Living Wild 2

[Joshua Forshaw]

Hi,
Just a few observations about our tortoise that continues to live wild in our garden.
She ( George , don't ask ) came out of hiberation 14th March which was a month to early really but we had a few weeks of temperatures that went up to 22 degrees. Its dropped back to 12 and 6 at night so I've piled dried leaves etc under some trees she likes and she's gone back to sleep and only comes out on warmer days. She didn't eat for about a week but does now nibble a bit now and then. She seems to need to eject a certain type of watery waste after hiberation before she can function again. She still weights just over 2kgs and has not put on any weight really over the last 4 years that she's stayed with us. She remembers the layout of the garden when she wakes because she heads for the base of a certain tree to sunbathe. She dug out of a hole just under over 3 foot down at about 30 degrees incline. Pictures attached I hope

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Joshua:

I don't know anything about the Hermann's tortoise, however, by the looks of your picture, I'd say she got pretty wet down in her burrow. I THINK, but I don't know for sure, that its not good for them to be wet during hibernation. For next year, is there a way to protect the burrow so it doesn't get wet and muddy like that?

 

[ascott]

I am with Yvonne . She appears to have a great deal of caked on dried mud....have you lent her a hand by soaking her and gently removing the mud layers so that when she does come out to bask the sun/uv rays are actually penetrating her shell ? Also, you may want to offer a few warm water soaks to offer some hydration....

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

I am with Yvonne . She appears to have a great deal of caked on dried mud....have you lent her a hand by soaking her and gently removing the mud layers so that when she does come out to bask the sun/uv rays are actually penetrating her shell ? Also, you may want to offer a few warm water soaks to offer some hydration....

 

[GBtortoises]

My Eastern Hermann's that brumate (hibernate) outdoors almost always come out of the ground caked in mud. Some have been doing so for 20 years. There is really no reason to give your tortoise a warm water soak out of brumation. Just make sure that it has access to fresh water. If you don't get some good rains within the first few days of your tortoise being above ground you can give them a gentle spray with a hose and the mud will moisten and run off the shell. They know what to do out of brumation, especially tortoises living outdoors year round.

 

[ascott]

There is really no reason to give your tortoise a warm water soak out of brumation.

With all due respect, I completely disagree with this statement....it is essential that a tort out of brumation be hydrated, a warm water soak will aid in this....and in my opinion, is a valuable function to do, regardless of the brumating species you host... simply, my opinion...

 

[Tyrtle]

That's really cool to have the best of both worlds, being able to observe them in their natural ways and sort of having a pet. How very lucky you are!

 

[Joshua Forshaw]

The problems been this year that the weather turned cold again after George came out of his tunnel.
He cleaned himself up within 2 or 3 days by brushing under leaves / branches etc.
He hates rain or water for that matter. First sign of rain and he heads for cover. He seems to sense rain by about 15 minutes before
I've set shallow bowls, for drinking water, into the ground around the garden but I've never seen him using them.
He lifted a large wooden table up the get under the cross-bar last summer so I'll work out how heavy that was and post the weight next time I do an update
The reason I don't wash him or choose how he lives is that he's at least 40 years old and has managed without human help so far. The only way I interact with him is to make sure there's a good supply of food growing in the garden and twice I've found him upside down in a trench I dug for planting a hedge.

 

[GBtortoises]

There is really no reason to give your tortoise a warm water soak out of brumation.

With all due respect, I completely disagree with this statement....it is essential that a tort out of brumation be hydrated, a warm water soak will aid in this....and in my opinion, is a valuable function to do, regardless of the brumating species you host... simply, my opinion...

Who gives them their "warm water soaks" in the wild? I have yet to see a Northern Mediterranean species come out of brumation and immediately go soak in a pan of water outdoors. In fact very few individuals (speaking of Testudo species only), will immerse themselves in water voluntarily. They will certainly drink water and then expel wastes. Even that is never done immediately upon emerging. It is often hours or even a day or more later. The "warm water" premise is mainly a human one. They know enough to flush their system just as well and as effectively by wandering over to a bowl of water and taking a long, slow drink. Whether it be warm or cold water. The effect is the same for them.