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| Tortoise not getting up Posted: 14/06/2016 by RockyRocket |
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Hi. We have had a Hermanns tortoise who is coming up to a year old. Recently she has stopped getting up and will just stay burrowed for the whole day if I let her. When I do get her up she is always cold so I leave her to bask for a bit, give her a warm bath maybe every 2/3 days and then sit her by some food - dandelion, clover, spinach leaves occasionally. She will eat some of this and then go straight back to bed. I've tried altering the height of the lamp. At the moment it is 45cm high but has been lower. She has fresh water, chalk and cuttlefish available but rarely touches these. She is 6.5cm long and 58g. We haven't hibernated her yet. Is it normal for her to do this? She used to be a lot more active getting up about an hour after her lamp came on. We have a 100w power sun bulb that comes on at 7.30 and I leave on until 5pm. She doesn't poo very often - probably once a week at most. Where are we going wrong?! | |
| Re: Tortoise not getting up Posted: 14/06/2016 by Tom |
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Hello, Where did you obtain the tortoise ? Starting from when you got it - for how many weeks was it's behaviour 'normal' ? And how many weeks has it behaved as you describe ? Regards, Tom | |
| Re: Tortoise not getting up Posted: 15/06/2016 by RockyRocket |
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Hi. We got her in November last year from a breeder and she was about 3 months old then. Her behaviour started to change a couple of months ago when she stopped exploring round her home so much. I have tried varying her habitat - changing it around to make it more interesting for her. It has been about three weeks now that she just hasn't been getting up until I have dug her out of her burrow. | |
| Re: Tortoise not getting up Posted: 15/06/2016 by Tom |
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Deletion | |
| Re: Tortoise not getting up Posted: 15/06/2016 by Tom |
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What was the temp' at tort' level below the basking spot when it's behaviour was normal ? And the temp' in last 3 weeks ? What does the breeder have to say ? Tom | |
| Re: Tortoise not getting up Posted: 15/06/2016 by RockyRocket |
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Thanks for your replies Tom. The lamp was at 50cm before and I haven't altered that until recently when I've tried higher away from tort level, and then lower, to 45cm. I don't have a thermometer in there though. I haven't contacted the man we got her from. (We've assumed our tortoise is a her but realise she could be a he!) Today I got her up, she fed, walked once round her enclosure and then went back to her burrow and that was it for the day. | |
| Re: Tortoise not getting up Posted: 16/06/2016 by Tom |
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That's ok. I'm wondering if the man is a breeder, he appears not to have given you proper advice. If you wish, click on my name & give his name, there's a lot of pretend 'breeders' about, we try to monitor them. Correct temps. are critical with reptiles, I suggest that you obtain a digital thermometer with a probe & place the latter at tort' level in the hot spot. Let me know the temps' when you have them. I haven't used that bulb [they're good] but I'd guess that 30cm above is appropriate. Contact your supplier & ask. Tom | |
| Re: Tortoise not getting up Posted: 24/06/2016 by RockyRocket |
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Hi. I've got a thermometer in there now and the temp is reading 29.6 so I've lifted the lamp slightly and will retest the temp again tomorrow. What should it be? Her behaviour is no different, still eating when I get her up but going back to bed soon after. Thanks | |