Is this behavior normal for a 4yo hermanns?

islandtort

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Hey all. I recently got my first tortoise, Darwin, a four year old hermanns a few weeks ago. I initially had him in a glass tank with a hide in there and he seemed to be doing well. Every night without fail he would put himself to bed in the hide and wake up the next morning like normal and do his thing. Eventually I noticed he seemed to be getting stressed out with the glass (I know) so I built him a proper tortoise table that is MUCH bigger than the tank. He seems happier in there but I want to know if this behavior is normal.

He will take occasional laps around his table but he seems to be sleeping more than before. He is eating every time I offer food which is almost every day (I will skip the occasional day) and doesn’t show signs of being sick when he is awake but doesn’t seem to walk around as much. Is he just more comfortable?

But probably my biggest concern is he stopped going into his hiding spot to sleep. He will be under his basking light (or right beside it) sleeping before it turns off at 930 and then he will just sleep where he was laying with no cover even is it is out in the open. Temps at the time before the light turns off is approx 100f under the heat lamp, 80f around the other half of the enclosure, and then around 70f in his ‘cool’ spots of the enclosure. At night after it all cools down the entire enclosure will get around between 65-68 (usually on the higher end of that). The humidity typically hovers around 65-70%. Is it normal for him to not seek cover to sleep?

Is this behavior something I should be concerned about or is he just more comfortable now?

Thanks for any and all advice!
 

wellington

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It is normal for a tort to not like where is hide is. Move it to a different spot and place him in it at night and see if he stays and returns at night.
Feed him every day. They would eat ebrry day in the wild unless there was nothing found to eat.
The enclosure for an adult needs to be 4x8 foot minimum. Be sure to read temps at tort level with a reliable digital source. A point and shoot temp gun is great for checking all areas.
Almost sounds like the temps aren't quite right for him to hang out under the basking.
You do have a uvb light that's not a Coil correct?
 

islandtort

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Joined
Sep 27, 2021
Messages
35
Location (City and/or State)
Pennsylvania
It is normal for a tort to not like where is hide is. Move it to a different spot and place him in it at night and see if he stays and returns at night.
Feed him every day. They would eat ebrry day in the wild unless there was nothing found to eat.
The enclosure for an adult needs to be 4x8 foot minimum. Be sure to read temps at tort level with a reliable digital source. A point and shoot temp gun is great for checking all areas.
Almost sounds like the temps aren't quite right for him to hang out under the basking.
You do have a uvb light that's not a Coil correct?
It is normal for a tort to not like where is hide is. Move it to a different spot and place him in it at night and see if he stays and returns at night.
Feed him every day. They would eat ebrry day in the wild unless there was nothing found to eat.
The enclosure for an adult needs to be 4x8 foot minimum. Be sure to read temps at tort level with a reliable digital source. A point and shoot temp gun is great for checking all areas.
Almost sounds like the temps aren't quite right for him to hang out under the basking.
You do have a uvb light that's not a Coil correct?
I do have a temp gun that I have been using. Do you happen to know exactly where I could find the temp guideline? From what I’ve read these temps should be fine but I am just starting out. I know nothing. But yeah it seemed weird to me too that he hung out there so much. I have a power sun by zoomed that is 100w and it had the uv aspect. I have it on for about 15hr per day. Is this too much? I do like the moving the hide idea! Going to try that. Thank you for all of your input.
 

wellington

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Your temps sound good to me too. Just wanted to be sure you were using proper equipment to read the temps. Those cheap puck like gauges are not accurate.
You could change the amount of time the lights are on too 12-14 hours.
Another member has a young leopard that does the same as yours. Hangs out a lot around the basking spot and doesnt want to sleep in its hide. After trying to get him to sleep in the hide the owner gave up, which is fine. So after moving thr hide if he doesn't want to sleep in it you can try a different kind of hide or let him do as he pleases.
 
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