Another over-wintering thread

[Alan1]

Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan

On another thread Alan has noted that he does not hibernate his tortoises and that they are a lot less active and eat a lot less this time of year. And I'm guessing that Alan is providing lots of heat and light.

Alan lives in the same part of the world as me and it's likely his torts are getting more heat now than they do in summer yet they are less active and eating less.

Lots of keepers seem to find that there is something else going on here. Is it barometric pressure?

I'm not providing summer levels of background heat. I have the lamps on but not background heat. I used to have the heating on in the room as well as the lamps and they were as active as they were in the summer which, given our summers is not as active as they'd be in the Med Region. I don't want them to be as active as in the summer so I'm happy for them to do their own thing. Today, one has been basking and eating and the other (in another table) is just sitting looking out of the pot.
The one out basking today is out every day at the moment but a few weeks ago it was the other way round, it was hiding away and the other one was on the go. It seems to me a bit like what they do in summer when it's too hot

[GemJam]

Originally Posted by stells

What are nighttime temps kept at?

I have the heating on all day from 5.30 am until 10pm at about 20degrees but at night the house is let to cool down naturally until the heating kicks in again.

I did think it could be the night time temp. so I have cheked it randomly and it has averaged at 14 degrees.

[CherryBrandy]

i had to over winter two very elderly spurs and they are slow as anything, sleep all the time and to the point I watch for life on occasion. Picky with their eating. Even if I have the lights and heat on beautifully warm, they will wander to the area which is between 1.8 - 5 degrees, especially at night. Everywhere is thermometered! Their weights are creeping up.