Hi
I have a youngish Hermans tortoise who is male and weighs 550grm. He was outside throughout June and July and most of August when it was warm and was kept sheltered from rain and the wind. At night he stayed outside but was shut in the tortoise house. I brought him back in the house a week or so ago as the temperature at night had dropped and he wasn't eating much in the day.
Now back in the house we have noticed that he is not eating as much as he would have done previously (he was a total pig) and he also sleeps for a fair amount of the day (he was a nutter)
Could he be ill or just altered behaviour after three months outside? there are no signs of illness as his nose is clear, he is breathing normally and is very bright eyed.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
(08-28-2010 07:18 PM)Lillybet Wrote: [ -> ]Hi
I have a youngish Hermans tortoise who is male and weighs 550grm. He was outside throughout June and July and most of August when it was warm and was kept sheltered from rain and the wind. At night he stayed outside but was shut in the tortoise house. I brought him back in the house a week or so ago as the temperature at night had dropped and he wasn't eating much in the day.
Now back in the house we have noticed that he is not eating as much as he would have done previously (he was a total pig) and he also sleeps for a fair amount of the day (he was a nutter)
Could he be ill or just altered behaviour after three months outside? there are no signs of illness as his nose is clear, he is breathing normally and is very bright eyed.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Hi there
You say he was shut in the tortoise house, did this have any additional heating? If not this will be why he has become so inactive. Many torts are starting to slow down due to the cooler weather and much cooler nights, my own included. The problem with bringing them back in the house overnight is that you could cause confusion with cooler days than nights. A spell completely indoors though may get him going again, although some tortoises, especially if hatched in the wild are highly geared to hibernation and so much harder to persuade.
(08-28-2010 09:18 PM)wizzasmum Wrote: [ -> ] (08-28-2010 07:18 PM)Lillybet Wrote: [ -> ]Hi
I have a youngish Hermans tortoise who is male and weighs 550grm. He was outside throughout June and July and most of August when it was warm and was kept sheltered from rain and the wind. At night he stayed outside but was shut in the tortoise house. I brought him back in the house a week or so ago as the temperature at night had dropped and he wasn't eating much in the day.
Now back in the house we have noticed that he is not eating as much as he would have done previously (he was a total pig) and he also sleeps for a fair amount of the day (he was a nutter)
Could he be ill or just altered behaviour after three months outside? there are no signs of illness as his nose is clear, he is breathing normally and is very bright eyed.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Hi there
You say he was shut in the tortoise house, did this have any additional heating? If not this will be why he has become so inactive. Many torts are starting to slow down due to the cooler weather and much cooler nights, my own included. The problem with bringing them back in the house overnight is that you could cause confusion with cooler days than nights. A spell completely indoors though may get him going again, although some tortoises, especially if hatched in the wild are highly geared to hibernation and so much harder to persuade.
Mine have slowed down too and eating less i have taken all this down to the drop in temperature we have had lately its been going down to about 18 degrees here the past fortnight, so it takes them alot longer than before to get motivated in the morning, I guess Autumn has come early the leaves have already started to fall.