what species hibernate

pepsiandjac

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Does anyone know what percentage of species hibernate,and is there a full list anywhere of what 1s do and what 1s don't
 

pepsiandjac

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Box turtles, Russian Torts. That's all I can think of but why does hibernation matter? Curiosity?
Yeah was just curious,Some of mine do and some don't.But there seems to be a lot more species that don't hibernate to ones that do.
Seems everywhere you go theres a row about hibernating lol
 

Tidgy's Dad

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All the Testudo species hibernate, except the Egyptian tortoise, so Greeks, Marginated, Russians and Hermann's as well as box turtles.
 

pepsiandjac

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i found this on tortoise trust,dont know if im allowed to post link though lol
Tunisian tortoises belong to the spur-thighed group, but in 1990 they were described as a new species, Furculachelys nabeulensis, on the basis of their unique appearance and certain other morphological characteristics. In most texts, they are still referred to as 'Testudo graeca'.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Yep, as i say some think they should be a separate species and I think it will happen, as they things tend to nowadays.
But for now, it's still a subspecies of Greek.
 

pepsiandjac

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No, I haven't let her yet.
But her subspecies, Testudu graeca graeca is a hibernating one and the other tortoises in the area are mostly hibernating now.
If there was a very mild winter and temps stayed quite high would a wild tortoise still hibernate
 

Tidgy's Dad

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If there was a very mild winter and temps stayed quite high would a wild tortoise still hibernate
I'm not certain.
When we get really warm, short winters, I've known the torts here hibernate for as little as two weeks, but not experienced zero.
It may be due to the short days in part, perhaps.
Guess it's possible, just like overwintering.
And I ought to mention before somebody else tells me off, technically they don't hibernate anyway, they brumate.
 

JoesMum

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If there was a very mild winter and temps stayed quite high would a wild tortoise still hibernate
Our graeca graeca was wild caught (Algerian subspecies apparently).

We've hibernated him over 40 times now, but he decides when he goes down. He lives outdoors.

Some years he'll be ready early October... some it'll be mid December. The earliest he's woken is mid February and the latest toward the end of April.

We're in the UK with a much cooler climate than Morocco. I can imagine that those local to Tidgy's Dad may become less active some years, but not actually hibernate properly at all. Other years they'll go completely. It will just depend on weather and food availability.
 

sir prince

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I decided not to hibernate Prince. A Russian tortoise about a year old. When time changed I noticed him hiding and sleeping more than normal. Temperature is consistent in our home. I began turning more lights on since it got dark so early. Now he comes out plays well explores and is eating very well.
 

tglazie

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I figure most tortoises don't brumate on account of the fact that there is more biodiversity toward the tropics, so naturally this diversity extends to tortoises. Gopher tortoises, Texas tortoises, desert tortoises, Bolson tortoises, Hermanns tortoises, various Greek tortoises, and Russian tortoises all brumate. Once you get to the southern hemisphere, things get really interesting. Various South African tortoises (SA leopards, tent tortoises, parrot beaks, and southerly hingebacks) go through a cooling period that some would describe as brumation. Montane species from Madagascar (i.e. the spider tortoises) go through a winter rest period as well. All of these southern African beasts also appear to require a temp induced diapause for their eggs to develop. There's a similar situation going on with Chaco tortoises from Chile. But most tortoise species, it would seem, do not brumate. Burmese browns, Burmese blacks, the impressed tortoise, elongated tortoises, travancore tortoises, the various central and west African hingebacks, the various forms of non-South African leopards, the various types of sulcatas, various Greek tortoises, Egyptian tortoises, the various forms of star tortoises, the Aldabras, the various Galapagos torts, the various redfoots, and yellowfoots. So much variation.

T.G.
 
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