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-   -   Hibernation Worries (http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=74999)

MoggyW 13-11-2019 09:52 AM

Hibernation Worries
 
Hi All,

We have had Alan for 10 years now, he is a good weight, still growing slowly and eating TONS. We have hibernated him in the fridge each year with great success - he never loses any weight, seems to properly go down, and wakes up and eats fine.

This year, we had have identified him from his certificate and from experienced people looking at him as a Tunisian species. I was horrified to find that they don't actually hibernate, and thought we must have been torturing him every year in the fridge!!

This time of year he lives in a 4 ft table, so we have kept the light on with a fresh bulb (?12 hours a day), ensured his gradient is about 20 - 40, and he STILL appears to be going to sleep. We still bath him, but basically have to wake him up for it, he's not eating at all, he's a good weight and we're nearing the time I'd normally box him up.

Should I be doing what we've always done, which has worked fine, even though we're pretty sure he is of a non hibernating species!?

sandy 13-11-2019 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoggyW (Post 677852)
Hi All,

We have had Alan for 10 years now, he is a good weight, still growing slowly and eating TONS. We have hibernated him in the fridge each year with great success - he never loses any weight, seems to properly go down, and wakes up and eats fine.

This year, we had have identified him from his certificate and from experienced people looking at him as a Tunisian species. I was horrified to find that they don't actually hibernate, and thought we must have been torturing him every year in the fridge!!

This time of year he lives in a 4 ft table, so we have kept the light on with a fresh bulb (?12 hours a day), ensured his gradient is about 20 - 40, and he STILL appears to be going to sleep. We still bath him, but basically have to wake him up for it, he's not eating at all, he's a good weight and we're nearing the time I'd normally box him up.

Should I be doing what we've always done, which has worked fine, even though we're pretty sure he is of a non hibernating species!?

I used to have a tunisian female who I hibernated without any problems:0)
If its the norm for him, I would continue, and just keep a closer eye on him:0)

tortydat 13-11-2019 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandy (Post 677853)
I used to have a tunisian female who I hibernated without any problems:0)
If its the norm for him, I would continue, and just keep a closer eye on him:0)

I agree 100% with Sandy as to mess about with trying to keep him up will cause stress to you all.

MoggyW 14-11-2019 03:07 AM

Ah thanks guys, it certainly seems like the right thing to do, so that's what we shall do!

Alan the weirdo!

Suze65 15-11-2019 05:56 PM

Maybe you could post a picture of him and someone here could confirm his species.


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