5 Year Old Sulcata Hibernating and what is with her shell?

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bananaphone

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Hi everyone, so I have a 5 year old sulcata thats been staying with my mom right now in southern california for the past year or so. Shes about 15 pounds now. Shes wondering if our tortoise is sick or if its normal what shes doing? Also, she seems to have developed some stuff on her shell. I was wondering what that was? maybe dehydrated?

Shes been in a hibernation like state since early November, she just lays in a dog bed all day. She does sometimes have her eyes open to watch whats going on but for the most part shes just been laying around. I believe they said she does move around a little bit from time to time but not much. During the spring/summer/fall she has pretty much free roam of the house/property every day and is super active. she will roam around all day then when shes done come back inside and go to her pen to warm up and sleep.. she eats really well, we give her sulcata pellets, hay, all the good stuff. She would get baths about once a week. she would get tons of sunlight each day so we never bothered with a uvb bulb.

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TechnoCheese

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Your sully is much too cold.
Tortoises should never be able to roam the floor, because they will get too cold, stepped on, squished in doors, eat things they’re not supposed to, and much, much more.
Your tortoise comes from a tropical climate, and cannot digest their food if it is not at least 80 degrees. You need to warm it up ASAP.
 

TechnoCheese

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Have you been spraying her recently? The white stuff could be calcium deposits.
 

Yvonne G

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I agree with the above. The tortoise is much too cold and it's a very unhealthy situation. He needs a dedicated enclosure so he can be 80F degrees or hotter ALL THE TIME!!!
 

Yvonne G

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I don't see anything wrong with the shell that a little humidity in his environment can't cure.
 

orv

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Floor temperature is much cooler than the ambient air temperature. Your sully should be in a dedicated area with a UV bulb about a foot over-head, keeping the temps at about 90 degrees for basking and above 80 degrees shaded and in various hides. Seek out Tom's care sheets for a complete work for Sulcata care (similar to the care of Russians).
 

Maro2Bear

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Yep, I’m sure temps are too cold in general. A good warm water soaking will help. In this state of affairs since November doesn’t sound good. Hope you can increase temps, provide proper heat, lighting, water and a good soaking.

Best of luck!
 

bananaphone

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Ahh ok that makes sense. Ill let them know. they will just have to put a portable heater in the room shes in now Thanks for the help!
 

wellington

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Hi everyone, so I have a 5 year old sulcata thats been staying with my mom right now in southern california for the past year or so. Shes about 15 pounds now. Shes wondering if our tortoise is sick or if its normal what shes doing? Also, she seems to have developed some stuff on her shell. I was wondering what that was? maybe dehydrated?

Shes been in a hibernation like state since early November, she just lays in a dog bed all day. She does sometimes have her eyes open to watch whats going on but for the most part shes just been laying around. I believe they said she does move around a little bit from time to time but not much. During the spring/summer/fall she has pretty much free roam of the house/property every day and is super active. she will roam around all day then when shes done come back inside and go to her pen to warm up and sleep.. she eats really well, we give her sulcata pellets, hay, all the good stuff. She would get baths about once a week. she would get tons of sunlight each day so we never bothered with a uvb bulb.

X5hSsUG.jpg
As everyone has said, too cold. He needs a proper enclosure that is all his with proper temps and humidity and proper substrate. Not a human house or human floor or a dogs bed. They do not hibernate so he is too cold and can't properly digest his food being too cold. Quick proper changes needed asap.
 

Bee62

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@bananaphone
Your tortoise is not eating and not active since early November ? When you don`t make the changes the others told you she will soon be dead.
She need asap:
A long ( 30 minutes minimum ) warm soak every day.
A basking spot where it is 100 F warm . A basking spot, no room heater !
A warm enclosure ( 80 F day and night ) of her own with substrate and a water bowl
FOOD !

Good luck that you are able to safe her. When you wait there will be no chance.
 

Big Charlie

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In Southern California a tortoise that size can go outside (or stay outside) most days as long as she has a heated place she can warm up. Ideally you can give her a heated enclosed box outdoors. Check out Tom's night box threads. https://tortoiseforum.org/threadloom/search
Realize that unless you are using a radiator for heat, the heat will dry her out more so you'll need to soak her more to compensate.
 

Tom

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Where in SoCal? We've been having 80+ degree days here all winter. We broke all the records in history with a 96 degree Thanksgiving.

You are lucky the tortoise is still alive. Many of them die this way. Please take immediate action.

At 15 pounds this tortoise should be living outside here full time with a heated night box. It should be placed outside in the warm sun during the heat of the day, and in its heated night box every night. After a while it will put itself away in the night box and your parents can simply close the door each evening (After verifying the tortoise is in there.) and opening the door each morning. I would set the temp for 86-88 for a few weeks to help the tortoise fight off infection and get its systems up and running again. Warm soaks every other day will be needed too for a little while. After a couple of weeks, if everything seems okay, you can drop the night box temp down to 80-82 for the rest of "winter".

Here are some examples:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/

A space heater with your tortoise on the floor is not going to get it done. It is too cold and dangerous on the floor. Please save your tortoise before it is too late.
 

Lorax_The_Sulcata

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Sulcata tortoises don't hibernate! Your tortoise is much too cold! At this age, your tort should be living outside (depending on the weather in your location) or in a big enclosure with a heater. Also have you been spraying her shell? It looks pretty dry; and what is she doing in a dog bed? Has she woken yet? Here! I advise you search up on how to take of a particular tortoise breed. Instead of searching, "How long should a tortoise bask," search, "How long should a sulcata tortoise bask."
 
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