My tortoise has been gaining weight and sleeping more than usual lately. It looks like he's hibernating.
What are the potential risks and consequences of a tortoise accidentally entering hibernation for a short period of time, and how should it be managed to ensure its well-being?
What if a tortoise hibernates?
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MartinSimonis
- Posts: 1
- Joined: 24 Aug 2024, 05:42
Re: What if a tortoise hibernates?
Hi Martin,
What species is your tortoise (some hibernate and some don't), and what age is he and how long have you had him? What your tortoise is doing is slowing down, and this is common at this time of year when the days are getting shorter. Hibernation occurs at low temperatures (between about 2C - 8C), so he isn't actually hibernating, and if he is lethargic and sleeping a lot of the day and not eating or drinking for a long period of time then he will use up body fat. He won't come to any harm if this is only for a short time (a few days or a week), but long term he is in danger of dehydrating and losing weight, and so it is very important to bathe him several times a week in warm water that comes just up to his chin (or where the top shell meets the bottom shell), for about 15-20 minutes, and in a container that he can't see out of, like an old washing up bowl.
Is he in a tortoise table indoors when the weather isn't good? If so, then you need to get him up in the morning and put him under the light to warm him up. If he goes back into his corner to sleep then put him back under the light, and you can do this two or three times (but not much more as you don't want to stress him). Often after doing this for a week or two then the tortoise will start waking up by himself and get back to normal.
Light levels and temperature are very important for tortoises. What temperature is it directly under the heat source in his enclosure, and what temperature is it at the cool end? Is it possible to add another light source without increasing the temperature too much? You want to fool him into thinking that it is a bright summer's day, so the lights should be on for about 12 hours at least. If you'd like to post a photo of his enclosure we could maybe suggest tweaks to improve it and keep him awake.
Nina
What species is your tortoise (some hibernate and some don't), and what age is he and how long have you had him? What your tortoise is doing is slowing down, and this is common at this time of year when the days are getting shorter. Hibernation occurs at low temperatures (between about 2C - 8C), so he isn't actually hibernating, and if he is lethargic and sleeping a lot of the day and not eating or drinking for a long period of time then he will use up body fat. He won't come to any harm if this is only for a short time (a few days or a week), but long term he is in danger of dehydrating and losing weight, and so it is very important to bathe him several times a week in warm water that comes just up to his chin (or where the top shell meets the bottom shell), for about 15-20 minutes, and in a container that he can't see out of, like an old washing up bowl.
Is he in a tortoise table indoors when the weather isn't good? If so, then you need to get him up in the morning and put him under the light to warm him up. If he goes back into his corner to sleep then put him back under the light, and you can do this two or three times (but not much more as you don't want to stress him). Often after doing this for a week or two then the tortoise will start waking up by himself and get back to normal.
Light levels and temperature are very important for tortoises. What temperature is it directly under the heat source in his enclosure, and what temperature is it at the cool end? Is it possible to add another light source without increasing the temperature too much? You want to fool him into thinking that it is a bright summer's day, so the lights should be on for about 12 hours at least. If you'd like to post a photo of his enclosure we could maybe suggest tweaks to improve it and keep him awake.
Nina
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