# Winter eating slowdown



## Pond_Lilly (Nov 29, 2017)

I posted the initial thread years ago (https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/winter-eating-slows-down.37558/) and once again I see the slow down in eating in my now 6 cherryheads. Interestingly, in 2011 I posted roughly at the same time, Dec. 9. My torts spend their day outside, but sleep inside, as I take them in. 

We debated in 2011 what is going on, with various theories being proposed, i.e. daytime duration, temps, pressure, etc. I wonder if other cherryhead (or other torts) keepers in Florida (or elsewhere) see the same? I wonder also what happens with wild cherryheads in winter? 

Another question is whether or not this slowdown is beneficial or not, maybe it slows growth/prevents pyramiding, maybe something else? In even broader sense, is it more beneficial to give torts "seasons", even when kept indoors, compared to keeping them in highly stable, highly controlled environment?


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## Alaskamike (Dec 5, 2017)

I've noticed this slowdown with serval torts; Aldabra, Sulcata& Leopard. Here in South Florida, temps change, humidity & angle of the sun. I'm sure the torts feel this more a curly than we do. Animals are season & weather cycled in their behavior & biology. 

We can bypass some of that with artificial UV, heat , foods available , etc. I suspect however, that since I raise mine outdoors it has much more impact. 

As to benefit , I don't know. Certainly there is no harm as long as they don't get dehydrated or too cold. Pyramiding should not be impacted at all.


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## Tom (Dec 5, 2017)

Pond_Lilly said:


> I posted the initial thread years ago (https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/winter-eating-slows-down.37558/) and once again I see the slow down in eating in my now 6 cherryheads. Interestingly, in 2011 I posted roughly at the same time, Dec. 9. My torts spend their day outside, but sleep inside, as I take them in.
> 
> We debated in 2011 what is going on, with various theories being proposed, i.e. daytime duration, temps, pressure, etc. I wonder if other cherryhead (or other torts) keepers in Florida (or elsewhere) see the same? I wonder also what happens with wild cherryheads in winter?
> 
> Another question is whether or not this slowdown is beneficial or not, maybe it slows growth/prevents pyramiding, maybe something else? In even broader sense, is it more beneficial to give torts "seasons", even when kept indoors, compared to keeping them in highly stable, highly controlled environment?



What sort of weather and seasonal variation do cherry heads encounter in the wild? Being from the tropics, I'm guessing there isn't much variation.

By contrast, here in North America, we are not in the tropics and even Florida experiences a true temperate climate with winter days being much shorter than summer days, light values changing drastically from winter to summer, and vastly different temperatures from summer nights to winter nights.

This being the case, I do think there is benefit to giving "seasons" to temperate species like russians, CA desert tortoises, or greeks. I don't think there is benefit to giving large seasonal variations to sulcatas or cherry heads. These two species are very adaptable and can survive the unnatural seasonal variation in our climate with a little help and electricity from us, but this doesn't make it something desirable that we should try to do. In fact, I think the opposite is true. We should be trying to reduce seasonal light and temperature variations in tropical species.


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## Kaliman1962 (Dec 13, 2017)

my greek lives indoors, my lights stay on the same, but i think they sense its winter, she has slowed down on her eating, sleeping more


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## trickspiration (Dec 18, 2017)

Kaliman1962 said:


> my greek lives indoors, my lights stay on the same, but i think they sense its winter, she has slowed down on her eating, sleeping more



My greek has been acting the same way. He is housed indoors and the lights turn on at 8:30am via a timer. He usually doesn't want to wake up by himself, so we force him to wake up and place him under the heat lamp to warm up. Since december has started, he's been wanting to go straight back to bed after we pull him out of bed and his appetite has decreased (he still eats his food, but a lesser amount than usual).


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