To start, I've had this baby Leopard tortoise for a month, and it's my first herp. When it arrived by mail from a breeder (shipped across the country), it wasn't eating or being active much, and still really isn't. It developed or already had a probable respiratory infection (bubbles from nose), and a trip to the vet revealed a roundworm infestation as well.
Its behavior is very lethargic, as in it will burrow under the substrate (orchard grass hay, with some areas of sterile sand mixed with compost) and sleep all day if I let it. Since I'm supposed to bathe it every day and give it antibiotic shots every other day for the possible respiratory infection I don't know what it would do if left entirely to its own devices, like if it would learn that it has to wake up on its own and forage, but just yesterday I came home after spending a day and a half away for Christmas to find the tortoise in the same spot under the substrate as it was when I left. It even fell asleep in the pan where I soaked it after getting back.
I've got a set schedule for turning the larger heating and UVB lights on and off to give a day/night effect, which the tortoise could care less about since it just wants to sleep constantly anyway, and I try to keep a set feeding schedule, though this is harder to stick to since the tortoise won't wake up when I put food out (I woke it up when I put food out for a few weeks when I got it but stopped because I thought that it would be better off learning to wake up on its own). So my question is, is it unreasonable to expect the tortoise to wake up on its own and I should start waking it up to eat, or should I keep doing what I am and see if it learns to be more independant? Also keep in mind the medical problems I said it has, and that the lethargy is quite possibly a result of those problems, which could also be increased by stress associated with either choice. But could this be a psychological/behavioral issue in the tortoise? Any other tips are also appreciated.
