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I have a 1 year old female Russian Tortoise. She has been burrowing underneath her blanket and not eating much lately. Is she getting ready to hibernate or is she sick? Thanks!

"I have a 1 year old female Russian Tortoise. She has been burrowing underneath her blanket and not eating much lately. Is she getting ready to hibernate or is she sick?"

could be either. how big is your tortoise?

if you know that your tortoise is a female and is one year old, then it must be a captive bred tortoise. at one year of age, if you're keeping it on a long photo period (14 hours) and it has access to ample heat (85-90 degrees f.), then it should not be getting ready for hibernation. it may be sick. have you contacted the breeder?

check your temps and look for any signs of sickness, dull closed eyes, runny nose, light weight.

matt

She is captive bred. I got her from a research lab that studies Herp breeding habits. Her habitat stays at an avergage of 84 degrees and her light is on a 12 hour cycle. I checked her out this morning and her eyes are clear and there is no running nose. She feels like she is at her normal weight too. Maybe varying by just a bit. She came out and ate some apple and lettuce today. She still seems less active than usual though. When do Russians start hibernating and for how long?

Jenny

"She came out and ate some apple and lettuce today. She still seems less active than usual though. When do Russians start hibernating and for how long?"

hi jenny,

my juveniles don't initiate hibernation unless they are exposed to cold nights (~50-55 degrees). is it possible that your tort is reacting to decreasing daylength from a nearby window? if it's still eating, i don't think you have anything to worry about.

on a different note, you may want to look at your diet plan for your tort. for example, i avoid lettuce unless it's absolutely necessary (and then only romaine) and i've eliminated fruit from their diet. make sure you have plenty of dark greens (turnip, dandelion, collard) and good roughage (timothy hay mixed in). for additional tipe check out: russiantortoise.org
the RT site has a great caresheet and very accurate dietary suggestions.

matt

...that she'll need da doctor right away...