Finley the Tortoise

Tara A Roman

New Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2017
Messages
5
Location (City and/or State)
katy, tx
Hi Guys! Im new to this forum and find it pretty awesome that so many have tortoises. My 13th year old son purchased a hatchling for his birthday and Ive grown to love the little guy...He did have a respiratory infection and we took him to the vet and he seems to be all better now. He tends to move his head and front legs in and out when I talk to him. pick him up or put him in his bath (kind of seems like he does it all the time accept for when he's just sitting or sleeping. Im hoping its not due to another RI. He does stop though...Any clue on what it is?
Also, He tends to sleep alot in his habitiat... Can it be too hot or boring?I seem to have to wake him to eat or bathe. Very rare do I seem him just walking around. We try to get him outside often, but its been cold in TX for him lately.. Oh and I hardly seem him bask?? I appreciate all and any response. Thanks..Im attaching some pics of him ..
 

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TechnoCheese

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Feb 20, 2016
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4,505
Location (City and/or State)
Lewisville, Texas
Welcome to the forum!

What is your basking temp, cool side temp, hot side temp, and night temp?
What is your humidity?

I see that you have a compact uvb. They are potentially dangerous for tortoise’s eyes, and do not produce very much uvb.
Is your enclosure open topped?
Those very small rocks are not a good idea. It is very easy for a tortoise to swallow them and become impacted.
Do you have a water bowl I can’t see?
 

TechnoCheese

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Tara A Roman

New Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2017
Messages
5
Location (City and/or State)
katy, tx
Hello!! The temp in his habitat is 80 sometimes 90. It is open, but I do partially cover it with a towel, when the temps go lower. Not too sure on humidity, but we do spray his habitat 2x a day. The rocks are no longer there. Im sorry I dont have better pictures of his current habitat. When I get home, I will take them. I do have a water bowl and a place he can hide. We also have a heat emitter as well and bathe him 1-2 a day. Can any of this be why he sleeps so much or moves his head and legs in back and forth?
 

TechnoCheese

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5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
4,505
Location (City and/or State)
Lewisville, Texas
Hello!! The temp in his habitat is 80 sometimes 90. It is open, but I do partially cover it with a towel, when the temps go lower. Not too sure on humidity, but we do spray his habitat 2x a day. The rocks are no longer there. Im sorry I dont have better pictures of his current habitat. When I get home, I will take them. I do have a water bowl and a place he can hide. We also have a heat emitter as well and bathe him 1-2 a day. Can any of this be why he sleeps so much or moves his head and legs in back and forth?

Low temperatures may be causing his sleeping problem.
The temperature at the coolest corner of a sulcata’s enclosure should never go below 80. Is that temperature the basking spot?
Baby tortoises absolutely need humidity 70% or higher to have good growth. It is almost Impossible to retain heat and humidity in an open topped enclosure.

Your soaking routine is perfect.

Please read the links I gave you and come back with questions .
 

Tara A Roman

New Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2017
Messages
5
Location (City and/or State)
katy, tx
Thanks. I quickly read through some of it and it doesn't really give temps. I will go through it again..Ive done a lot of research on the forum and when I question myself. It seems like he tends to go towards the cooler part of the habitiat...Thats the funny part...And the reason why I think it may be too hot. I do cover the habitat, especially since its a bit cooler in TX right now...the basking is 80-90 it should be at least 95-100 closer to the emitter...I wondering if he's just bored. When he's outside, he doesn't stop walking around. I guess the natural sunlight motivates him...Anyway...thanks for your help. I will do more reading. Can't wait for the summer so he can get his natural sunlight.
 

Bambam1989

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Joined
Aug 15, 2017
Messages
3,112
Location (City and/or State)
East Texas
Hello!! The temp in his habitat is 80 sometimes 90. It is open, but I do partially cover it with a towel, when the temps go lower. Not too sure on humidity, but we do spray his habitat 2x a day. The rocks are no longer there. Im sorry I dont have better pictures of his current habitat. When I get home, I will take them. I do have a water bowl and a place he can hide. We also have a heat emitter as well and bathe him 1-2 a day. Can any of this be why he sleeps so much or moves his head and legs in back and forth?
I agree with technocheese.
When you see a tortoises legs and head moving in and out like you describe, that is normal. Their bodies are designed different than ours. They use their legs as a billows to breath.
 

TechnoCheese

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5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
4,505
Location (City and/or State)
Lewisville, Texas
Tortoises cannot get bored. His inactive ness is being caused by low temps.
Although, they do become unhappy when their enclosure is too small.
 

Hutsie B

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5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
Messages
471
Location (City and/or State)
NC
Welcome to the forum, there are a lot of people here who can help you with information from years of raising Sulcattas. Good luck.
 

anita keyes

New Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2016
Messages
8
Hi Guys! Im new to this forum and find it pretty awesome that so many have tortoises. My 13th year old son purchased a hatchling for his birthday and Ive grown to love the little guy...He did have a respiratory infection and we took him to the vet and he seems to be all better now. He tends to move his head and front legs in and out when I talk to him. pick him up or put him in his bath (kind of seems like he does it all the time accept for when he's just sitting or sleeping. Im hoping its not due to another RI. He does stop though...Any clue on what it is?
Also, He tends to sleep alot in his habitiat... Can it be too hot or boring?I seem to have to wake him to eat or bathe. Very rare do I seem him just walking around. We try to get him outside often, but its been cold in TX for him lately.. Oh and I hardly seem him bask?? I appreciate all and any response. Thanks..Im attaching some pics of him ..
Welcome! You will love this forum. I have a young Sully but was given terrible information when I purchased him/her as a hatchling 4 years ago. I made a lot of mistakes which the folks here have helped me to correct.
 
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