The Tortoise Table

We have a Seven year old horse field who is normally very active at this time of year, but at the minute all she wants to do is sleep.We get her up give her a bath she has some food and then she goes back to sleep.Any ideas

Hi and many thanks for contacting us. I have Horsfields, and they can be a bit unpredictable sometimes.

Could you possibly send us a photo of her set-up? It might just need a bit of a tweaking to get it right and get her going again. It's great that you are giving her regular baths, as hydration is very important.

Is she in a tortoise table or a vivarium, and what are the temperatures at the hot end of her enclosre and at the cool end. If it is too hot or too cool, that can result in a tortoise being lethargic. It is very important to measure temperatures directly below the heat source and at the height of the tortoise's shell (temperatures measured even a few inches a way will not give an accurate reading). I certainly find that when the weather/room is cool then I need to lower the lamp to get the temperature up to the desired 30C directly under the lamp, and when it is a hot day I need to raise the lamp to keep it from getting too hot.

Does she have access to an outside enclosure when the weather is warm? If you can describe your set-up I'm sure we will be able to help.

Nina

Thanks for the reply.She is in a tortoise table with a lamp

That's great that she is in a tortoise table -- it's the best environment for her. What about the temperatures at the hot end and the cool end? Temps are really important as far as tortoise energy and activity are concerned. If you can give me some readings that would really help (and the temp at the hot end needs to be taken directly under the lamp and at tortoise shell height). Is the lamp one that provides heat/light and UVB or only heat and light? I'm sorry to ask so many questions, but answers could provide clues as to why she is so lethargic.

Nina