Inactive tort

Dessy

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Joined
Aug 11, 2015
Messages
135
Hello all i have posted before and have read the care sheets and feel like i have a decent understanding of them. I have a sulcata tortoise about five months now who has suddently become inactive. Its gotten cold in chicago but his MVB keeps his enclosure around 83 degrees Fahrenheit. His basking spot is hotter than that and he has a heated hide with a CHE bulb. At night i keep it on along with another CHE outside his hide. He wakes up to eat (hes been picky eating mazuri and lettuce. He wont eat turnip greens or dandelions anymore) and his poop looks fine when i actually get a hold of him for a soak. Plexiglass top keeps the humidity 70-80. Substrate is orchid bark. I miss my tort. Hes only up to eat, and goes right back to sleep. Please help

I attached a recent pic when i prepared him a mazuri salad ps hes not eating rocks i use it to hold down his food
 

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wellington

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I too live in the city of Chicago. I have leopards and a Russian, all over four years old. I have always noticed that as the weather here gets cold, they seem to slow down some. Make sure you double check the temps and humidity with a reliable gauge. If that is all where it should be, he is eating and drinking, then I would just keep a close eye on him to be sure nothing changes. My leopards usually pic their activity up after a while. Mine actually has started their pic up, as their slow down was earlier.
 

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
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the light cycle affect them as well when it gets shorter even if you keep it warm it can slow them down how long do you have their lights on for?
 

SarahChelonoidis

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What's the coldest temperature his enclosure is getting to at night? How long do you keep the MVB on during the day? How bright is the enclosure away from the MVB?

I too am in the cold North and it takes quite a bit of fiddling with heat and light to make the transition to winter. Natural sun is so hard to beat - I think some of the slow down is related to losing that daily access to real sun but we can do our best with lights and heating elements. You'll likely need to make adjustments.
 

Dessy

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Aug 11, 2015
Messages
135
I keep his mvb bulb on from around 7-8 am to 8-9 pm and since his enclosure is kind of big i have another regular no heat uv bulb on the opposite end ( i switch that one for a heat one at night) and i will check night temperatures tonight
 
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