Hibernation aborted in panic!

[EJ]

You are correct. I don't hibernate my smaller species because I don't intend to breed them.

It's not really convenient because they do have to be soaked on occasion.

I don't hibernate mine due to convienience... I do it out of necessity. I was force to move to an area on a moments notices... granted that was 6 years ago. I need to build a structure for the outside tortoises but time and... most importantly... money... is slowing me down on that note.

Now... back to the conversation at hand... I'm sure the op and their tortoise is way more stressed out by their actions of forcing the tortoise into hibernation than if they maintained it at the proper temperatures.

Originally Posted by Levi

As far as I know Ed still forces his larger outside torts into "survival mode" (AKA hibernation, due to lack of space etc) but I think he only hibernates species that keepers wouldn't normally hibernate.



Well for one thing hibernation is damned convenient, surely you of all people should know that Ed !

[EJ]

Nope... your not wrong.

Originally Posted by alley cat

I seem to remember you saying not so long ago that you hibernate/bruminate some of your own tortoises, although may be not in a fridge, am I wrong?

[Lynnie Lou]

Please delete my account from this forum. There are way too many ego's on here for me. And on another note, it's why I get pm's from people who are scared to post here from fear of being got at. It's supposed to be a friendly place, a place where newbies to the Reptile world can ask questions. But no, not here.

EJ. You for one ruin this place.

I won't be back.

[Pussygalore]

you don't need to take part or reply to threads you don't like and neither do you need to come on the forum if you don't like it, no one is forcing you.

[Levi]

Originally Posted by EJ

I don't hibernate mine due to convienience... I do it out of necessity. I was force to move to an area on a moments notices... granted that was 6 years ago. I need to build a structure for the outside tortoises but time and... most importantly... money... is slowing me down on that note.

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.

[Levi]

Originally Posted by stells

You think you have the right to tell someone to downscale... thats downright rude... just because Ed chooses to do what he does with this species does not mean they are not looked after properly... i just think it shows that Ed is open to doing things differently to suit himself and his tortoises (which don't look badly treated to me)... maybe if more people thought out of the box we would stop having these discussions and insults thrown.

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.

[alley cat]

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.

Originally Posted by stells

You think you have the right to tell someone to downscale... thats downright rude... just because Ed chooses to do what he does with this species does not mean they are not looked after properly... i just think it shows that Ed is open to doing things differently to suit himself and his tortoises (which don't look badly treated to me)... maybe if more people thought out of the box we would stop having these discussions and insults thrown.

I dont see Levi telling EJ to downsize his collection, it definitely says 'could' not 'should', although I agree that he has implied that he does not look after them properly.
EJ is open to doing things differently, however, when it comes to hibernation he has a very strong opinion which he does not hold back from posting about, so I for one am confused by his negative hibernation comments when he is actually hibernating his own tortoises.

[Pussygalore]

Ed has more experience than many/most on here and although it doesn't always seem the same to what we do maybe they do things different in the US, but if people don't want to get into an arguement/debate with him then simply don't reply. But if you do want to get involved then common curtesy/decency and reasons for the reply apply to whoever you are replying to, not personal remarks for the sake of them.

[Levi]

Originally Posted by alley cat

I dont see Levi telling EJ to downsize his collection, it definitely says 'could' not 'should', although I agree that he has implied that he does not look after them properly.

Regarding looking after them "properly".

Ed has said that hibernation is just "forcing tortoises into survival mode", I fail to see how "survival mode" can be looking after them properly ! So no Ed doesn't look after them properly from his own personal point of view, they also aren't "maintained at the proper temperatures", another quote from Ed (on this thread).

I have no problem with hibernation if done correctly, (that's why keepers need to come on forums for advice) my tortoise has hibernated in captivity for the last 35 years, unlike Ed I don't think of it as "survival mode", if I did I wouldn't hibernate her.

[Levi]

Originally Posted by stells

Your having a laugh right??

HIBERNATION... is survival mode... which i'm guessing you do so therefore you put yours into survival mode... you are dropping the temperature so your tortoise has to hibernate to survive.

PROPER TEMEPERATURS... optimal temperatures that will keep your tortoises awake and active are proper temperatures... so therefore dropping temperatures to put tortoises into above survival mode are not proper temperatures to keep your tortoises awake.

If you do the above two then may i put to you that in YOUR own opinion you don't look after YOUR tortoises properly.

Get a grip man.

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.