Tortoise-box - how to stop hibernating?

[ElleSkywalker]

Morning,

My tortoise Cedric (horsfield) is trying to hibernate again. I don't want him too as he's only a baby and was advised when I got him that letting them hibernate isn't the done thing anymore and certainly not while he's so young.

He tried last year too but I got a heat mat for him that's attached to a glass panel in his bedroom and that woke him up. His bedroom is currently about 20/25 and his basking area (under proper tortoise bulb) is around 32.

If I get him up he may have a snap or two of food, and after his bath he's happy to have a jolly old scamper about on the floor (chasing kittens and upsetting the dogs) he is still pooping in his bath so he's eating something, he's just not getting up by himself at the min

Any ideas?

 

[Amye]

I'm not an expert tortoise keeper but did consider getting one so did have a read up about somethings. However, I'm sure someone else will be able to advise more.

From what I read, it's hard to 'trick' tortoises not to hibernate and it is better for their health if you do hibernate them. If they're young, you should hibernate them for last time, if they're just a year old I think it recommended 3 weeks hibernation. Though you should only hibernate if they are completely healthy and if they're under a year, think about not hibernating.

The only information I ever remember about getting them to not hibernate is to do what you're doing, fool them into thinking it's summer. So make sure they temps are the same as they would be in summer and treat them the same! Has your room temp dropped due to it getting colder here (especially thinking night time temps)? Might need to make sure the room stays warm overnight to trick him?
Apparently varying bath times can make them more active too!

 

[rara007]

Is his UV fresh?

 

[ElleSkywalker]

Is his UV fresh?

It's about 6 months old

 

[rara007]

Ahh not that then. Fingers crossed! He sounds fab!

 

[ElleSkywalker]

So woke the little b*gger up earlier and gave him a bath and a scamper. He tried to eat; my shoe, a desinger bag, the carpet, a woolen blanket, a kitten, a dog crate, a dogs tail and a paper bag. He did not eat his rose petals or celery but did eat two dandelions

 

[poiuytrewq]

Heat mats are not recommended for tortoises. They are more for other reptiles. Tortoises need heat from above.
I found that simply moving my tortoise table to a warmer area in the house made mine far more alert and awake.
Keep turning his lamp on everyday and bathing him.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

His heat mat is attached to a little glass panel so he doesn't sit on it, it just warms the air and means his bedroom is at a constant temp (about 20) keep getting him up and he's eating plenty and scampering about after his bath but nit keen on getting up by himself.

His house is by the woodburner so nice and toasty most of the time

 

[poiuytrewq]

Ah ok! I don't think mine would get up much alone either tbh! I bath mine to wake him up (maybe that's mean?!)
I also read on a tortoise fb page that instead of hibernating you can just wake them ever other day through winter to help keep growth slower. Leaving the lamp off and not feeding on the inbetween days so I do that as a kind of compromise!

 

[ElleSkywalker]

Small update he only did this for a few weeks and is now up all hours partying away. Particularly at the min as turns out he loves sprouts

Think next year I'll just keep getting him up once a day till it passes but as he's done it last two years at least I know not to panic and it will pass

 

[Karran]

How long have you been told to keep him up all year for? I think my Spur Thigh was three when I first hibernated him and I had the same problems as you, in the end he'd sleep for a day or two and then get up and eat and have a drink and then go back to sleep.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

Have had mixed opinions, shop I got him said not to hibernate him at all and friends mum regliously hibernates hers every year. Think I'll do the same next year as he's still pretty small and see what reptile experts suggest when he's a bit bigger

 

[Karran]

It sounds to me like he wants to hibernate so i'd be inclined to let him (I am no expert at all though!!) From what I understand not hibernating causes long term health problems in med species and I'd assume the same in horsfields. I was told that only tropical species didnt need to hibernate.

The tortoise trust is really helpful for things like this and I found this on Google as well. http://www.tortsmad.com/russians.htm

Starting to sort things out ready for my grumpy beast's wake up!