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Old 02-03-2015, 07:53 PM   #1
Steve Graffham
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Default Hiding or digging down all the time

I have kept a breeding trio of hermanns for several years and last July we moved from Essex to Buckinghamshire. The torts didn't seem overally impressed with being moved and subsequently the male and one of the females stopped feeding in August and decided to hide up or bury themselves. No matter what I did, they couldn't be pursuaded to get up and bask either outside or under the lamps. I decided that the only thing to do would be to hibernate them and hope that things would return to normal after a few weeks hibernating. The trio have been out of hiberbnation for just over 2 weeks now and the same two are acting just the same by not wanting to come out of their night quarters and quickly returning there if brought out under the lamps.
I have shut off the sleeping quarters during the day so that they have been forced to warm up and feed a little but as soon as i allow access to the sleeping area, the same 2 quickly scuttle back in there and don't come out again. I have wormed them and have been giving them baths every day all to no avail.
The original housing was moved with them and the temperatures both in the basking and sleeping areas are the same as always. the sleeping area is heated by a tubular heater to a temperature ranging between 15-20 degrees centigrade.

Has anyone experienced this behaviour with their torts and does anyone have any suggestions as to why my torts are acting this way? Incidentally ,the other female is acting normal, getting up in the morning to bask and feed.
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Old 02-03-2015, 11:21 PM   #2
egyptiandan64
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Night time temperatures for wanting to be active are different for different individuals. Try keeping your night time low at a constant 20C.

Danny
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Old 03-03-2015, 06:50 PM   #3
Steve Graffham
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Default Hiding or digging down all the time

Thanks for that advice Danny. Because the torts are in outside housing and the nights are still quite cold here, I have lowered the tububular heater(guarded) so that the torts which sleep underneath it are nearer to the heat source.
lets hope this works.

Thanks again.

Steve
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Old 09-03-2015, 07:13 PM   #4
Steve Graffham
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After increasing the time time temperature to around 20 degrees centigrade there is now daytime activity from the torts that kept hiding all the time. When we moved from the Essex coast to Buckinghamshire last July, I hadn't taken into account the slight difference in the geographical temperatures which meant thay my tortoises were experiencing slightly cooler temperatures at night which triggered an early hibernation.

Thanks again for your advice Danny.
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Old 10-03-2015, 12:26 AM   #5
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Your welcome I'm glad they are up and about now.

Danny
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