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| Hibernation disturbance! Posted: 17/11/2016 by sonia climes |
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Hi there, i hope someone can advise - i have a 60-plus year old, inherited female spur thighed tortoise ( TG Zarudnyi?) she weight just under 4kg.at the end of summer. she is free range in a secure garden and has always been successfully hibernated as long as i can remember. every winter, once she is double-boxed and safely hibernating, i send her to kent where she is stored in the same shed she has hibernated in for the past 50 years or so.. anyway, at the moment, she is torpid and entering hibernation in her winter box kept in an outdoor cupboard until i can get her to her winter quarters in Kent... Today, i came home to discover that one of the loca cats had got into the cupboard and knocked the box of its shelf and my tortoise had been tipped out of the box, fallen some distance to the ground where i found her on her back, stranded, but fully awake..she has no obvious injuries, i have returned her to her box...but... NOW WHAT DO I DO? can she still be hibernated? i have no set up for over wintering tortoise. Please any advice welcome. | |
| Re: Hibernation disturbance! Posted: 19/11/2016 by tomtortoise@tovevalley.net |
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Hello, At 4kg it's likely to be Furculachelys whitei. It may be ok to continue to hibe' it, but very risky in the circumstances. I'd fix up a temporary enclosure, with a 100W Megaray UVB bulb in a reflector dome, get it feeding for 8wks, then wind down ready to hibe'. You need to find a better system for next year, so that it stays with you. It could have been hibe'd at the end of Oct.. Go to "The Tortoise" box then click on "Hibernation" to download excellent advice. A terrific species aren't they, very gentle - play safe. Can you upload a few photos please, I can hopefully confirm the species. Regards, Tom | |