Hibernation aborted in panic!

[Levi]

Originally Posted by Levi

Maybe those that think it is "survival mode" are just doing it wrong.

BTW Ed and I don't agree on hibernation technics/methods or even temperatures, we use completely different methods.

[Levi]

Originally Posted by stells

You are just making me laugh out loud quite literally now... yes your tortoise is going into survival mode if its left outside with the elements... you say you have hibernated for 35 years so how do you know she would just go into survival mode despite having extra heat and light??

I do love it when people think they are superior to everyone else and can't see its not a case of one rule for one and one for another.

Not liking the tables being turned are you.

Hi Stells,

I'm fine thanks.

Sorry when I said go into survival mode I meant she starts to wind herself down ready for the coming winter and hibernation, that's means she will stop eating and bask less and no she is not "left outside with the elements", why would you think that. (She has her own heated conservatory and can watch the sun setting every night if she wants too.)
I provide extra heat through out the year as she is a big girl and the odd bit of sun that gets through the cloud around here generally isn't enough, at the end of August I supply heat and light to keep her active as long as I can, even if it is just a week or two. (Hibernation usually start some time in November)

She was WC at about 10cm so I presume she has hibernated all her life, probably if I brought her inside and isolated her from the sun and seasons completely she wouldn't wind herself down ! But I have no reason to do that, I don't find hibernation a problem.

"You say" !

Yes I did say, I have hibernated her for the last 35 years, although I was only 10 when my mum got her I took over most of her essential husbandry as my mother and father didn't have a clue. (They did the usual no water, moveable square pen on the lawn etc) My mother looked after when I was away working until her death about 18 years ago.

[Levi]

Originally Posted by stells

Thats where i got the outside bit from... you said it not me.

You say you don't find hibernation a problem... thats your opinion... let others have theirs... just a hint... i see every post that you delete on the forum... i have read many of them... you need to let others have an opinion... you also say about people questioning others... you do that a fair few times yourself.

Yes I have deleted a post or two if I want to do a quick edit, I find it easier to write a post in notes on an ipad than copy and paste. So if no ones even looking at my post and I want to change it I see no problem with just copying and pasting the edited post in quickly.

As an example last night I changed "wouldn't naturally hibernate in the wild to "species that keepers wouldn't normally hibernate" (big deal)
And that was only to keep the thread going off on a tangent but your welcome to put it back in if you want stells.

I presume big brother can't see post while we're writing/previewing them, but who knows.

Regarding your confusion.

I remember a discussion about using the term "outside", you said something like anywhere outside of the house was outdoors, I disagreed but you obviously know best.

So yes she was outdoors with the seasons, she is now indoors.

[Levi]

Originally Posted by stells

.. i see every post that you delete on the forum...

Yes I know, I remember you read and then for some reason reposted a deleted post of Ozric's, I don't think he was that happy about it at the time.

[ONielsen]

Kelly... you way off here ... you cant generalize just because some ed says so !

No matter what I do in the fall regarding heating ( up to 40 degrees under spot), light etc. mine will eventually dig down and im NOT talking 1-2 tortoises , but way past 100 ! Alls kept outside for the record and all being meds which the keeper in us dont have much experience with.He has proven that way too many times.

Happy Christmas

Originally Posted by stells

You are just making me laugh out loud quite literally now... yes your tortoise is going into survival mode if its left outside with the elements... you say you have hibernated for 35 years so how do you know she would just go into survival mode despite having extra heat and light??

I do love it when people think they are superior to everyone else and can't see its not a case of one rule for one and one for another.

Not liking the tables being turned are you.

[EJ]

You wanna buy some Aldabras... well started... surgically sexed... not cheap. I do have an import/export permit. Sending them to the UK is not a problem... you pay all shipping and permit costs at your end... what do you think.

I'm very glad you do get the point.

Originally Posted by Levi

Interesting, I'll rephrase, I'm guessing it would be inconvenient for you to have a group of giant Aldabras etc etc wandering around your house over winter. As you don't have the facilities, resources, funds to look after them properly you hibernate them.

You could always downscale your collection, it's your choice to hibernate Ed, hibernation isn't a necessity.

[EJ]

I think I've done as much. Many new keepers seek information online. They are bombarded with opinions of how they must keep their tortoises. Not knowing any better... they follow that dictation. It's a complex hobby with no single correct way to proceed.

I don't think the OP was doing what was best... I do think she was doing what she was told.

I'm always open to questions. I don't advise PM because there are many others with the same question that might benefit.

Originally Posted by Levi

I don't recall telling Ed to downscale, I said he could always downscale. It his his choice to keep tortoises that he can't maintain at proper temperatures and it is his choice to hibernate them.

Maybe the OP is in a similar situation to Ed, it would seem they have changed location and decided to do what they thought was best for their tortoises under the circumstances. Maybe Ed could volunteer some of his vast experience and help, rather than just questioning other peoples choices.

[EJ]

No... there is no benefit to hibernating a tortoise in captivity... except to the keeper.

Originally Posted by Levi

I fine with that, so neither Ed nor I look after our tortoise properly, although Ed seems to think hibernation can have some benefits for certain species. (Probably not much help to a Aldabra though !)

I suppose my tortoise chooses to hibernate every year, she is outside with the seasons, I'm more than happy to supply lots of extra heat and light but eventually she is just disparate to get into full survival mode. Maybe that's why I don't think of hibernation the same way you and Ed do, plus the fact my ibera comes out of hibernation with a spring in her step.
Maybe those that think it is "survival mode" are just doing it wrong.

[egyptiandan64]

Originally Posted by ONielsen

Kelly... you way off here ... you cant generalize just because some ed says so !

No matter what I do in the fall regarding heating ( up to 40 degrees under spot), light etc. mine will eventually dig down and im NOT talking 1-2 tortoises , but way past 100 ! Alls kept outside for the record and all being meds which the keeper in us dont have much experience with.He has proven that way too many times.

Happy Christmas

Ole I have no problem keeps over 100 Med. tortoises awake over the winter. It takes plenty of heat and light (lovely high electric bill ) but is very possible to do. A couple of mine do wind down and bruminate with what keeps most everybody else up and I usually leave them to it. I can though bring them into an even warmer room and wake them up (which I've done on occasion) and they do just fine over the winter. I have never had a problem with fertility or egg laying doing this, so there doesn't seem to be any benefit to the tortoises (only the benefit to my wallet of not heating them through the winter )

So like Ed always tries to say the choice to bruminate is the keepers and not the tortoises.

Danny

[Levi]

Originally Posted by EJ

You wanna buy some Aldabras... well started... surgically sexed... not cheap. I do have an import/export permit. Sending them to the UK is not a problem... you pay all shipping and permit costs at your end... what do you think.

I'm very glad you do get the point.

No thanks Ed, if I lived somewhere warm & sunny & all year round then maybe. Yes I do get the point and I agree that hibernation isn't a necessity, unless of course it is.