# Waking up a sleeping tortoise/turtle



## Big Ol Tortoise (Dec 14, 2016)

Is it bad to wake up a sleeping tortoise/turtle? Does it affect young ones? or do they just wake up like us.


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## dmmj (Dec 15, 2016)

are you talking about up from hibernation or when they're sleeping?


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## JoesMum (Dec 15, 2016)

If you're talking about hauling it out first thing in the morning for a soak or something then go right ahead. 

It won't cause any problems 

Once it's decided to turn in for the night then there's little point. 

A hibernated tortoise needs warmth to make it active and then shouldn't be hibernated again until next winter.


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## Big Ol Tortoise (Dec 15, 2016)

dmmj said:


> are you talking about up from hibernation or when they're sleeping?


Nope. Just one sleeping


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## Big Charlie (Dec 15, 2016)

Probably not. However, the other day Charlie wasn't on top of his heat mat and I tried to force his 100+ pound body onto it. He kind of hissed at me and for several days afterward, he was skittish around me. I guess I lost his trust, so I won't be doing that again.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Dec 15, 2016)

When I wake Tidgy up, for whatever reason, she normally takes a bit of time opening her eyes, then blinks a lot, looks a bit confused that she's not where she went to sleep, yawns two or three times and then happily continues with life.
I've woken many other tortoises from sleep and just like us, after the alarm's awoken one, we take a few seconds (or minutes) to adjust and then get on with it.
Not a problem.


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## AZtortMom (Dec 16, 2016)

My three are all individuals. 
Jay wakes right up and is ready to take on the world. 
Moe will yawn a couple times and then start moving around in a few minutes. 
Shelly, however, takes a couple hours to get moving, if I leave her to own devices


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