Movement during brumation

Kimbles2009

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Hi, I hope someone can help me please! I am hibernating my horsefield for the first time this year and have chosen the fridge method. The temp seems to fluctuate between 4 and 6 degrees. I know they can move during this time but how much movement is too much? Today I have been in the same room as him for most of the day and he has been pretty active, I can hear scratching every few hours for a few minutes at a time. Is this ok? Hes only been in for a week and I did take a look at him the other day and he did have his eyes closed! I dont want to disturb him too much but am abit worried about his activity! Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!
 

Yvonne G

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Here's what Markw84 just posted a few minutes ago on another thread:

"One of the notable differences between brumation and true hibernation, is that a hibernating animal goes into an almost comatose state. It is sleeping unitl spring and oblivious to its surroundings. In brumation, a reptile is still semi-awake. They can be stimulated by environmental conditions into periods of activity. They often move about to drink and stay hydrated while brumating. So I would imagine in the climates we see in S Africa, the SA Leopard tortoise must brumate. All of the S African tortoises must as well in the true sense of the term "brumation".
In my pond, all my N American turtles brumate every winter. But they are always in various stages of what we see as and call "hibernation" In cold cloudy weeks, they stay at the bottom and look like rocks for weeks if weather does not change. If the sun comes out, a few will rise to the surface and some will even bask a bit. The next day or two, they will again sink to the bottom and do nothing for extended periods. Some will often walk about the bottom very slowly to find another spot to then become a rock again for days or weeks. Regardless of activity, they do not eat until water temps approach 50° in spring."
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, I hope someone can help me please! I am hibernating my horsefield for the first time this year and have chosen the fridge method. The temp seems to fluctuate between 4 and 6 degrees. I know they can move during this time but how much movement is too much? Today I have been in the same room as him for most of the day and he has been pretty active, I can hear scratching every few hours for a few minutes at a time. Is this ok? Hes only been in for a week and I did take a look at him the other day and he did have his eyes closed! I dont want to disturb him too much but am abit worried about his activity! Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!
What is the temperature in the fridge?
 

Tom

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Hi, the temperature in the fridge is currently 5.3 degrees Celsius but it fluctuates between 4 and 6 degrees.
Russians get more active when the temp goes above 4 C. I'd keep it between 3 and 4, but be careful it doesn't dip to zero at any time. Is the thermometer or probe near the tortoise? It should be, and I use at least two thermometers in different areas to verify.
 

Kimbles2009

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Russians get more active when the temp goes above 4 C. I'd keep it between 3 and 4, but be careful it doesn't dip to zero at any time. Is the thermometer or probe near the tortoise? It should be, and I use at least two thermometers in different areas to verify.
Thanks Tom. I have 3 thermometers in there! One with the probe in his box and one with the probe in the air. The third is a wireless sensor that sits on the fridge shelf and I have the display reader with me so I can see the min and max temperature! I just want to make sure he's happy and I'm doing right by him!
 

Kimbles2009

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Thanks Tom. I have 3 thermometers in there! One with the probe in his box and one with the probe in the air. The third is a wireless sensor that sits on the fridge shelf and I have the display reader with me so I can see the min and max temperature! I just want to make sure he's happy and I'm doing right by him!
I have 3 thermometers and they all read completely different?! One has a probe in the soil in the box with my tortoise which reads about 5.5 degrees, one has a probe in the fridge air and keeps reading minus something and another is a wireless sensor sitting on the shelf next to the tortoises box and that reads 2.9 degrees! I'm getting so stressed out with this, which one should I take notice of?!
 

Yvonne G

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I don't trust the thermometers that come with the incubators either, so I've bought just plain, old, cheapy kitchen thermometers. They're much more trustworthy.
 

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