Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My Russian tortoise is usually very active but lately, last month or so, the tortoise has been simply eating and sleeping. I put the light on but he rarely wakes up. I usually wake him up and feed him by hand. He eats a decent amount but he has been recently eating less and less. I take him out whenever I can and hes really active and runs all over the place. Other than the fact that he sleeps too much, he seems healthy. I feed him romaine lettuce and collard greens usually.

I wanted to know if i should take my tort to the vet because he sleeps too much and doesnt eat unless I hand feed him. Thank you!

>>I wanted to know if i should take my tort to the vet because he sleeps too much and doesnt eat unless I hand feed him. Thank you!

Assuming that your tort is otherwise healthy, and it sounds like he is, then he is just slowing down with the change in seasons. Even though you keep him warm with plenty of bright lighting, etc., he still senses the change in the seasons and wants to slow down.

I recommend just letting him slow down as he wishes. Don't fight to keep him awake. He may get to the point where he sleeps all of the time and will not get going again until February or March. You should still give him a weekly soak during this period, but otherwise let him rest.

Also, and this is just a suggestion, you may want to feed him more than romaine and collards. See www.russiantortoise.org for dietary recommendations. Also a calcium/d3 supplement is recommended.

Good luck.

Thank you very much for your insights! I thought it might be seasonal change but when it comes to these things I am not very knowledgable. Thank you once again for your help!