Train to sleep later?

[AnimalLady]

MacGyver will normally put himself to sleep at 4pm-ish. When I get home the first thing I do is feed him. I have to get him out of his burrow just about every time. I'll wake him up, bring him to his food..he munches and then I give him time to roam the yard with me. I feel horrible waking him up, but buddy has to eat! On the weekends it's not a problem as I just feed him earlier. Will he eventually learn to stay awake just a bit longer so he can eat, or will I always have to disturb him?

He never ever actually comes to his food like some of you mention your torts do, is this something that happens with time? I'm not sure he even knows it's me and not some other random human..

Another question... am I ever suppose to cover his burrow? He favors the corner by the spier plant, so much so that's he's dug all the way down to the plywood that's under him. Should I put more dirt in that corner so he's not up against the floor, or leave him be? Do torts get annoyed by having to re-dig their burrows?

 

[wellington]

Can I safely assume that seeing you joined the forum just sept. 2, that you haven't had your tort long right? Give him time to get adjusted to your routine. It might help him to adjust faster, to do the same thing on the weekend as you do during the week.
As for the hide. You can add more dirt if you want. If he likes it, great, if not, he will probably throw it out of the hide and then you will know he wasn't thrilled with it. He will get to understand you are the food God

 

[dmmj]

I would leave him be but to be honest I don't think they get annoyed they like to dig. as for him sleeping differently it probably won't change tortoises are creatures of habit OCD to the 9th degree

 

[nck0780]

Would you try to feed him in the morning..?

 

[dmmj]

I waited if it were mine

 

[leigti]

I love your tortoises name I would definitely add more substrate to the corner. They like to dig. It almost seems like a nighttime ritual. Is there a reason you don't feed him in the morning? It just seems more natural for a tortoise to wake up in the morning and start looking for food etc. after they warmed up. Maybe put your lights on a timer so they come on at the exact same time every day. When I first got my tortoise I dug her every morning and put her by her food bowl. After about a week she got up by herself so to speak.
Your tortoise will learn your routine. Soon he will be waiting at his food bowl looking up expectantly at you.

 

[Tom]

I leave food out in the morning most of the time. They shouldn't have to wait for evening to eat. Being grazers, they should be able to eat all day.

Its normal for them to retire in the late afternoon. Not all of them do, and it can change seasonally too, but this is not anything I would worry about.

 

[Gillian M]

I'd leave him to sleep for one reason: torts are known to be able to put up with hunger.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

If he's anything like mine, it's the heat right now.
Mine all emerge at about 7:30 A.M. to look around and get some water. By 10:00 they are inside and don't re emerge until after 6.
The exception is when I feed them. usually at 3 P.M. they will come out and eat and socialize a bit and then run back into the shade.
My bet is that as the weather here cools down, the behavior will change a little.

 

[AnimalLady]

No no no guys, in the evening it is his 2nd and last meal of the day.

I give him breakfast every single morning at 6:30am, he's still asleep but by the time I get home its already gone.

He's still not all the way adjusted I'm sure, its been less than a month since I got him. I need to be patient, a lot more patient. Its not easy for me :\

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I think most of us only feed once a day.
Does he eat everything when you pull him out?

 

[AnimalLady]

Once a day?! That seems so little... So I'm over feeding him?

He doesn't eat his entire dinner but a really good portion, he might leave 1 leaf- a little less than half eaten.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Maybe consider just feeding the one time. It would be less stressful. (For you)

 

[AnimalLady]

My plan was to feed him the mix of greens in the morning (radicchio, escarole, kale and endive). Then when I get the weeds ive been growing really going I wanted to place that in his enclosure in the evening and have him just eat from there instead of doing another salad mix. I like hanging around with him in the evening since I'm a mad woman rushing to get everyone out the door and to their place in the morning. As sad as this will sound, I feel like I don't spend enough time with Mac.

I will see how he does by feeding him just once a day.. but I'm going to miss it :\

 

[leigti]

You can feed twice a day. Sometimes I do that. It is fun to watch them eat. And he will soon learn that groceries are delivered twice a day.

 

[ascott]

My plan was to feed him the mix of greens in the morning (radicchio, escarole, kale and endive). Then when I get the weeds ive been growing really going I wanted to place that in his enclosure in the evening and have him just eat from there instead of doing another salad mix. I like hanging around with him in the evening since I'm a mad woman rushing to get everyone out the door and to their place in the morning. As sad as this will sound, I feel like I don't spend enough time with Mac.

I will see how he does by feeding him just once a day.. but I'm going to miss it :\

If you want to offer food two or three times per day and the tort partakes then go for it..you say he does not finish the one entire meal, so he is also able to regulate what he wants..if that is the time you use to also enjoy spending time with him then continue what you do..there is no rule that a tort can only be fed once..just saying.

 

[Tom]

You can feed as many times a day as you like as long as its the right foods and your enclosure is set up well for plenty of exercise and a proper thermal gradient.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

You can feed as many times a day as you like as long as its the right foods and your enclosure is set up well for plenty of exercise and a proper thermal gradient.

I just recommended the once a day because I figured her tortoise would get used to the time of day and be "ready to eat."

 

[AnimalLady]

You can feed as many times a day as you like as long as its the right foods and your enclosure is set up well for plenty of exercise and a proper thermal gradient.

I hope I don't sound stupid right now...

thermal gradient, the difference between the highest temp in his house and the lowest, right? how would I know this if he is outdoors?

 

[ascott]

I hope I don't sound stupid right now...

thermal gradient, the difference between the highest temp in his house and the lowest, right? how would I know this if he is outdoors?

Lol..it would be difficult to know an entire day cycle of thermal gradient until moments after it has happened..you could I suppose use tools to measure the rate of temperature change with distance from point a to b but for practical reasons you would likely just need to know the ambient temp of the tort yard taking into account spots with sun exposure to further allow for increased body temp opportunity...basically a nice warm day outside over 80 + degrees for at least a couple of hours to allow the tort ample time to charge up....eat...walk about and bask...then poop...then repeat..lol