I fear I might be opening up a can of worms here... but here it goes.
I've recently adopted a Russian tortoise and as she has not hibernated this year, I have her all kitted out on an indoor tortoise table complete with UV, basking lamp etc.
However I couldn't help wondering, Russians are meant to be more tolerant to temperature fluctuations compared to the common Mediterranean Spur-thigh and Hermanns species. As I understand it, these were two of the most common species back in the 1950s when the importation and trade of tortoises was booming. I doubt back then that every tortoise owning household kitted their pets out as we do now, yet from the stories I've heard it was poor hibernation conditions and rodents which brought an end to a lot of my friends' tortoises kept back then.
When did it become common practise to start using UV and heat lamps and in reality, if tortoises are hibernated during the cold months is it feasible to raise them as they were back then?
This question is somewhat hypothetical; as my Bella has been raised with modern comforts I would be afraid to ever take them away from her now, but I am curious.
I've recently adopted a Russian tortoise and as she has not hibernated this year, I have her all kitted out on an indoor tortoise table complete with UV, basking lamp etc.
However I couldn't help wondering, Russians are meant to be more tolerant to temperature fluctuations compared to the common Mediterranean Spur-thigh and Hermanns species. As I understand it, these were two of the most common species back in the 1950s when the importation and trade of tortoises was booming. I doubt back then that every tortoise owning household kitted their pets out as we do now, yet from the stories I've heard it was poor hibernation conditions and rodents which brought an end to a lot of my friends' tortoises kept back then.
When did it become common practise to start using UV and heat lamps and in reality, if tortoises are hibernated during the cold months is it feasible to raise them as they were back then?
This question is somewhat hypothetical; as my Bella has been raised with modern comforts I would be afraid to ever take them away from her now, but I am curious.