FrankIinTheTortoise
Active Member
My RT has been sleeping a TON lately, is it because of brumation/hibernation? I'm not sure what to think.
Russian Tortoise Sleeping A LOT, Should I Wake Him?
- Thread starter FrankIinTheTortoise
- Start date
1. What are the four important temperatures?
.a. Directly under the basking lamp
.b. Overnight minimum
.c. Warm side
.d. Cool side
2. How long are your lights on for?
3. What type of UVB bulb do you have?
Unless temperatures are steadily around 5C/40F your tortoise is not hibernating. It is being inactive... which means it is still burning calories andand will be losing weight And also become dehydrated.
If you aren’t hibernating your tortoise then you need to make summer come to your enclosure.
The lights need to be on full and bright for 12-14 hours (use a timer)
The temperature mustn’t drop below 18C/65F at night
You need to hook your tort out first thing every morning and soak him for at least 20 minutes in warm water so he stays hydrated.
Feed your tort straight after the soak.
There’s always a drop in activity when the days are shorter, but if you are not hibernating your tortoise properly then you must take action to keep it healthy
.a. Directly under the basking lamp
.b. Overnight minimum
.c. Warm side
.d. Cool side
2. How long are your lights on for?
3. What type of UVB bulb do you have?
Unless temperatures are steadily around 5C/40F your tortoise is not hibernating. It is being inactive... which means it is still burning calories andand will be losing weight And also become dehydrated.
If you aren’t hibernating your tortoise then you need to make summer come to your enclosure.
The lights need to be on full and bright for 12-14 hours (use a timer)
The temperature mustn’t drop below 18C/65F at night
You need to hook your tort out first thing every morning and soak him for at least 20 minutes in warm water so he stays hydrated.
Feed your tort straight after the soak.
There’s always a drop in activity when the days are shorter, but if you are not hibernating your tortoise properly then you must take action to keep it healthy
Also please read @tom’s thread on caring for this species
tortoiseforum.org
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
you need to maintain normal routine and provide heat, light, food, soaks and water. For a long sleep - brumation you need to empty their stomachs of food by not providing food for 3 weeks then there is a 2-3 week cool down your too late for this now. They do sleep a lot at this time of year but provide the light, heat, food, wake them him up put them near the food they will eat and go back to sleep. maintain regular soaks as before.
FrankIinTheTortoise
Active Member
I just took my tort outside in my backyard and he's made a burrow and is sleeping. It's 56 degrees outside..
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2013
- Messages
- 3,397
If you don't want the tortoise to hibernate, you should not expose it to temperatures below about 75 degrees. Also it is interesting to see you followed the advice I posted on your other thread about stressing the tortoise by moving it in and out a couple of times a day.
He made that burrow because he is cold.
You shouldn’t let him dig his own burrow. He is at risk from flood, tunnel collapse if it rains heavily and from the local wildlife, eg rats. He is also at risk from a cold and damp created respiratory infection.
If you want him to hibernate then do it properly. Otherwise keep him indoors and warm until the weather improves.
