Waking her up after hibernation

camerart

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Hi,
My Herman's tortoise has been in her insulated box, since the end of October, and it's now sunny outside.

I doubt the weather is going to stay warm, but I see the temperature rising in her box. At the moment it gets to about 9Deg in the day.

I don't have a vivarium, or heat lights etc.. What's the best way of waking her up naturally, please?
Camerart.
 

hollyandT

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Hi!

I’d recommend buying a basking light and uvb light if your going to wake her up!

Also you can just use a big plastic box with some substrate inside and a hide whilst the wether gets warmer so that your tort can stay warm until then. (This is just to compromise as it would be temporary if I’m correct?)

I use coco and coir as a substrate if that’s any help

To wake her up you can start soaking her daily to rehydrate and make sure she has constant access to water!

I hope this is helpful!
 

camerart

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Hi!

I’d recommend buying a basking light and uvb light if your going to wake her up!

Also you can just use a big plastic box with some substrate inside and a hide whilst the wether gets warmer so that your tort can stay warm until then. (This is just to compromise as it would be temporary if I’m correct?)

I use coco and coir as a substrate if that’s any help

To wake her up you can start soaking her daily to rehydrate and make sure she has constant access to water!

I hope this is helpful!
Hi H,
Yes, this is helpful, but I hoped for anyone who normally uses natural (in the sense of not being in their natural birthplace) methods, without lights, and indoor facilities.

Thanks, C.
 

Tom

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It is difficult to use "natural" methods when you are not in the tortoise's natural environment. Your temperatures and climate are significantly different than what this species is adapted to dealing with in its Mediterranean climate country of origin. This being the case, your tortoise is going to need some "artificial" help from you in the form of heat, lighting and housing to overcome the disadvantages of your cold clammy climate there in the UK. Similar to someone in my climate needing to offer a heated night box to sulcatas or star tortoises. My weather is good for tropical species most of the year, but my nights and some winter days are too cold. A little extra electric heat in a properly made, insulated night box gets them through the cold nights and chilly rainy winter days until the typical warm sunny days return.
 

hollyandT

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I know what you mean and like Tom stated here in the uk I doubt it would work unless you turned your heating on full in a room with a big window where the sun shines through most of the day. That would be your best shot at waking her up naturally:)
 
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camerart

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Hi T and H,

At the moment she is in an insulated box with a metal plate at the bottom, under which is a small heater, then all covered in soil and a tortoise. All of this is in a larger insulated box.

The temperature of the heater is set to avoid going below 5Deg. If I turned that up a little, would that be ok, for a week or two till the next sunny, warm spell? There is no light in her boxes.

I'm trying to get the feel of what's best for her.

I quickly weighed her today. When she went to 'bed' she was 1.68Kg now she's 1.58Kg. I think there may be some weight, as she's a bit damper now. (the soil is a bit humid)

C.
 

hollyandT

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I recon if you gradually let a bit of light into the boxes with the heat up yes that may work !

I have a feeling that we’re in for a warm summer so I think she’ll be fine if you keep her in a room with a south facing window for maximum - natural - light /heat<- sorry if I’m repeating
 

mark1

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you needn't gradually warm them up , you can , but personally I think with captive animals they are advantaged to wake up to optimal conditions right away ...…...…. waking them up from hibernation involves no more than providing warmth 80-85 degrees , light , humidity , water and food ….. I've awaken many , and there has never been anything slow about it ……I take them right from outside , put them in some warm water with a full spectrum of light including some uvb , a basking bulb that gives off heat , they're fully awake within hours , they certainly appear to enjoy it ……. they'll get out the water after they're awake , and go hide …….. I put them back in the water twice a day , before and after work …..I offer food everyday , they'll usually be back to normal in a week or two , they usually eat within a couple days , they take interest in food sometimes almost immediately , usually days before they'll actually eat …... .... in nature it is a slow process , but it doesn't need to be slow ……. in nature as the ground warms they work their way to the surface , could take a couple weeks before they emerge , they'll come out and warm up in the sun and then go back down .……..

you may be interested in reading this

http://geachelonia.org/Attachments/2en.pdf
 

camerart

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Hi H and T,

I've read lots of advice around the subject of hibernation, as this is my first time.

Bearing in mind that today the sun is out, but I woke up slowly, so I slid back the roof of her insulated box a gradually, and I could see her slowly come to life over 1/2 hour while I freshened up her roof top penthouse (Air-raid shelter, with growing bluebells)

When I could see her trying to turn round, I picked her up, and she didn't recoil, but kept her head out, so it wasn't too bright for her. I put her in her house, facing inward, and after another 1/2 hour she had turned round, with moving legs and shiny eyes.

I'll give her a bath tomorrow.

Another spring has arrived:)

C.
 

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hollyandT

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She’s beautiful yes today has been warm where I am too !

She will need daily baths and access to water all day just so she can rehydrate herself:)

Let me know how she gets on :))
 

camerart

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She’s beautiful yes today has been warm where I am too !

She will need daily baths and access to water all day just so she can rehydrate herself:)

Let me know how she gets on :))
Hi H,

Something else has woken up today.

Regarding re-hydration, the soil in her winter quarters was pretty clammy, and I think this may have kept her hydrated and weighing a bit more, but I'll try her in a bath tomorrow. Last time she jumped out. I don't think she's keen.

C.
 

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hollyandT

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Oh dear I’ve never come across one of those before [emoji54] and I use a washing up bowl with Luke warm water up to the ridge of the shell above the legs

My tortoise almost always has a poo in the water but I just fish it out with a glove on and let him soak for about half an hour as it gets his digestive system going :)
 

hollyandT

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It’s been a very warm day today where I am! Feels like a heat wave has hit how’s your tortoise doing today? :)
 

camerart

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Hi,

it's been a while since the 'spring' weather.

As she had woken up, and it then went cool again, so I bought a 60W reflector light, but soon found out that when focused to give a temperature of about 30Deg, I needed a larger lamp, so bought a 150W bulb. Once she was 30 Deg, she started to eat, so I fed her a little for a few days.

As she's an outside tortoise, she lives temporarily in the greenhouse, and now, if she comes out of her 'house' I then turn on the light then feed her once she's warm.

soon be real spring.
C
 

hollyandT

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The weather is being very bipolar:/ and She looks so snug with her little pal :)
 

camerart

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Hi,
After 4xmonths hibernation I took her out of her box, but left the night heater on (5DEG), as it got too cold at night.

In her box, I used soil that she had dug herself into in the garden, and it was quite damp. She was a bit claggy, so I gave her baths in warm water, as many others do. I noticed that she had a limp, and after a while I investigated to find that soil had built up around one of her back legs, and then after bathing this had hardened like a plaster cast, which probably cause a bit of bruising.

She's fine now, and skipping about as she should, but please note.
C
 

camerart

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Hi,
another year gone by!
Here she is waking up after sleeping outside last winter.
I gave her a bath, she had a poo, and seems ok.
C
 

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