He seems to like the cold?

[SIMBER]

Hi,

Our Hermann tortoise "Bruce" has just recently started to take him self of to an area of his enclosure that is far away from the heat lamp?

I sometime leave him be and just keep an eye on him although from time to time I will pick him up and put him where its a bit warmer.

Sometimes he'll stay there but other times he'll make his way back to the cold area.

Is this normal or not? I thought they like to keep warm.

He appears nice and healthy in every other respect.

Bruce is we belive about 16 months old.

Cheers,
Simber

 

[egyptiandan]

Welcome to the forum Simber

Is Bruce still eating? How long are your lights on for? What do you have for lights? What are your temperatures, warm end, cool end, under basking lamp and night time?

All these questions will help us figure out whats up with Bruce.

Danny

 

[SIMBER]

Hi Danny

ok, Bruce is eating as normal and is currently munching away on a sprout.

We have a UV lamp which is on for 12 hours (8am - 8pm)
A desk lamp with a heat bulb which is on 24 hours a day.

Warm end is 78f / 25c
cool end 60f / 18c
directly under the heat lamp 85f / 30c

His pen is approx 800mm x 1500mm

Bruce

His pen: showing the lamps

The pipe by white plastic balls is the cold area where he keep going lately

His pen looks a bit untidy regarding the lamps etc, this is just temp, we intend to sort something better out for him ASAP.

Thanks

 

[egyptiandan]

Hi Simber,
I see your in the UK Those temperatures are a bit to cool for under the basking lamp and the warm end. The cool end in a bit low for during the day, but not bad. 18C is fine for a night time temperature.
The warm end during the day should be 28 to 30C and under the basking lamp should be 34C.
You also need more light on the table. I would go with a regular 4 foot florscent light and get a Mercury Vapor Bulb for the basking spot. The MVB will give heat and UVB light. You don't need the basking lamp on for more than 12 hours. You should also have the tiles you have under the basking spot as opposed to the water dish.

Danny

 

[SIMBER]

Thanks Danny,

yes I'm in the UK, a pretty cold UK at the moment.

I'll move the tiles now, the lamp upgrade will happen ASAP

Still don't get why he keeps staying in the cold end?

Cheers

 

[Yvonne G]

Still don't get why he keeps staying in the cold end?

My first thought was that he was trying to get out of the light. Can he fit into those tunnels?

Yvonne

 

[SIMBER]

Still don't get why he keeps staying in the cold end?

My first thought was that he was trying to get out of the light. Can he fit into those tunnels?

Yvonne

Hi Yvonne,

he can fit through the tunnels, he has moments when he see's how many times he can go through them in a minute.

interesting thought regarding the light, but yes, I guess he could just hide inside a tunnel if that was the case.



He was in the cold end about an hour ago, so I put him up near the heat and put his little shelter over him, so far he's stayed put.

 

[oswego tort lover]

i would think that it may be attempting to hibernate.. if outside light can be seen, shorter days will cause a testudo to slow down... ed

 

[SIMBER]

i would think that it may be attempting to hibernate.. if outside light can be seen, shorter days will cause a testudo to slow down... ed

hmm, we've wondering if that is the case.

if so, do we just let him be and hibernate or do we try to keep him awake?

cheers

 

[SIMBER]

well last night Bruce was asleep in his cold spot again so rightly or wrongly I gently woke him up.
I put some fresh food out for him, checked on him about half an hour later and he had eaten some food and was in the middle of doing his ahem "business" which reminderd me- he hadn't been for 2 or 3 days.

When he was done, he had a bit more food then went to his little shelter by the heat.
He was still there this morning and I've just got home from work to find him on the tile basking under the heat

so, will see how it goes.

cheers.