Wakey wakey!!!

**josh.p.** · 03-04-2010, 02:55 PM

Just taken out of fridge

[cid:19263E68-FBCF-4D5D-9AC6-24B5FF03AE78]

Josh www.tortoise-world.com www.forum.tortoise-world.com www.tortsmad.com

**foreverducky** · 03-04-2010, 02:59 PM

They are just so pretty Josh! What lovely patterns they have.

**Isafari** · 03-04-2010, 03:04 PM

Awe, how long before they 'come around' Josh......or id that a totally stupid blonde question

**josh.p.** · 03-04-2010, 03:07 PM

I usually give them an hour or so in a warm room and then a few warm baths then I put them in their enclosure with the heat lamp on and offer food. When waking they get a sugary liquid that runs through their liver so they have to keep warm to start eating. Tommy usually takes a day or two to eat but the others usually eat a few hours after waking!!

**foreverducky** · 03-04-2010, 03:10 PM

What's with Tommy? His he just stubborn and still wants to sleep?

**josh.p.** · 03-04-2010, 03:30 PM

Honestly, I don't know. He's just the most 'wild' of them all. He was my first tortoise and he was purchased from a pet shop. I'd never buy from one knowing what I know now, but he was. He's what made me do all the research I've done to look after them properly because once I realised I felt very guilty.

He is more than likely wild-caught and he has very strong natural instincts. He always wants to hibernate outdoors and completely stops eating when he wants to hibernate. I can tell the weather from him too

He knows it's going to rain way before it actually does!

**foreverducky** · 03-04-2010, 03:59 PM

Ahhh, so he's a free-bird, well, um, sort of.

**Deafjeff** · 03-04-2010, 04:38 PM

awww bless looks lovely!

**Tink** · 03-04-2010, 05:58 PM

Ah, Tommy. Yes. I remember your telling us about him.

Perhaps in the wild it would take them a bit longer to wake?

Tell me again, Josh? Where is their actual habitat, that would allow them to hibernate?

**josh.p.** · 03-04-2010, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by Tink

Ah, Tommy. Yes. I remember your telling us about him.

Perhaps in the wild it would take them a bit longer to wake?

Tell me again, Josh? Where is their actual habitat, that would allow them to hibernate?

I think in the wild it'd certainly be slightly more gradual.

The species that I have (and most other hibernating species) live in a semi-arid habitat, similar to this picture;

They hibernate because of a drop in temperature and a lack of food because of this. They eat natural plants and weeds and therefore when it's cold over the winter period there is no food for them. They will bury down and not come out to eat. If they had food in their gut then they'd die as it would begin to rot. The temperature for hibernation is higher than 3 celcius and lower than about 7. Around the 8 mark they will begin to wake up and burn up precious resources.

I use a fridge to hibernate which replicates the exact temperatures (if fitted with a thermostat of course) and is probably a safer way of doing it. Some people are lucky enough to have a garage or a brick outbuilding which does a great job. We have one but it offers no protection from mice or rats (not that we have a problem with them in our garden) and it does get slightly on the warm side if there is a few days with warm temperatures

The only thing with a fridge is that it is not as humid as it would be in the wild. You can counteract this by spraying the top of their substrate, this keeps them hydrated.