Shelled Warriors Forums
 

Go Back   Shelled Warriors Forums > Tortoise Information > Mediterranean Tortoises - Information & Questions

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 13-10-2018, 02:40 PM   #1
cracker467
Junior Member
Egg
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 7
Default Hibernating tortoise still moving!

I've reduced food, bathed him regularly, reduced temperature over the last two weeks and have finally placed him in a large tupperware box with bedding in the fridge. The temperature is 4 degrees continuously so I'm very worried. I put him in the fridge on the 8th of October.

Please help?
cracker467 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-10-2018, 02:46 PM   #2
CherryBrandy
Senior Member
Adult
 
CherryBrandy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: SE England
Posts: 4,259
Default

Is this Robbie Coltrane ? They will move around following settling in, its 4 days so hard to tell if it's natural settling down or he is being disturbed. What's the species, age weight etc? I would check the Tupperware box is the breathable kind because that could kill him if it isn't. plastic isn't ideal because depending on bedding it can create moisture, therefore bacteria, if he releases his bladder it will cause harm to sit in it in the cold. Ideally 5 degrees for a fridge temperature, don't freeze the little thing ! Hope this helps.

If it were me I would take him out change the set up slightly and then see if he settles outside the fridge. As long as he isn't massively active or warmed up for a while, it won't harm, CB
__________________
Horsfields, Spur Thighed, & Marginata
CherryBrandy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-10-2018, 03:07 PM   #3
cracker467
Junior Member
Egg
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 7
Default

Horsfield, male, fifteen years old, 13cm long and weighs 600g. The tuppware box is full of holes on the lid. Do you think the light fom the fridge is disturbing him? I'll transfer him to a shoe box and increase the temperature to 5 degrees and see how I get on. Thank you for your help.
cracker467 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-10-2018, 03:20 PM   #4
CherryBrandy
Senior Member
Adult
 
CherryBrandy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: SE England
Posts: 4,259
Default

I think the light will go out when door closed. Horsfields love to burrow down so it may be a larger box with space for him to burrow., scrape etc. My girls will do this for hours even when reached bottom of their substrate. There are fridge experts on here far better than me who will advise, but Horsfields do like their burrowing so it may account for his activity so don't worry too much. 'Tupperware' as in plastic tubs?? are ok as long as big enough , air holes and dependent on substrate so maybe worth seeing what the fridge experts say...CB
__________________
Horsfields, Spur Thighed, & Marginata
CherryBrandy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-10-2018, 03:28 PM   #5
cracker467
Junior Member
Egg
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 7
Default

Yeah light goes out when you close the door, its when we open it throughout the day the light goes on.
cracker467 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-10-2018, 04:56 PM   #6
Gordon
Senior Member
Adult
 
Gordon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 5,672
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by cracker467 View Post
Yeah light goes out when you close the door, its when we open it throughout the day the light goes on.
But does it
Gordon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-10-2018, 04:58 PM   #7
Gordon
Senior Member
Adult
 
Gordon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 5,672
Default

I have taken the bulb out of my fridge.
I have used the fridge method before and I did notice that torts do tend to move about quite a lot.
Gordon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17-10-2018, 05:50 PM   #8
JerryMaffz
Member
Incubating
 
JerryMaffz's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 194
Default

I have always used the plastic tub/fridge method for hibernation. 4 to 5 degrees is fine.
I normally use a topsoil/play sand mix as substrate as I find that the density keeps the temps more stable. Bedding should be fine though and the tortoise should settle down after a week or two. I open the fridge door daily to allow oxygen transfer and find that the light has no effect at all on the tortoise ( I trust he's not in your food fridge?).
__________________
Keith

Testudo hermanni boettgeri 1:0:0 Jerry Maffz

Last edited by JerryMaffz; 17-10-2018 at 05:53 PM.
JerryMaffz is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 03:58 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.