Hibernation monitoring - Page 5

EJ · 20-01-2011, 04:59 PM

...(sorry)...

Quote:

Originally Posted by skildpadde

Easier to understand, thanks

skildpadde · 22-03-2011, 09:56 PM

My boys came out of hibernation yesterday after almost exactly 5 months.
They have lost *no* weight. They ate within hours of coming out of the fridge.
Slightly against my better judgement (as it is regarded as so important by tortoise keepers here), I soaked them this morning.
Neither of them drank.
Eerily my husband said he thought he heard noises from the fridge on Sunday.
When I opened it yesterday for my daily check, 1 tortoise had clearly moved and was wide awake looking at me, despite the temp in the fridge still being 5 degrees, and dark inside.
So something other than temperature and light appears to be telling the torts it is spring!
It feels so good seeing them roaming in the sunshine again

Ozric Jonathan · 22-03-2011, 11:14 PM

Great news! No weight loss - impressive. I'm sure they will soon be zooming around looking for food.

Many keepers think that somehow the tortoises know what the seasons are, no matter how we try to trick them with heat and light.

Good news.

EJ · 22-03-2011, 11:24 PM

Explain that to all those that lost their tortoises in hibernation...

Those that think think the tortoises 'know'... don't know reptilian physiology.

Yea... tricking... a tortoise with the environmental conditions they need to survive... how rediculous is that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan

Great news! No weight loss - impressive. I'm sure they will soon be zooming around looking for food.

Many keepers think that somehow the tortoises know what the seasons are, no matter how we try to trick them with heat and light.

Good news.

Kirkie · 23-03-2011, 12:53 AM

Excellent. The use of a soil/mulch hibernation substrate has something too it. Maybe the old "acceptable" 10% weight loss won't be so acceptable in the future.

Out of interest, what species of tortoise do you keep?

EJ · 23-03-2011, 01:06 AM

I'm sorry but no matter how hard I tried... I have to ask...

How was the old 'acceptable' 10% weight derived and how?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirkie

Excellent. The use of a soil/mulch hibernation substrate has something too it. Maybe the old "acceptable" 10% weight loss won't be so acceptable in the future.

Out of interest, what species of tortoise do you keep?

Kirkie · 23-03-2011, 01:21 AM

Thats why I wrote "acceptable". I don't feel a 10% loss in hibernation is acceptable. Theres nothing to cause it except dehydration. 10% fluid loss in a hibernation is dangerous to me.

I don't know how it came about. Some misconception about spent reserves perhaps?

EJ · 23-03-2011, 01:26 AM

I so wish I could address some of this fictitious information that is being passed along to new keepers on other forums... I know the source and I also wish that people could understand that much of this information comes from a single source that gets rereferenced.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirkie

Thats why I wrote "acceptable". I don't feel a 10% loss in hibernation is acceptable. Theres nothing to cause it except dehydration. 10% fluid loss in a hibernation is dangerous to me.

I don't know how it came about. Some misconception about spent reserves perhaps?

skildpadde · 23-03-2011, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirkie

Out of interest, what species of tortoise do you keep?

They are iberas.

TortBabe · 23-03-2011, 10:40 AM

Congrats, so glad they are well. I'm going to wake my horsfield next week

22-03-2011, 09:56 PM	#42
skildpadde Member Incubating Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Brighton & Hove Posts: 151	End of hibernation My boys came out of hibernation yesterday after almost exactly 5 months. They have lost no weight. They ate within hours of coming out of the fridge. Slightly against my better judgement (as it is regarded as so important by tortoise keepers here), I soaked them this morning. Neither of them drank. Eerily my husband said he thought he heard noises from the fridge on Sunday. When I opened it yesterday for my daily check, 1 tortoise had clearly moved and was wide awake looking at me, despite the temp in the fridge still being 5 degrees, and dark inside. So something other than temperature and light appears to be telling the torts it is spring! It feels so good seeing them roaming in the sunshine again __________________ Mette 2.0.0 Testudo Graeca Ibera 0.0.1 Bearded Dragon 1.0.0 Budgerigar 0.1.0 Border terrier 1.0.0 Tabby cat 0.0.6 Discus fish Numerous other fish

22-03-2011, 11:14 PM	#43
Ozric Jonathan Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: West of Scotland Posts: 4,226	Great news! No weight loss - impressive. I'm sure they will soon be zooming around looking for food. Many keepers think that somehow the tortoises know what the seasons are, no matter how we try to trick them with heat and light. Good news. __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni (Corse) tortoises

23-03-2011, 10:40 AM	#50
TortBabe Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 6,919	Congrats, so glad they are well. I'm going to wake my horsfield next week __________________ Busy Mum to ~ 2 Kids, 2 Yorkies, 1 Horsfield, 6 Hermanns, 2 Iberas, 6 Tunisians, 2 Indian Stars and 2 Pancakes

23-03-2011, 12:53 AM	#45
Kirkie Senior Member Adult Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 4,887	Excellent. The use of a soil/mulch hibernation substrate has something too it. Maybe the old "acceptable" 10% weight loss won't be so acceptable in the future. Out of interest, what species of tortoise do you keep?

23-03-2011, 01:21 AM	#47
Kirkie Senior Member Adult Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 4,887	Thats why I wrote "acceptable". I don't feel a 10% loss in hibernation is acceptable. Theres nothing to cause it except dehydration. 10% fluid loss in a hibernation is dangerous to me. I don't know how it came about. Some misconception about spent reserves perhaps?

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