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08-03-2008, 12:29 PM
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This is why Leopards hibernate in the southern part of its range and they do not in the northern part of it's range. Redfoots, Chacos and Testudo also follow this pattern. If hibernation is so easy... read through all the posts in a given year... 'help...' or 'I pulled my tortoise out of hibernation early...' If you like to hibernate your animal... that's great... just don't say a keeper has to hibernate or that it is a necessity... it's obviously not. 
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08-03-2008, 12:32 PM
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08-03-2008, 12:43 PM
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I personally follow the mantra of would it happen in the wild..and the answer is yes with the species I keep.
Also ed alot of the keepers in the UK keep their tortoises outside, and our winters are far to cold for them unless provisions are made,so hibernation is necessary for them like it would be in the wild. Personally I was always told that lack of hibernation can aid in rapid growth, which isn't desired. I've also found that the first year where one of the horsfields wasn't hibernated he started trying to wind himself down. Even though the temps and daylight hours remained the same, and the vet said he was in perfect health. Also I personally think, providing the animal is healthy first and foremost, and that its gut is emptied thoroughly that hibernation is relatively easy to do. Just my opinion of course.
__________________
"No one can make you feel inferior unless you give them permission to do so"
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08-03-2008, 12:53 PM
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When are you coming back to the UK mate? A face to face conversation about torts would be welcomed by me, then you can see the glint in my eye when I talk to you in person. As for my question on this thread to you, I thought I was being polite  after all...I did use the word please  ...T.T.
__________________
 Weeds...There free ya know!!! 
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08-03-2008, 07:25 PM
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Nothing wrong with your practices as you see fit.
The only question is if it is required and tortoises which occur in areas where they have to hibernate 'must' be hibernated... they do not. Hibernation is an option because they can. I 'hibernate' Leopards, Aldabras, Sulcatas, redfoots but only for a few weeks at a time. Again, I can't get a grasp of a person dictating what 'rapid growth is just as I can't see what too slow is. I have animals that grow faster and slower than the rest of the group. As to the tortoises health... if you drop the temperature they are going to slow down... that's the nature of the beast. If the temperature is allowed to decrease they are going to slow down. I can't see how this ties to health... again... because the entire population of a given species does not do this. Quote:
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08-03-2008, 07:32 PM
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Sorry... didn't read it as polite at all. I read it as sarcastic and deliberately confrontational.
I do hibernate tortoises... I also have a winter cool down for species that you would not think would hibernate... do I recommend this... no... I only state this as an example that tortoises react to environmental conditions and that hibernation is a reaction rather than a self controlled behavior... the animal has no real control of this behavior outside of hopefully finding a place where it will either not freeze to death or starve to death. I'm hoping to visit the Manchester area in April and depending on the time and if I can get together with another friend I might make it to the Kent, Hayes area. Quote:
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10-03-2008, 05:54 PM
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10-03-2008, 06:03 PM
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... where did I????...
The implication I'm debating is that hibernation is a necessity... it is not... That's it... no more... no less. I guess my behavior is similar to the British getting their knickers in a knot when someone disagrees with their point of view. Quote:
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10-03-2008, 10:21 PM
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 ...T.T.
__________________
Weeds...There free ya know!!!
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