Fed up

[rupert]

Hi Wise Ones,
I'm totally fed-up with Pushkin, my 10 year old Horsfield. He's living in the lounge now it is too cold for "Outside". He sleeps part of the day as I assume he is winding down to hibernation. However the rest of the time he is scratching at corners of the room, walls etc.
It is driving me mad and he is wearing his claws right down almost to the "skin".
I've given him a good talking to, but he won't listen.
He hibernates for 3 months each year but I have chosen the 3 coldest months - December, Jan and Feb. Can anyone give me any advice, please? Can he hibernate for 4 months etc.?

Thanks,

[Catwoman63]

Hi, he probably is trying to dig down, my horsfields I hear scratching at the corners when they are trying to dig down, ones they are full or half way under the soil they stop scratching, so maybe make his substrate a bit deeper inorder for him to do this.

They don't like being enclosed so will also scratch to try and get out lol x

[CherryBrandy]

Rupert, I think if he has free reign give him something to bury down as he will lose all claws or exceed energy v food intake and may place him at a disadvantage to hibernate (ie lose weight with the activity) or place outside /shed where its cooler and allow him to dig down. All my Horsfields are dug in now and some under their house which is outside (will be moving them). just make sure he has purged etc , 4 months is fine. One of my spurs stops eating sept, sleeps October - feb, ,march and he is 10. C

[alley cat]

Most of my horsfields have a long hibernation, they are left outside to cool down naturally though.
It sounds like Pushkin is ready to sleep but he needs to have digested his last meal so if you think he is empty I would give him a few baths over the next day or so then let him cool down rather than trying to keep him warm. Give him somewhere to dig into, this probably means enclosing him in some way, maybe a large plastic storage container in a corner of the room that is cool, dark maybe where he has been scratching?
He definitely needs to be stopped from wearing his claws away as if they go too short they will not grow back, I know this from making the same mistake!

[rupert]

Thanks everybody for all your advice. Please can you tell me what he should be digging down into? I've been assuming, probably wrongly, that soil would be too dense and he wouldn't be able to breath. Or how about wood chips from the pet shop?

He hibernates over winter at about 4 degrees in his own fridge. Do I put him in there after a few weeks? Our garage is about 12 degrees just now. I will give him about 2 weeks to empty his stomach.

Thanks again.

[Ozric Jonathan]

Hi there. Soil is fine for burying down. The oxygen needs of a resting tortoise are really small and they have been known to go down two feet or more with no problem. An alternative might be coco coir or a mix of that and soil. You wouldn't want it too wet though.

[sandy]

Originally Posted by rupert

Thanks everybody for all your advice. Please can you tell me what he should be digging down into? I've been assuming, probably wrongly, that soil would be too dense and he wouldn't be able to breath. Or how about wood chips from the pet shop?

He hibernates over winter at about 4 degrees in his own fridge. Do I put him in there after a few weeks? Our garage is about 12 degrees just now. I will give him about 2 weeks to empty his stomach.

Thanks again.

They bury down into soil in the wild, their bodies slow really down, and they still breathe so you cant tell.
Mine have been burying down into soil for over 20yrs for hibernation and down for up to three months:0)

[CherryBrandy]

I think their heart beats something like 3 times a minute....never use wood chip if they eat it they are likely to blow up. (and also wood chip expands with water somewhat) Anything but, coco coir is superb by the way,

[rupert]

Right, so I need to give him somewhere to bury himself for a few weeks in the house, before I put him in his fridge for hibernation. I've got a bag of dry potting compost, a washing-up bowl to put it in and a large plastic cover for the carpet. What next? Do I put Pushkin in the bowl, or do I somehow build a ramp so he can please himself? I'm sure you folk don't do all this, but there is no possibility of a tort table. It can't be that hard???????

[CherryBrandy]

Some broad brush questions ! depends how sleepy he is. If he is actually sleepy then I would say place him in the bowl. If active you need the ramp as he will stress it. If asleep but then I don't know how cold it is in your lounge....needs to be pretty cool end 5'c odd , place him away. (if that's the intention). just make sure the potting compost hasn't got loads of added stuff in it to grow seeds ! ie fertiliser.
Not sure that has helped? CB