Very active but not eating?

Geng

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Hello guys,

I have a Russian tortoise, male and around 5-6 years old. Beginning this week he made a 360 turn in behaviour: from being very calm to very active, but not eating.

The last few months my tortoise was very calm. Not strange I assumed, because of the cold and rainy weather. He would still come out to bask and had a good appetite. I would soak him 3 or 4 times a week and hand feed him dandelions and dandelion leaves. That was his daily routine.

This week however, he has become very active. He would come out to bask, but after a while he would start climb and move everything in his enclosure. When I put him on my bed, he even started climbing on me. I'm planning to get him a bigger enclosure, that is after I've moved next month (his current enclosure is around 140 x 60). Knowing the weather is getting better I would assume his active behaviour is normal. Last year he had the same active behaviour, although it was later in the year (June).

But strange thing is, the past 2 days he would not eat anything. Not even when I feed him dandelions. He wouldn't even take a bite from his favorite snack. He would just ignore it and start running, climbing and try escaping his enclosure.

Is he going through some 'phase' or something? His settings, temps or anything has not been changed. Is this normal? Anyone having experience with this?

Kind regards,

Geng
 

wellington

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Have you double checked his temps? Basking needs to be hot enough so they can digest their food. Won't eat if food cant digest properly. 95-100 is needed in basking.
What else do you feed other then dandelions?
 

Geng

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Have you double checked his temps? Basking needs to be hot enough so they can digest their food. Won't eat if food cant digest properly. 95-100 is needed in basking.
What else do you feed other then dandelions?
To be honest he only eats dandelion flowers and leaves. In the could winter months he would eat store bought endive. He refuses to eat any other food.
Have you double checked his temps? Basking needs to be hot enough so they can digest their food. Won't eat if food cant digest properly. 95-100 is needed in basking.
What else do you feed other then dandelio
 

wellington

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It's your responsibility to get him to eat a wide variety of foods. It's a slow process but needs to be done.
Gather other appropriate foods. Take one kind and chop up tiny along with his normal food. Spritz with water. As he gets used to eating this, use less and less of the dandelions and more of the new foods. It may take a week, months or it could go quick. He has not been getting appropriate nutrition.
The enclosure is approximately 5x11 feet? Can he see thru the sides?
Post pic of enclosure and work on the diet.
 

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