Sleeping beauty!

[Smartie123]

Hi guys

Just need a bit of advice please, Donny is 4 1/2 now and is an indoor tort. He hasn't hibernated yet for various reasons but his behaviour and activity levels have remained constant throughout the year so far.
How ever this year has been a bit different in December he was very very active way more than normal and for that time of year but after Christmas he started to slow right down. Over the last month he was coming out of his hide in the morning getting a couple of minutes under his basking light having a few bites to eat then straight back off to bed, not his usual active self. Some days he would stay under his hide but look out watching us as normal. Now he is just sleeping and doesn't come out at all.
Is he hibernating? Should I pull him out to check him? I don't want to disturb him if he's sleeping but worried there might be something wrong. I weighed him a week ago and he hasn't lost any weight yet but then he hasn't eaten at all this week. We are in the Uk so it's still chilly but his lights and temps have remind constant.
Any advise on what to do?

 

[ascott]

Hi guys

Just need a bit of advice please, Donny is 4 1/2 now and is an indoor tort. He hasn't hibernated yet for various reasons but his behaviour and activity levels have remained constant throughout the year so far.
How ever this year has been a bit different in December he was very very active way more than normal and for that time of year but after Christmas he started to slow right down. Over the last month he was coming out of his hide in the morning getting a couple of minutes under his basking light having a few bites to eat then straight back off to bed, not his usual active self. Some days he would stay under his hide but look out watching us as normal. Now he is just sleeping and doesn't come out at all.
Is he hibernating? Should I pull him out to check him? I don't want to disturb him if he's sleeping but worried there might be something wrong. I weighed him a week ago and he hasn't lost any weight yet but then he hasn't eaten at all this week. We are in the Uk so it's still chilly but his lights and temps have remind constant.
Any advise on what to do?

Well, first suggestion would be to really run down your husbandry checklist: lights duration, temp during the day, temp during the night to start with....don't just figure things have not changed, really check and make sure all is good. Also, when was the last time you changed out the uvb source?

 

[Smartie123]

Yes good point about the bulb it hasn't been changed in a while! Do you know how long they last before they start loosing there effectiveness?
I check his temps regularly and there fine, I even turned them up for a bit to see if that helped but he just moved and nestled in a cooler area.
I did use a different % mix in his substrate so I guess that could have effected him.

 

[JoesMum]

MVB bulbs have a life of about a year

Tube UVB about 6 months I believe

 

[ascott]

Yes good point about the bulb it hasn't been changed in a while! Do you know how long they last before they start loosing there effectiveness?
I check his temps regularly and there fine, I even turned them up for a bit to see if that helped but he just moved and nestled in a cooler area.
I did use a different % mix in his substrate so I guess that could have effected him.

What was the change to the substrate? What was added/removed? Depends on what type and brand you have of uvb....some of the better made mvb can last up to a year while others drop significantly at 6 months....

 

[Smartie123]

Well before I had a 80/20 split of reptile sand (that's what they call it here but I don't think it's actually sand) and top soil. This time I changed it to a 50/50 mix to try and give it a slightly firmer consistency thinking he might prefer it to dig in.

Do you think I should leave him to sleep or should I get him out and check him maybe bath and weigh him. If he is trying to hibernate would it harm him to wake him?