it might wait until March. Usually mine all pick back up when the days start getting longer again.

This right here is the whole reason I walk around saying "I hate winter" all winter long. Or my other line: "This is not good tortoise weather..."

I think I might be part tortoise. I don't like winter either.

 

[Tom]

I think I might be part tortoise. I don't like winter either.

I keep telling people I'm part reptile.

 

[thegame2388]

I had to consider this question for a minute before answering.

What he's doing is normal. His activity level and appetite will increase as soon as we have warmer weather. That could be in January, or it might wait until March. Usually mine all pick back up when the days start getting longer again.

This right here is the whole reason I walk around saying "I hate winter" all winter long. Or my other line: "This is not good tortoise weather..."

Yeah. It's weird though...if temperature is the "problem", and it's 88-90F inside his box, and I'm putting food inside, then why isn't he eating it? It must be something else besides just temps.

 

[Yvonne G]

I think it's time for you to convert the way you thing from grams to pounds. Your 9lb tortoise is doing just fine. If there's any sun at all, even on cooler days, he will sit in the sun and elevate his internal temperature into a comfortable, for him, range