[Suze65]

Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan

The mediterranean species in the wild experience periods in the summer where it is too hot a lot of the time for them to be out and about. There is also not much food at that time due to the low rainfall and high temperatures. So they just hang out in shady areas avoiding the heat. For those of us keeping these species in the UK, there is no point in the year when we are copying these conditions. Our hottest summer conditions are more or less like spring in the Med.

For this and other reasons I don't think we can talk too much of tortoises experiencing anything like natural conditions in the UK. Although I am saying this from the point of view of having just about the worst tortoise keeping weather in the UK and the situation is maybe very different on the south coast!

No it isn't exactly the same as med conditions, and it does get a bit closer to it down here than where you are, and when it does get blistering hot, like last summer, I do see my torts do just as you have said, they don't eat much, they go and find shade by about 11am and don't come out again till about 4/5 pm.
But I do think we can try a replicate natural feeding patterns to a point. It will never be exactly the same. And I feel hibernation has evolved to become part of that natural feeding pattern, even though it is a survival strategy. I know many won't agree with that and that's fine, I happy with what I think