Tort not eating :(

[gembee87]

Hi guys, I'm fairly new to this site and have been reading a lot about tort diets etc.
My little Elsie is a 3yr old Hermans and recently has stopped eating! She used to finish her bowl of mixed leaves and perhaps a slice of tomato or strawberry as a treat once a week but now doesn't even touch it through the day. I have to get her up and bath her and make sure she eats something otherwise she stays in her bedding area!! I dust her food with calcium most days she had regular baths and has a uv light. Help!
I'm really worried I'm doing something wrong! She's lost a bit of weight too! Any help much appreciated!!
Gemma and Elsie xx

 

[wellington]

I sent a pm to someone who has your species of tort. Hopefully they will be able to respond soon. In the mean time, could you tell us everything about your setup. Temp, humidity, type of lighting etc. The more we know the better we can help.
WELCOME

 

[bubbles01]

Welcome to TFO Gemma, and to Elsie of course!

It may be something to do with the temperatures she is being kept at - could you let us know some idea of the temps in her home?

There are lots of really good people on here who will be able to advise you on indoor habitat for Hermanns, my Hermanns are outside torts so it's not an area I have lots of knowledge of, but don't worry, someone will be along shortly to help I'm sure.

Helen x

 

[cherylim]

Hi Gemma, and Elise. Welcome!

How old is Elise, and what are the temperatures like in her enclosure? Additionally, have you looked over her health, any outward signs of potential illness?

You want to be aiming for temperatures of over 70F, in my opinion. Somewhere within about 10-20F of that, and approximately 90F to 105F under the basking light. At this time of year, you may also want to be keeping it on for 13-14 hours a day to help your tortoise stay active in winter, avoiding the impact of short nights.

 

[GBtortoises]

Hi, can you tell us what temperatures that your keeping your tortoise at and how long your lights are on during the day, basking lights and any others? How long has it been since she last ate? Any other information on her set up and care would help too.

 

[TragicQuietus]

We just had a really bad cold snap (-37C Brrrr) and Gam started to act funny too. New bulbs went a long way. He eating behavior doesn't seem to change much with uv or lack of should she be going to the vet or a baby sitter for and over night, i just don't want her to lack it and never pressed the issue to see if it harms her to lack it.

 

[GBtortoises]

As long as temperatures increased to normal activity range, a short drop, even -37c(34f) wouldn't have an affect. Unless your house has no heat or light those outdoor temperatures should have no affect on them anyway.
UV (or lack of) affects how efficiently a tortoise processes it's food, not necessarily how much food it will consume. For long periods indoors without natural sun exposure UV lighting has proven to be valuable.

It would be very helpful if you can post your enclosure conditions such as daytime, night time and basking temperatures. Lighting and how many hours a day they're on, substrate, diet and any other information that might be valuable to helping people here help you.