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Old 18-03-2016, 10:11 AM   #1
Alan1
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Default Unintended hibernation

My torts were still going about in the outside enclosure in late October, at least in the covered area which is covered with the greenhouse type plastic that allows UV through (remind me the name of it please as I might get some new stuff). They were digging down and reappearing daily until only one of them was popping up then finally both were down. I monitored the temperatures and checked the weather forecast every day and intended bringing them in when frost arrived but frost didn't happen at that time. The rain started then failed to stop really, they were under cover and under ground but I was worried that the ground was becoming so wet everywhere that it would eventually spread to where they were so I decided to dig them up, they were both in the same spot, one on top of the other in fact, this was early December so they'd been down 4 or 5 weeks.

I kept them in their tables in an unheated room without putting the lamps on and covered one end. They stayed there under cover but during some of the mild weather in December they came out a couple of times. Food and water was available and one of them had a drink but neither of them ate anything. The weather got a bit colder and they stayed under cover until one appeared last Thursday then the other on Sunday which was the first really bright sunny day for ages
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Old 18-03-2016, 10:17 AM   #2
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Alan ,
what is going on !! I just posted that mine all went out and the natural hibernators up last few weeks and today is blooming freezing ! 1.7 at 9.00am. just bought all the spurs in and luckily had ordered a load of new Arcadia equipment. it seems quite extreme as I've never had to bring them back in except at night time in the early up stages. It must be worse in Scotland isn't it? or am I talking panzt! And where is this global warming CB
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Old 18-03-2016, 10:32 AM   #3
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it was a minimum 5c last night outside. The other day it was 24c in where the weather station sensor thing is situated. Hopefully the weather will warm up soon
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Old 18-03-2016, 10:36 AM   #4
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scotland was warmer than Hampshire ! incredible !

Can we actually hibernate them in a cold room then do you think - or was is just a snooze time. Some of my over winterers don't eat just before the others get up, CB
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Old 18-03-2016, 10:59 AM   #5
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Well people 'hibernate' them in garages etc so not really much difference there. I've read of people's torts come up in February on a sunny day and go back down again for weeks. I don't like the whole fridge hibernation thing as the torts have no control over that at all, they can't come out the fridge if they want to but if other people want to do it that way it's up to them. Who's to say what's best. An article here (anything on the internet could be nonsense of course) details some differences between hibernation (mammals) and brumation (reptiles) http://infinitespider.com/hibernatin...ts-difference/ and I think it may have been Egyptian Dan who said once that torts brumate and not hibernate. As I say, mine made an appearance on mild days in December but went back into inactive mode when colder
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Old 18-03-2016, 11:58 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan1 View Post
My torts were still going about in the outside enclosure in late October, at least in the covered area which is covered with the greenhouse type plastic that allows UV through (remind me the name of it please as I might get some new stuff). They were digging down and reappearing daily until only one of them was popping up then finally both were down. I monitored the temperatures and checked the weather forecast every day and intended bringing them in when frost arrived but frost didn't happen at that time. The rain started then failed to stop really, they were under cover and under ground but I was worried that the ground was becoming so wet everywhere that it would eventually spread to where they were so I decided to dig them up, they were both in the same spot, one on top of the other in fact, this was early December so they'd been down 4 or 5 weeks.

I kept them in their tables in an unheated room without putting the lamps on and covered one end. They stayed there under cover but during some of the mild weather in December they came out a couple of times. Food and water was available and one of them had a drink but neither of them ate anything. The weather got a bit colder and they stayed under cover until one appeared last Thursday then the other on Sunday which was the first really bright sunny day for ages

I am sure this happens in the wild too.
Now I live in Kent, and mine went down (in the GH) around the end of October. And are just beginning to move the soil around them, so it wont be long before they are up. But temps here are still quite cold (we have been spoil in previous years with much warmer weather) for us. So this will be the longest hibernation they have had in over 20ys of natural hibernation.
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Old 18-03-2016, 12:27 PM   #7
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They probably know what they need and what they are doing. I'd be worried about putting them in a box in a fridge to be honest, I'd rather have them decide how long they want to be inactive than me but I know there are folk who have done the fridge thing for years and it works fine for them
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Old 18-03-2016, 08:04 PM   #8
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LUMISOL!

And Alan I prefer the fridge method. I successfully hibernated 4 in their this year. It works for me because I know exactly what the temp is, it's not sodden and there are no rats. But I may try the more natural way at some point.

Good to hear yours are doing well.
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Old 18-03-2016, 08:42 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CherryBrandy View Post
scotland was warmer than Hampshire ! incredible !

Can we actually hibernate them in a cold room then do you think - or was is just a snooze time. Some of my over winterers don't eat just before the others get up, CB
CB, I think the 'cold room' would have to be really cold to hibernate a tortoise. However I am a great believer that a tortoise 'brumates' ...... Which effectively is, from what I understand, is slowing down. I think (doing a lot of thinking as it is memory from past reading) there are some schools of thought that say leave torts be......others say once they start to move they have to continue the process and we need to help with extra heating and light. X x x xhugs x x
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Old 19-03-2016, 09:23 PM   #10
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yes I thought that. Ive relented and left my lot out tonight even though it'll go to 3 degrees. They hate it indoors and wont sit under the lamps anyway. First year my girlies haven't come up for air since hibernating and now Ive uncovered them they are digging down again so think I will leave them too. wont be long before spring sun is here surely?! CB
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