Do You Hibernate Your Med Torts

[EJ]

This is what I'm talking about when I mention an average temperature. If the temperature drops below a certain average the tortoise is forced into hibernation mode.

Originally Posted by caledonia

.. it is often mentioned that in the wild the night time temperatures get down to 16c or sometimes lower but that is not the temperatures the torts will get down to when they are dug into the warm ground. Yes it will cool but it will take much longer than the air to cool

[Alan1]

Yep and I have noticed if they've had colder overall temperatures for a few days/nights they don't suddenly start doing handstands as soon as the temperature is a bit warmer on one day or night, it's a slow recovery

[Helen M]

Originally Posted by EJ

No disagreement there. The enzymes are probably dependent on the variance in the metabolism.

I'm just saying that I don't think the act of hibernation, itself, is geneticly controlled. The body is only reacting to its environment. Those changes we are talking about probably would not occur if the environment remained within acceptable parameters.

As I said but more in terms of the genetics taking a back seat until they are actually needed by the animal to survive cool conditions. There will still be genes there that are influenced by the process.

Helen xx

[EJ]

It's more a cause and effect situation... the hibernation causes the physical change... which you exactly state... the genes are influenced by the process... the process is not influenced by the genes.

This is an important point because some camps believe that hibernation is geneticly programmed where it is the other way around... the body has adapted to deal with hibernation... very big difference. This follows the line of thinking that hibernation is not a physiological necessity.

Originally Posted by Helen M

As I said but more in terms of the genetics taking a back seat until they are actually needed by the animal to survive cool conditions. There will still be genes there that are influenced by the process.

Helen xx

[yuna1971]

Originally Posted by caledonia

Yep and I have noticed if they've had colder overall temperatures for a few days/nights they don't suddenly start doing handstands as soon as the temperature is a bit warmer on one day or night, it's a slow recovery

Originally Posted by EJ

This is what I'm talking about when I mention an average temperature. If the temperature drops below a certain average the tortoise is forced into hibernation mode.

Great points there guys. Agree totally. xx
(How you doing, Al?...xx)