Glad to find this forum

[Torts4ever]

I am a new sulcata tort owner. I am blessed to have found Pebbles and her mom. Pebbles is 4 years old, weighs 70 lbs and is spectacular. She loves roaming the yard, hiding under an African Goji bush and following yellow crocs around the yard. Now she can come and go from garage outside at will, and is doing well. We have learned so much about how to care for her from your forum it is incredible. Thank you so much!! will post some pics of our beauty soon.

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. Glad you found us.

 

[Torts4ever]

thanks for the links, will check them out. Pebbles has been in Colorado for 2 years and has adapted well. She suns, spas and eats like a Trojan.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to the forum.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

That's a pretty big 4 year old

 

[bouaboua]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Also looking forward to your photos.

 

[Torts4ever]

Welcome!

That's a pretty big 4 year old

 

[Torts4ever]

She has been a good eater , on tort pellets veggies grass . and has been raised in AZ sun and beautiful Colorado sun most recently. The other thing she does is hibernate during the cold months here.

 

[Tom]

She has been a good eater , on tort pellets veggies grass . and has been raised in AZ sun and beautiful Colorado sun most recently. The other thing she does is hibernate during the cold months here.

Sulcatas are a tropical species. They don't hibernate.

A 70 pound four year old female is very unlikely. And there is absolutely no way that tortoise is 4 years old and 70 pounds if it "hibernated" thought two colorado winters. Are you having some fun at our expense?

 

[Torts4ever]

Sulcatas are a tropical species. They don't hibernate.

A 70 pound four year old female is very unlikely. And there is absolutely no way that tortoise is 4 years old and 70 pounds if it "hibernated" thought two colorado winters. Are you having some fun at our expense?

She moved to Colorado 2 years ago but was born in Arizona. It is true they are not supposed to hibernate but when the snow falls and temperatures drop below 50 she goes to sleep in a large tote , filled with hay and covered with a blanket. She sleeps in the spare room and about April or May will wake up. When temperatures warm up she is active again.

 

[Tom]

She moved to Colorado 2 years ago but was born in Arizona. It is true they are not supposed to hibernate but when the snow falls and temperatures drop below 50 she goes to sleep in a large tote , filled with hay and covered with a blanket. She sleeps in the spare room and about April or May will wake up. When temperatures warm up she is active again.

If your story is true, which I doubt, then you are very lucky the tortoises hasn't died. This species comes form the tropics and they need warm temps year round. Because someone gets away with this a time or two and the tortoises doesn't die, does not make it okay.

I've had this discussion many times with people here in my area. They tell me its fine. Their tortoise has lived this way for years, and they know someone else whose tortoises lived for years this way too. Then guess what happens… Yep. Their tortoises dies. When I ask about the other person's tortoise that advised them to do this: What happened to their tortoise? You used the past tense, "lived this way…". They reply, "Oh. It died."

 

[Torts4ever]

I have to ask you about the people I have read about that live in Minnesota, Illinois and in European counties where it gets very cold, more than here and theirs are doing this also. I have read about them on your forum that's why I was excited to join. Im sorry you think I am lying and trying to have fun at your expense ,but am not.. I was just hoping to get more information to help make Pebbles life good. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this.

 

[MrMarg&me]

From what I understand hibernation is a very specialized ability. Some mammals do it. Like bears. If the organism did not evolve the ability to hibernate then the organism uses its reserves to survive. The creature will slow way down but will be continually eating its reserves. So the organism is slowly starving to death. If conditions improve enough before death the creature might recover. This is not the same as true hibernation. Eventually the animal is so depleted it will not recover if this is repeated too many times. Reptiles can completely stop all activity until conditions improve. If conditions do not improve in time the reptile will die.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi

 

[Torts4ever]

thanks for the replies. I might add I did just find out she is 6, sorry got the age wrong. She has the whole back yard to call home. Shrubs, grass, grape leaves and all the things she loves. She comes and goes out of her house when she wishes. If temps are not to her liking she will stay indoors and sleep in her hay. When it warms up, she goes and roams about and forages and eats. During the last 2 weeks she has been spaing (soaking in her water hole we built for her ) more and eating more. This usually happens when she starts winding down during the winter. Last October she was sleeping more inside and on warmer days would go sun and eat and by November didn't go outside again. . She does not totally sleep the whole time, but becomes very inactive during the cold snowy winter. We check on her every day and can hear her rustling about. She has a tote full of hay to eat. She is kept inside the house at a temp of 68. But her tote is warm and covered with a blanket. When we pat her every few days, she hisses and repositions herself and goes right back to sleep. When she is ready she starts shuffling about quite a bit, in the tote, and then we know she is ready to wake up and goes out side and suns. Once temps are warmer she stays out all day and starts her rehydrating process. She soaks in warm water and eats and poops like crazy. So I may have used "hibernation" wrongly, and it may be another term. She does not sleep outside ever and she is NEVER EVER below 60 I am wondering about the other people I have read about on this forum who "hibernate" their torts in the colder winter as well, how they do it.
"

 

[MrMarg&me]

There are many reptiles that evolved in climates where hibernation is necessary. So these animals can and will hibernate. There are also many reptiles from climates that stay warm year round. The animals that evolved there do not have the ability to hibernate. Sulcatas are from warm climates. They can not hibernate. If conditions in the environment are not consistently warm enough they will just slow way down but use reserves. Desert tortoises and box turtles are just two examples of chelonians that have the hibernation ability.

 

[Torts4ever]

So she is just slowing down till conditions are good for her. Thanks for clarifying and not being pompous about it. It's nice to have some place where people will share info and share knowledge so we can all care for our "babies" the best way we can. Thank u