Up from hibernation, questions

[TheSnidr]

Hello, fellow tortoholics!
My tortoise, Speedy, is to awake from hibernation this weekend, and I'm wondering how I should do it. I usually leave him in room temperature for a couple of hours before I heat him up with his heat bulb.

Now, he's been hibernating at my dad's, and I have to bring him back home before the end of the weekend. This is a three hour drive during which I keep him in a small box. Which would be less stressful - driving home immediately after waking him up so that he's still groggy when driving, or let him wake up completely and then bring him back?

 

[Tom]

Doesn't matter. Just drive him home when its convenient.

I give mine a day or two at room temp before I turn the lights back on. They get soaked on day two in room temp water and every other day or so after that for a couple of weeks.

 

[ascott]

Hello, fellow tortoholics!
My tortoise, Speedy, is to awake from hibernation this weekend, and I'm wondering how I should do it. I usually leave him in room temperature for a couple of hours before I heat him up with his heat bulb.

Now, he's been hibernating at my dad's, and I have to bring him back home before the end of the weekend. This is a three hour drive during which I keep him in a small box. Which would be less stressful - driving home immediately after waking him up so that he's still groggy when driving, or let him wake up completely and then bring him back?

I would let the tort wake up a bit before he is stressed on the car ride.....I would let the tort progressively wake, from darkness to slight light and progress into a bright area where the tort can get its bearings..especially so since he has been in a completely controlled lighting brumation....I would then soak the tort until you witness it drink--even if that takes some time.....the wake up is important----gentle and slow so that they can rev up....I offer the long first soak on the CDTs here out on the front porch in the sun (as this is the final place they reach on their wake up routine)....good luck and just remember slow and easy....also, this is the perfect time to get visuals on the tortoise top to bottom..to see the tortoise movement (which may appear a little like a man walking on the moon--slower than usual) their eyes and their body lift....good time to take it all in....