Hibernation

Jackjames

New Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2014
Messages
14
Hello,

We have a horsefield tortoise, he seems to be trying to hibernate should we leave him be or keep trying to wake him up? Hes just in the corner of his table and buried in his hay, hes been like this for at least a week now, we arnt experianced with hibernation so dont want to cause him any harm, i understand he should be in a cool place when hibernating?

So my question is should we leave him to get on with it himself? Wake him up? Or put him somewhere cool?

Thanks
 

Jacqui

Wanna be raiser of Lemon Drop tortoises
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
Messages
39,941
Location (City and/or State)
A Land Far Away...
First off, do you want to hibernate him or keep him up year round? It is pretty much your choice and will make giving you the correct answer easier. The quick reply would be, no you can't keep him in the current state he is in. He is not really hibernating, thus is burning calories. You need to decide if you want to follow the steps and put him under totally (which includes "cleaning out his system" of food in the stomach) and keeping him in a cooler location (such as an refrigerator) OR to keep him up and going with lights and heat.
 

johnsonnboswell

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2012
Messages
2,238
Look into every aspect of his habitat to see what can be improved. He may be trying to stay in the best possible microclimate. Proper UVB bulb 14 hours a day? Warm enough? Enough humidity? Proper varied diet? Good substrate? When these are all set, then is the time to explore hibernation.

Hay is not appropriate. If there is enough moisture in there, it will get moldy.

As already mentioned, at house temperatures, he is starving, not hibernating. Letting him get on with it could be fatal.
 

Jackjames

New Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2014
Messages
14
Thank you so mich for the quick replies.

We are not bothered for hibernating him so will he still live a healthy life by not hibernating him?

He has heat lamp on 14 hrs per day but is currently at the other end of his table from the light, should we keep moving him to under the light?

Im sorry for maybe silly questions to you guys but we are new to this and want him to have the best life possible hes normally really active
 

johnsonnboswell

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2012
Messages
2,238
What kind of bulb? What's your substrate? Please tell us.

And yes, they can be healthy without hibernating.
 

Jacqui

Wanna be raiser of Lemon Drop tortoises
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
Messages
39,941
Location (City and/or State)
A Land Far Away...
There is debate on the need for hibernation, but at this time there does not seem to be a "have" to do it. It's unnatural for them not to and sometimes it can be a bit of a pain to get them to not want to hibernate, but then on the other hand hibernation can cause it's own set of issues and worries.
 

Jackjames

New Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2014
Messages
14
The lamp is a 60w reptile heat lamp and substrate is one half is a soil mix with sand type reptile terrain and the other half is wood chippings.

How does hibernation work for them in the wild then because the way im reading things us humans are controlling there hibernation as pets so its not natural? Im not saying anyones wrong by the way
 

Jacqui

Wanna be raiser of Lemon Drop tortoises
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
Messages
39,941
Location (City and/or State)
A Land Far Away...
In the wild, as the day light decreases and food stops being as easy to find, they start naturally slowing down. By slowing down their eating they are starting to cleanse themselves out. When everything comes together (less light, cooler temps, less food) they start hibernating.
 

Jacqui

Wanna be raiser of Lemon Drop tortoises
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
Messages
39,941
Location (City and/or State)
A Land Far Away...
With captivity we humans control the temps, the lighting, the force soaks, and where they can hibernate and for how long.
 

johnsonnboswell

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2012
Messages
2,238
In the wild, there is no limit to how deeply they can burrow to escape uncomfortable or dangerous temperatures. They can situate their burrows where they won't flood, where the sun strikes latest into the year and earliest in the spring, and they can get up and leave to find what they need. They are in an environment that their species is well adapted to. Harsh as it is out there, they can cope. In the wild they are active only for a short time of the year when food is plentiful and the weather not extreme.

In captivity, we do our best. Sometimes it's better than the wild, sometimes it's not even close.
 

Jackjames

New Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2014
Messages
14
Thank you for the explenations its helped me get my head around it a little, he did slow down his eating alot, through the summer he shifts pretty quick across his table to the food and eats it all up in no time but we noticed a couple of weeks ago he was happy just to have a nibble and go to sleep.

Im working away from home but my girlfriend is home she has woke him up and had him under the heat lamp apparantly is fine
 
Top