Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I went to the breeders conference today in Valley Forge, planning to get a baby spurr-thighed. I found a batch at an okay price which looked nice and healthy,and picked one out. During the shoe the buugger was bumping all around in the container,and when i got to the car i let him walk around for a little. he was moving around everywhere. It got really cold in the car(passenger insiste don having the window open) so i put him back and covered the container with my sleeves to prevent the cold air from getting in. he was still bumping all around in there,and then i took him out one more time to fix the paper towel under him. i folded it all nicely and put him back in. he bumped around for a nother minute and then stopped. I assummed at the time he was sleeping. it was about an hour ride home,and by the time i got home he had still not moved any. i took him out and put him in his temporary sweater box and offered some food,a little half log and a heat pad underneath, but i can still get no movement whatsoever and its been 5 hours(got home at 4) since and he hasnt moved at all. I have tried seeing if he was still alive by playing with his exposed limbs a little and there is somewhat of a reaction,if you want to call it that. im really nervous and upset,what do you think happened?maybe hes sleeping afterall?im so scared,someone please help. there are no herp vets around here , ugh!!! sorry if i sound like a newbie,someone please help me out

He probably got too chilled because of the very quick drop in temperature from where you got him to how the temp was in the car. I doubt he is dead if he was bopping around so much before you bought him.

Don't you have a set-up (tank, box, enclosure of some kind) for him? Do you have a heat lamp or anything? You need to get some heat on him as soon as possible! Forget the heat pad, he needs to have heat from above with a light bulb or heat lamp. Hang a light bulb over him high enough to keep him warm, but not too close as to overheat him. Use a thermometer to find out how hot it is where he is sitting. It should be about 90 degrees or so. Do it right away or he may not make it much longer.

thanks for your help,i figured that was the reaosn as well. yes yes i have the enclosure and he is in it now. it is a 20 gallon sweaterbox with alfalfa hay and my grazing grass hasnt fully sprouted yet. ive got the heat mat on one side of the enclosure for nighttime and daytime i have a uva/uvb bulb and a heatlamp(80w) hooked onto the box. I have taken him out and warmed him up in my hands and he has come around. i havent fed him today,but will do so tomorrow. im really glad hes ok,it seems the cold just shook him up. thanks for your help.sorry for panicing and being a newbie!(to torts atleast)

With the sudden changes in temps, be sure and keep a close eye on him over the next few days. The combination of the stress of a new home and temp changes could cause him to get a cold. So just watch out for it.
If I can give you some more advise, leave him alone (as in don't pick up and handle) for about a week or better. This will lower his stress and help him get adjusted.
By the way welcome to the tortoies lovers club. When you get some photos please post-em!

You should beat up the person who insisted on keeping their window down. The tortoise will be so satisfied with you getting revenge on this big no no that he/she will be back to normal. j/k
I agree with everyone else. Keep this baby warm and give it its space and everything will be fine. Congratulations on picking one of the greatest animal companions on the planet.

I'm glad he's doing better. A sudden chill can put any reptile into a state of torpor, especially if they are already stressed from being moved a few times and put in crowded conditions with a bunch of other tortoises like they commonly are in sale situations. He should be fine now.

Tortoisehead,

Would a nice warm bath be in order, or would that shock him to much?

Kelly Wood

Everyones advice was SO helpful!Thanks so much. Ive got a better home all set up for him where hes nice and warm with a basking spot and a uva/uvb bulb on him. i fed him some greens for now and he pounded them like hes never eaten. hes 2 inches, so i assume hes a hatchling. Any tips on sexing?thanks a bunch,everyone.

Here's a tip on sexing a young sulcata. Forget it. When he's
about 12 inches long or more you can possibly try by posting
a pic of the underside of the shell, even then it's a guess unless
they prove they're males, which is an unmistakable sight.
Even that wouldn't be till he was much bigger. For now, just
don't worry about it there's no way to tell.
My Sulcata tortoise Theodore