sick tortoise??

[racul]

Im new to this site and wondering if anyone can help with with a sick tortoise?
He is a herman and is about 1 so still tiny, but seems unwell.
Is it normal to lay under the lamp but look like no energy at all, legs laying flat and head on the soil. Just looks very tired most of the time?
Can anyone give me any tips to look for if he is unwell?
Many thanks Rachael

 

[GBtortoises]

Is your tortoise eating and drinking normally? At what temperatures (day and night) are you keeping him? What type of lighting is being used in his enclosure? Does your tortoise move around his enclosure on his own after basking under a light for a while? Or does he spend nearly all of the time under the light?

Tortoises bask by laying under a heat source. To help control their body temperature they will often spread their legs and head out to either absorb more heat into their bodies.

It would help to know more details first. Even a few photos would help.

 

[coreyc]

Hi wecome to the forum can you give some more info what are your temps, what kind of light are you using? Is he eating [/u]

 

[Isa]

Welcome to the forum! You came to the right place to have your questions answered

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.

 

[dmarcus]

Welcome to the forum..

 

[Fernando]

Welcome to TFO!

Please attach some photos of your tortoise and his/her enclosure. That usually helps the experienced people better determine what's going on...

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Rachael:

Welcome to the forum!! May we know where you are?

I'm so sorry your little guy isn't feeling well. Once you answer GBTortoise's questions we'll be better able to help you.

 

[bikerchicspain]

Hi and welcome,

Some pics of the tort and enclosure would help alot, as GBtortoise said we need to know everything, about his habitat, then we can assess the situation better.

 

[racul]

Hi all, and thanks for all the message's!

Charlie our baby Herman is in an open top table.
The temp tonight is around 70, but the lamp during the day only reaches mid to high 80s, so im
wondering if it's not conducting enough heat?
I replaced the bulb which is a mega-ray a few months back and the new one is'nt reaching the same temp as the previous
lamp.
Charlie also never sleeps in the hide now, he stays under the lamp all day and sleeps there at night to (obviously it's off at
night).
I say he as my son thinks it's a boy, but Charlie is actually a girl!
She is eating well, and drinking well and her shell dosent feel soft?
Hope thats enough info, and thanks again
Rachael

 

[pdrobber]

if your tort is spending all of its time under the light it probably needs temps increased a bit. the basking spot could be higher and that might help.

 

[Laura]

good warm soaks?
diet?
She needs to be warm enough to digest her food.
If you turn it off at night does she have a heat source?
You can use a black light or a Ceramic Heat Emitter for night time.
When they bask, they tend to stretch out. They can look a bit lifeless.
Is it sunny where you live? do you have an outdoor enclosure?

 

[GBtortoises]

Is the temperature that you're stating directly under the center of the basking light at substrate level or is it the ambient air temperature within the enclosure? If that is the temperature under the basking light then it needs to be increased to within a range of about 95-100 degrees. If it is the ambient air temperature within the enclosure and the area under the basking light is within the above mentioned range then you need to ensure that your tortoise has a cooler area too. Mid to high 80's is okay for ambient temperatures at the end where the basking light is located, but the farther end, where the tortoises hides should be located, needs to be about 10 degrees cooler. This temperature gradient will enable your tortoise to better regulate it's body temperature as necessary and not just be too hot or too cool.
One way to increase the basking temperature under the light would be to move the light closer to the tortoise as long as it is still within a safe distance. But caution has to be observed when doing so. Too close can be very dangerous and too far away can be ineffective.
As a rule of thumb for Northern Mediterranean species like your Hermann's is that the night time temperature should be about 15-20 degrees cooler than the average ambient day time temperature.
How often is your tortoise drinking or being soaked?
What type of foods is your tortoises diet comprised of?
Does he/she have a calcium source regularly available?
How big is your tortoise (measuring the shell length is a straight line)?