Hibernating Tortoise woke up

[kowen]

This is my second year hibernating my tortoise. Last year he slept in my closet and that went well. It is a spot he picked. He normally comes in our dog door and hangs out in the house and also goes out the dog door to spend his days outside in the back yard. During the summer, he sleeps at night outside. I started him off the same way. I took him to a vet right before he hibernated and he said on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the best, he was a 6. LOL. He eats a ton and is super healthy! I have been getting pressure from the vets office to put him outside at least on the patio. All up or all down they say. Well, I did yesterday and it was like 38 degrees last night. I put him in a dog crate with a dog bed inside and blankets on top of him and blankets over the bed. I hung the blanket down over the front to form a cave. As I was sitting outside next to him today at 4:50, it was about 70 degrees outside on my patio, I found him sitting next to me outside his crate. He loves to sit by my feet. He is very social, interactive and bonded to me. I put him in the grass and gave him some hibiscus leaves to eat. He ate a few. My question is can I safely let him stay outside after waking up? I did wake him up on January 3rd to soak him and he ate then also since it was 75 degrees. I offer food like I usually do and he just eats it out of habit I think. I always put him in the grass to eat and offer Hybiscus flowers. I just read online not to let them go back into a deep hibernation. If I let him stay outside it will get into the mid 30's tonight and soon into the 20's, a deep hibernation. Last year I would wake him up every 6 to 8 weeks or so to drink and eat and then back in my closet to sleep but it was a light hibernation. That worked well while he was in my closet. I just follow his schedule really. Am I really screwing this up or should I just let him sleep where he wants, in my closet? I am tempted to just continue what has worked for us in the past. He wakes up and comes out of my closet when he wants to eat and drink. I am looking for input. Thanks!

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. Beautiful tort. I know nothing about brumation/hibernation, but someone will be on soon to give you advice.

 

[kowen]

Thanks, my gut is telling me to follow his cues and let him sleep where he wants. He isn't stupid, he likes it inside where it is warmer. I keep the house at 68 to 70, maybe 72 during the day. He sleeps in my bedroom closet which is next to my shower so there is a lot of extra moisture in the air there. If he is hungry, he comes out. It is just hard not to follow my gut on this.

 

[wellington]

If it were me, that is what I would do. You could even let him be outside during the warmer days and let him come inside for the colder nights. Can't hurt, knowing he is getting food and water when he wants. Also, not getting too cold, but being able to enjoy the warmer days. Like I said though, I don't have never dealt with it. This is the first winter having a Russian and I didn't and probably never will brumate him.

 

[Laura]

drinking is ok, but if he goes back to sleep he should NOT eat. if he stays awake, that is ok.

 

[ascott]

Well, if you are bringing him outdoors on warm days and returning him to a sleeping spot for a few nights and then when he rumbles you bring him back out for the warmth....when this happens is he doing his "big business"? or does he seem to munch without leaving a "deposit" afterwards?

If you are bringing him outdoors during warm days and then returning him indoors for the night..that is fine...as long as you can continue this throughout the winter...If not, then it can prove to be a negative for him....

Problem is if you have fed him and he consumed food then it would not be a great thing to plop him in for the remainder of the winter...I would soak him daily and encourage a poo...if this occurs then I would let him go to his brumation box and see what he does...

If you are going to let him wake, eat, bask then return indoors for the night...I would set up a basking area for him for the days when the warm days are not so warm....this way you can continue an overwinter type situation....

You will need to decide what path you are going to support...

 

[kowen]

Yes, he has been pooping occasionally in the spot I have him my closet. Huge poops for such a small animal. He doesn't turn his digestion off, I seem to find his presents routinely. I assume because it is a light hibernation. He moves around in my closet from one corner to the other under my hanging clothes but stays right there within the narrow 4 foot long rectangular space. He started hibernating the end of November in my closet. Right before he did he peed a huge amount. He did wake up once in December when we had the heat turned up to 75 one day accidentally. I opened the door for him to outside to show him it was cold out there. I swear I could see him sneer...LOL He turned around, not eating and went back to bed on his own. I was worried he would be dehydrated so that is why I woke him up on Jan 3rd to soak and eat. I could add a heat lamp out by where we sit in the family room. I have put one there before. I hang it off my bird cage and make a spot for him. I guess he could then choose what he wants to do. I have thought about even temporarily putting a heat lamp over the grass lawn when I set him outside. I could figure something out because he only eats grass on the lawn along with flower pedals.

Well, if you are bringing him outdoors on warm days and returning him to a sleeping spot for a few nights and then when he rumbles you bring him back out for the warmth....when this happens is he doing his "big business"? or does he seem to munch without leaving a "deposit" afterwards?

If you are bringing him outdoors during warm days and then returning him indoors for the night..that is fine...as long as you can continue this throughout the winter...If not, then it can prove to be a negative for him....

Problem is if you have fed him and he consumed food then it would not be a great thing to plop him in for the remainder of the winter...I would soak him daily and encourage a poo...if this occurs then I would let him go to his brumation box and see what he does...

If you are going to let him wake, eat, bask then return indoors for the night...I would set up a basking area for him for the days when the warm days are not so warm....this way you can continue an overwinter type situation....

You will need to decide what path you are going to support...

 

[ascott]

He doesn't turn his digestion off, I seem to find his presents routinely.

While you may find a "gift" at the initial start of brumation --it is not something that should routinely happen...(well, unless of course he is awake and then goes out in the sun and eats throughout the winter )

There is a wind down time that you should support just prior to the brumation of the tort...

I assume because it is a light hibernation.

There is really not such a thing...either the tort is brumating (which can mean he moves about-- like by turning and such, but not much) or the tort is fully awake....there is time in the beginning of brumation that the tort may take a little while to settle in and get comfy--but not fully walking about and such...

You may want to encourage him remaining active for this winter so you can get a plan going into brumation for next year...there are wind down periods of no food offerings...there are times the tort slows down and a series of events you will need to take care of prior to winter....

The information you have shared here is that of a confused tort...if he is in near 75 degree temps and being plopped out in the sun on nice days and offered the opportunity for food but yet then plopped back inside in non heated area for a few days when it is colder then he is confused...and also being awakened randomly is not a good practice...a tort should not be offered food and water right before he is placed into brumation...he can be soaked but no food offerings--there is a general process where this applies and we can be sure to get you some basics between now and next winter...also you will want to determine a hibernacle for next winter...you can find the coolest location and find where it stays stable and/or determine the best most effective location.

 

[kowen]

He has never been in what I would call a deep hibernation, maybe just the preliminary stages. I have never seen him stop eating like that and slow down, at least not to the degree like what you are talking about. Maybe that is because as it gets colder here he is coming inside to sleep at night. He just starts sleeping longer and longer in between the times he wakes up until he just sleeps all the time. He will move around in my closet switching from one corner to the next in his little area but usually not get out and walk around until like April. I left him last year alone maybe waking him up once or twice and he did fine. This year I was more nervous so I have been waking him up to eat and drink every now and then more often since he is not fully under, just in case because of what I read and what the vet said but I am not sure it is needed. He seems fat and happy, I just took the pictures you can see. Your right, I don't want him to be confused. I am going to leave him alone and respond to his cues. I will let him sleep in the place he picked, my closet, if he wakes up I will have a heat lamp ready for him.

 

[kowen]

As I re read your post, maybe what I am seeing is the hibernation. He sleeps all winter normally in my closet. He doesn't wake up, just turns around where he is at. Maybe I just need to leave him alone, like you said soak him maybe but no food. I am getting nervous and just confusing him when I wake him up. LOL Other than the mishap with accidentally turning the heat up, he has not woken up and walked around. I am being a worry wart.

 

[ascott]

Maybe I just need to leave him alone

I would keep in mind that if he ate on this last outing then he will likely leave you some "gifts" at the start...but after once he should not be leaving any...especially if he has not grazed on much other than grass....I would offer up one more long warm water soak and then let him be....if it were me I would also perhaps acquire/use a 20 gallon tote to place a towel into the bottom of and then place the tort in there....if he does not leave a gift in the next couple weeks I would then bring him out and offer a cooler (not cold) water soak so as to aid in movement of any left over food...then place him back in the tote....I suggest a tote so that he will be able to settle into the smaller space and this also makes it easier for you to immediately see what he is doing and how he is doing....again, this is simply what I would do in your current situation...