Not Active Horsfield

[M Stokes]

Hi
I have a 4 year old horsfield tortoise that we recently adopted about two months ago. Ever since we got him he has been very inactive. During the day when he is in his table he stays in the sheltered part and refuses to come out unless we put him under the light ourselves and literally block the entrance to the sheltered area. We regularly feed him weeds (dandelion, plantain etc) though he rarely eats and according to the pet shops we are doing everything right. When we put him outside he generally just stays in the corner of his enclosure. We also regularly bathe him, and it seems like only then he is energetic. He seems in perfect health so it is confusing us as to why he is like this. Is there anything we can do to make him more active?
Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

Real sunshine makes a huge difference. Is it at all possible to make a safe and secure outdoor habitat for this tortoise?

It generally takes a couple weeks for a new-to-you tortoise to feel comfortable enough to start acting like a tortoise. If after that time he's still not moving much, it may be time to take a good look at how you care for him. We'll need to see pictures of his indoor and outdoor spaces.

 

[M Stokes]

Hi, thanks for the reply.
Though we do let him out whenever we can, he does like to stay in the corner of the enclosure. I can't send a picture of his outdoor enclosure now as it is late, but here is his indoor enclosure. The light is not on because it has been on all day and we turn it off at 8.

 

[Gillian M]

Hi
I have a 4 year old horsfield tortoise that we recently adopted about two months ago. Ever since we got him he has been very inactive. During the day when he is in his table he stays in the sheltered part and refuses to come out unless we put him under the light ourselves and literally block the entrance to the sheltered area. We regularly feed him weeds (dandelion, plantain etc) though he rarely eats and according to the pet shops we are doing everything right. When we put him outside he generally just stays in the corner of his enclosure. We also regularly bathe him, and it seems like only then he is energetic. He seems in perfect health so it is confusing us as to why he is like this. Is there anything we can do to make him more active?
Thanks

Torts do NOT like change, therefore they take time- a lot of time to adapt.

Please give your tort daily soaks in warm water, and make sure that his/her enclosures are warm and humid enough.

Any pics?

And a very warm welcome to the forum!

 

[M Stokes]

We soak him as often as we can, but we will certainly do it more often if necessary. We thought it may have something to do with the change of areas, so we will keep our fingers crossed that he settles in soon.
Here is a picture of him when he is outside.
Thank you for your help!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Lovely tortoise.
A very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Enclosure seems a bit small.
Pet shop information is often horribly wrong.
Please read http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
and ask if you have any questions.

 

[M Stokes]

Thank you very much for the advice, hopefully he will start being active soon. We have the pellet substrates mentioned in the article you sent, and we often give them to him, but we generally prefer the idea of fresh weeds from the garden. But if they are better for him we will definitely give him more.
Thank you!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Actually, i do think fresh greens are always best.

 

[M Stokes]

Hmm okay, I think I'll go for an even split until he shows a proper preference.
Thanks for your help