Is it normal for my Tortoise to sleep more in the winter?

[Rocky219]

I have a 3-4 year old Hermann Tortoise. I think he is a male but I will really have to wait to see. I went to the vet about his urine being green they said that it is probably diet related and not liver disease (So they did not do a blood panel). They said that if he stops eating bring him back and that they would do a blood panel. He eats well. I give him kale, collards, bok choy, arugula, radicchio, and dandelion greens. Where I live it is very cold. Is it normal for him to sleep more? My temps are all good 89-96f in the basking spot and usually around 50ish humidity. I just replaced the UVB. He has been sleeping more for about 2 weeks or so. A couple times he would keep one eye closed and one eye open and this got me worried. But then I read a post that he probably had something in it just like how people get stuff in there eyes. I gave him a bath and both his eyes were open now (So it was probably that). Any responses are much appreciated.

 

[ZenHerper]

Animals cue from several things where winter slow-down is concerned (even our species lol).

One of them is temperature. Another is humidity. A third very important cue is daylight hours and intensity, even in the presence of artificial light sources. I suspect that light is what is slowing your tort down. As the days now get longer, see if that doesn't return him to an increasingly active state. Gravitational differences as the planet is tipped toward or away from the sun may also come into play. Again, as the northern hemisphere tips back toward the sun, your pet should begin to perk up.

Eye symptoms can be due to a variety of issues. Dust/grit is a common irritant. Make sure that your substrate is not getting bone dry and that any loose bedding (like coco shavings) is pressed down tight.

There are some UV bulbs on the market today that are causing eye irritation and serious damage in many reptile species. They are the coil, looped types. Let us know (or post a photo) what types of bulbs you are using to get more specific advice about that.

 

[Rocky219]

Animals cue from several things where winter slow-down is concerned (even our species lol).

One of them is temperature. Another is humidity. A third very important cue is daylight hours and intensity, even in the presence of artificial light sources. I suspect that light is what is slowing your tort down. As the days now get longer, see if that doesn't return him to an increasingly active state. Gravitational differences as the planet is tipped toward or away from the sun may also come into play. Again, as the northern hemisphere tips back toward the sun, your pet should begin to perk up.

Eye symptoms can be due to a variety of issues. Dust/grit is a common irritant. Make sure that your substrate is not getting bone dry and that any loose bedding (like coco shavings) is pressed down tight.

There are some UV bulbs on the market today that are causing eye irritation and serious damage in many reptile species. They are the coil, looped types. Let us know (or post a photo) what types of bulbs you are using to get more specific advice about that.

Thank you for responding. I use coconut fiber and cypress mulch mixed together. Here is a picture of the bulb

https://imgur.com/a/DIZfhRh

(Scroll down multiple pictures).

 

[ZenHerper]

Yeah. That's unfortunately the type of bulb that is causing a painful eye condition:

UV Lighting for Reptiles: A new problem with high UVB output fluorescent compact lamps and tubes?

They are ungainly and hard to hang effectively, but the long tube style bulbs (t10 or t5) are the safest and most reliable to date.

Turn that one off for a few days and see how he feels.

 

[Rocky219]

Yeah. That's unfortunately the type of bulb that is causing a painful eye condition:

UV Lighting for Reptiles: A new problem with high UVB output fluorescent compact lamps and tubes?

They are ungainly and hard to hang effectively, but the long tube style bulbs (t10 or t5) are the safest and most reliable to date.

Turn that one off for a few days and see how he feels.

Ok thank you so much. Do you think that he will be okay if I turn off the UVB light? It does not look swollen. Also do I need to do anything to make him better or will it sort of just heal itself? Also sorry but would this https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...reptisun-100-ho-t5-uvb-lamp-39-w-34-l-2214184 work? I just want to make sure since my UVB selection is not the best. I used to have a big UVB strip. Are those okay to get? Again thank you so much and sorry for all the questions

 

[ZenHerper]

No worries! Solar radiation is a complicated topic and the proliferation of products meant to be helpful and easier to use (without having been tested much in real-world settings) has complicated things more.

That bulb is fine. Modern keepers are starting to use uv meters (like temperature meters) so that they can verify what level of radiation their pets are getting, and when they have to move the fixture to optimize performance over the life of any one bulb.

Usually, when a coil bulb is discontinued the corneas heal very quickly. Do a daily warm water soak and keep him under observation. Most people see the symptoms of discomfort disappear within a few days. If you feel the need to, you can drip a plain artificial tears liquid drop onto the eye surface. Since torts are active during rain, they don't mind the application. It's a nice thing to have on hand for torts that get messy faces anyway.

 

[Rocky219]

No worries! Solar radiation is a complicated topic and the proliferation of products meant to be helpful and easier to use (without having been tested much in real-world settings) has complicated things more.

That bulb is fine. Modern keepers are starting to use uv meters (like temperature meters) so that they can verify what level of radiation their pets are getting, and when they have to move the fixture to optimize performance over the life of any one bulb.

Usually, when a coil bulb is discontinued the corneas heal very quickly. Do a daily warm water soak and keep him under observation. Most people see the symptoms of discomfort disappear within a few days. If you feel the need to, you can drip a plain artificial tears liquid drop onto the eye surface. Since torts are active during rain, they don't mind the application. It's a nice thing to have on hand for torts that get messy faces anyway.

Thank you so much! I have been trying to avoid going to the vet since I went a week ago

 

[Tom]

Thank you so much! I have been trying to avoid going to the vet since I went a week ago

You don't need a vet. They usually do more harm than good. There is no semester on tortoise care in vet school.

You've gotten excellent advice from ZenHerper, and I thought this might help too:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

It explains diet, what to feed in winter, substrate, lighting, UV and much more.

 

[Rocky219]

You don't need a vet. They usually do more harm than good. There is no semester on tortoise care in vet school.

You've gotten excellent advice from ZenHerper, and I thought this might help too:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

It explains diet, what to feed in winter, substrate, lighting, UV and much more.

Ok thanks