Details about animal: Possible female. Age unknown. Measures 20.5" total and weighs 467 grams. Purchased 1 week ago from "Off the Ark". Appears to be in excellent condition. Ate and drank heartily upon arrival and active. Defecated/urinated once.
Background: We received her last Tuesday. She is in a 55 gal tank by herself. Her shavings are 5-6" deep and she has a 100Watt merc vapor bulb on the screen lid above her tile basking spot. She also has a large water "lagoon" and other decoration. She ate kale, apple, butterworms, a cricket, and 1 defrosted pinky mouse in the first 2 days she was here. She also bathed and drank off and on for several hours. Since then she has burrowed under her shavings and doesn't come out. I was told not to brumate her because she may be a fairly recent import and brumation might kill her. But she appears to be brumating herself, or is she just acclimating? One time when I lifted her out of her shavings she ate one tiny butterworm, nothing else, and burrowed down again. That was 4 days ago. Since then, when I check on her to see if she is OK she becomes active but is not interested in food or heat nor in staying above ground. She is so low in her shavings that her body feels very cold when I dig her out. I'm afraid to let her cool down because she doubtless still has food in her system.
