Tortoises Yawning?

[ruthiepo]

Old thread, but I’ll contribute. Yesterday after a long outside nap in a shaded, very warm humid spot, our Sully motored around, did a nice big stretch then a bib big yawn. We often see our Sully open wide up & yawn.

Thanks for that, very kind to help, am keeping our baby tortoise warm and quiet, I've put vitamin powder on her food as she is eating quite well, we've only had her here for 3 days so she must still be quite shocked at the change in housing.
I think she got a bit chilled last night accidentally, but she had a good warm soak this morning and has been eating well today, although occasionally yawns!
Thanks for replying.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Thanks for that, very kind to help, am keeping our baby tortoise warm and quiet, I've put vitamin powder on her food as she is eating quite well, we've only had her here for 3 days so she must still be quite shocked at the change in housing.
I think she got a bit chilled last night accidentally, but she had a good warm soak this morning and has been eating well today, although occasionally yawns!
Thanks for replying.

It probably would be best if a TFO Moderator (Like @Yvonne G ) moved your couple of messages & created a brand new thread just for you & your tort. You will prob get more folks contributing info to taking good care. Ps - you never said what kind of tort, how you keep, enclosure, lighting, etc. Better to keep this all in your own posting/thread.

 

[ruthiepo]

It probably would be best if a TFO Moderator (Like @Yvonne G ) moved your couple of messages & created a brand new thread just for you & your tort. You will prob get more folks contributing info to taking good care. Ps - you never said what kind of tort, how you keep, enclosure, lighting, etc. Better to keep this all in your own posting/thread.

Ok, thanks, the tortoise is a Mediterranean spur thighed female, hatched September 2019.
She weighs 69 g.

 

[ruthiepo]

Ok, thanks, the tortoise is a Mediterranean spur thighed female, hatched September 2019.
She weighs 69 g.

She is in a tortoise table, made of oak, on orchid bark substrate, I have a mercury vapour lamp at the moment as I have not got the fittings for the h.o. UVB fluorescent lamp yet.
I also have the ceramic heat emitter switched on to keep the temperature up.
I have been following the care sheet for temperate species from this forum.
I haven't managed to put photos on here but I will try to.
She has two hides, one large, part of the table, one small, a half log which she often pops into.
There is a slate basking area under the lamp and a safe water saucer and food dish.
Accidentally, the night time temperature dropped to 20 degrees C last night and I think she got cold, as she has done a lot of yawning today which is unusual for her.
I am keeping her carefully warm tonight at 27 degrees C in her humid hide.
Thanks for any help and advice, very much appreciated and valued.

 

[ruthiepo]

She is in a tortoise table, made of oak, on orchid bark substrate, I have a mercury vapour lamp at the moment as I have not got the fittings for the h.o. UVB fluorescent lamp yet.
I also have the ceramic heat emitter switched on to keep the temperature up.
I have been following the care sheet for temperate species from this forum.
I haven't managed to put photos on here but I will try to.
She has two hides, one large, part of the table, one small, a half log which she often pops into.
There is a slate basking area under the lamp and a safe water saucer and food dish.
Accidentally, the night time temperature dropped to 20 degrees C last night and I think she got cold, as she has done a lot of yawning today which is unusual for her.
I am keeping her carefully warm tonight at 27 degrees C in her humid hide.
Thanks for any help and advice, very much appreciated and valued.

I soak her every day in warm water and she does everything she should in the water!

 

[ruthiepo]

I soak her every day in warm water and she does everything she should in the water!

The mvl is 80 watt and the che is 100 watt
I use a digital thermometer with a probe and it is very useful.
The light above the basking area is adjusted in height to give 35 - 37 degrees C/ 95 - 100 F
The warm side is 26 - 28 C / approx 80 F
The cooler side and large hide is 24 - 26 C / aim for 70 - 80 F
Tom had been fielding my questions and I am indebted for all the information.
I had never heard of humidity for tortoises.

 

[ruthiepo]

The mvl is 80 watt and the che is 100 watt
I use a digital thermometer with a probe and it is very useful.
The light above the basking area is adjusted in height to give 35 - 37 degrees C/ 95 - 100 F
The warm side is 26 - 28 C / approx 80 F
The cooler side and large hide is 24 - 26 C / aim for 70 - 80 F
Tom had been fielding my questions and I am indebted for all the information.
I had never heard of humidity for tortoises.

I have ordered a digital hygrometer with a probe.

 

[Maro2Bear]

I have ordered a digital hygrometer with a probe.

Great. Take some pix & upload. BTW- Chippenham UK or VA. I’m assuming UK.

 

[ruthiepo]

Great. Take some pix & upload. BTW- Chippenham UK or VA. I’m assuming UK.

Yes UK

 

[Cathie G]

I have two adult/young adult Russian Tortoises, a male, and a female. I have noticed over the past months that my female will at least once or twice a day 'yawn' now, when I say this. I am not implying she is actually 'yawning' but, some days, she will just be standing there. And she opens her mouth as wide as it can go. She makes no noise, but she sort of 'lifts' her head up. She then closes her mouth. (This process takes like under three seconds to do). And goes about her day. I have had her for a few months, I have NEVER, in the four years of caring for my male Russian, see him exhibit this sort of behavior. This is probably a stupid question, but I'm curious.

(Also, before anybody gets confused they ARE separated. I know the damage a male can do to a female, and they live in separate enclosures. People seem to tell me this a lot, but I separated them the day I got the female. They are both happy and healthy)

I've actually seen a study on yawning. It said that all living critters yawn. I figure you just haven't seen your little boy yawn yet. It's how we all catch a little extra oxygen if we need it.

 

[Cathie G]

Thanks for that, very kind to help, am keeping our baby tortoise warm and quiet, I've put vitamin powder on her food as she is eating quite well, we've only had her here for 3 days so she must still be quite shocked at the change in housing.
I think she got a bit chilled last night accidentally, but she had a good warm soak this morning and has been eating well today, although occasionally yawns!
Thanks for replying.

I'm thinking stress could be contributing to the yawning since she's eating. It's so hard on a tortoise to get moved. It's jetlag x 1,000,000. I would be thinking how in the heck do I get out of this. So just good food, comfortable temps and humidity. Let her know you're around without being too invasive. If it's stress you'll slowly see improvement.

 

[ruthiepo]

I'm thinking stress could be contributing to the yawning since she's eating. It's so hard on a tortoise to get moved. It's jetlag x 1,000,000. I would be thinking how in the heck do I get out of this. So just good food, comfortable temps and humidity. Let her know you're around without being too invasive. If it's stress you'll slowly see improvement.

Thank you,

 

[Cathie G]

I'm thinking stress could be contributing to the yawning since she's eating. It's so hard on a tortoise to get moved. It's jetlag x 1,000,000. I would be thinking how in the heck do I get out of this. So just good food, comfortable temps and humidity. Let her know you're around without being too invasive. If it's stress you'll slowly see improvement.

Thank you,

You're welcome. She was probably just tard too.

 

[ruthiepo]

Thank you Cathy, she seems fine this morning!!
We put her in the airing cupboard overnight, in a shoebox with orchid bark to submerge into, and the thermometer probe which showed steady at 27C, for a warmer night temperature and it worked well.
She's fine and lively this morning, eating, and marching around.
Was so scared she was going to be ill but much reassured.
Thank you so much for the input and encouragement.
I took some photos which I will attempt to put on here.

 

[ruthiepo]

 

[ruthiepo]

 

[ruthiepo]

 

[ruthiepo]

Here are a few photos of our baby spur thighed tortoise in her table set up
She is getting quite adventurous today, climbing over her half log hide and sliding down the other side.
?

 

[Jodipg82]

I have two adult/young adult Russian Tortoises, a male, and a female. I have noticed over the past months that my female will at least once or twice a day 'yawn' now, when I say this. I am not implying she is actually 'yawning' but, some days, she will just be standing there. And she opens her mouth as wide as it can go. She makes no noise, but she sort of 'lifts' her head up. She then closes her mouth. (This process takes like under three seconds to do). And goes about her day. I have had her for a few months, I have NEVER, in the four years of caring for my male Russian, see him exhibit this sort of behavior. This is probably a stupid question, but I'm curious.

(Also, before anybody gets confused they ARE separated. I know the damage a male can do to a female, and they live in separate enclosures. People seem to tell me this a lot, but I separated them the day I got the female. They are both happy and healthy)

My Leo tort hatchling yawns often and its the cutest thing...

 

[ruthiepo]

My Leo tort hatchling yawns often and its the cutest thing...

Maybe it's a baby thing!