- Joined
- Sep 25, 2011
- Messages
- 3
Hi. This is actually Footso's "dad".
My names Andrew and we live in Hampshire, England.
Our torsoise is at least 50 years old and generally lives outside. A few weeks ago we had a period of quite cool weather. Becuase its nowhere near the time her would normally start hibernating, we brought him inside in the morning to "bask" under a heat lamp, then he'd eat and wander about outside. Dispite doing this, the last week he hasn't eaten and has just gone to his "house" to sleep.
A few days ago, he was wandering about indoors, setteld into a quiet, dark corner and "went to sleep". I know he was alive, because he moved every so often. The weather was quite chilly and even if the heating is on, the corner he was in would still be cool.
So, I got his usual hibernation box sorted out - he hiberanes in the garden shed - and put in in it. As usual he "burried" himself down into the hay.
How, we are having a heatwave, with temperatues expected to reach the mid 20's (low-mid 70's), which is Footso's favourite temperature range. So, do I jusy leave him in hibernation and check to see if he is still "asleep", or "wake him up" and then let him hiberanate properly in a couple of weeks time?
Hoping from some advice, please.
Another post made by Andrew thinking the first had not gone thru...
A question for tortoise owners in England...
Have any of your adult tortoises gone into hibernation yet?
If so, what do you plan to do in this week's heatwave if your tortoise can detect the temperature in its hibernating place?
Mine did the usual slow-down, not eating, then 3 days "asleep" pre-hibernation routine a couple of weeks ago. At least a month early, but, if that's what he wants to do. So I put him in his hibernation box in the garden shed.
Despite the increasing temperature, he has not "surfaced" - hwta he usually does at the end of a hibernation in spring. But, with temperatures due to go up the the high 20's later this week, what do I (we?) do?
Hoping from some good advice, please.
Regards
Footso
Alton, Hampshire, England
My names Andrew and we live in Hampshire, England.
Our torsoise is at least 50 years old and generally lives outside. A few weeks ago we had a period of quite cool weather. Becuase its nowhere near the time her would normally start hibernating, we brought him inside in the morning to "bask" under a heat lamp, then he'd eat and wander about outside. Dispite doing this, the last week he hasn't eaten and has just gone to his "house" to sleep.
A few days ago, he was wandering about indoors, setteld into a quiet, dark corner and "went to sleep". I know he was alive, because he moved every so often. The weather was quite chilly and even if the heating is on, the corner he was in would still be cool.
So, I got his usual hibernation box sorted out - he hiberanes in the garden shed - and put in in it. As usual he "burried" himself down into the hay.
How, we are having a heatwave, with temperatues expected to reach the mid 20's (low-mid 70's), which is Footso's favourite temperature range. So, do I jusy leave him in hibernation and check to see if he is still "asleep", or "wake him up" and then let him hiberanate properly in a couple of weeks time?
Hoping from some advice, please.
Another post made by Andrew thinking the first had not gone thru...
A question for tortoise owners in England...
Have any of your adult tortoises gone into hibernation yet?
If so, what do you plan to do in this week's heatwave if your tortoise can detect the temperature in its hibernating place?
Mine did the usual slow-down, not eating, then 3 days "asleep" pre-hibernation routine a couple of weeks ago. At least a month early, but, if that's what he wants to do. So I put him in his hibernation box in the garden shed.
Despite the increasing temperature, he has not "surfaced" - hwta he usually does at the end of a hibernation in spring. But, with temperatures due to go up the the high 20's later this week, what do I (we?) do?
Hoping from some good advice, please.
Regards
Footso
Alton, Hampshire, England
