Thoughts on why torts living indoors can react to weather outside

[gtc]

Many members here say they have noticed that torts living indoors sometimes react to weather changes outdoors. Others have said that that cannot happen as long as you keep the temps and light levels stable in the indoor enclosures.

What if the torts are reacting to pressure changes? We know that a low pressure brings clouds and rain and high pressure brings sunny skies.

Maybe we should all add a barometer to our enclosures, in addition to a temp and humidity meter?

 

[wellington]

It does happen. It will happen even with aquarium fish. I don't know the exact terms of how, but it does happen. I work for an aquarium store. The owner is very well educated on fish. He explained it to me along time ago. It actually happens in all wild animals/reptiles/etc. Even though we own them, they have not been domesticate like dogs and cats, which although very slight, cat also react to changes, we just aren't trained to see the signs.

 

[apromann4]

I have an indoor enclosure, me and my wife has some obsevation on our redfoots, every time its gonna rain they start to wake up, and when its raining they are very active, just an personal observation

Sent from my S100 using TortForum mobile app

 

[lisa127]

They also react to how long the days are in spring/summer and how short they are in fall/winter.

 

[JoesMum]

When indoors, Joe definitely reacts to what's going on outside.

The change in length of day throughout the year and changing light levels with weather conditions affect indoor light.
Changes in barometric pressure will be just as noticeable indoors as out.
Changes in temperatures outdoors affect the temperatures indoors.

For a creature that is totally reliant on the appearance of the sun in the wild it is not surprising that being indoors does not affect their weather detection and prediction abilities

 

[N2TORTS]

In both amphibians and reptiles, multi-photoreceptors are involved in photo-entrainment of circadian rhythms. The eyes, pineal complex and deep brain comprise a multi-oscillator system as well as a multi-photoreceptor system. Circadian rhythms of amphibians and reptiles in the field and under semi-natural conditions and the underlying mechanisms, including the ways of entrainment to environmental cues and the oscillators driving the rhythms, have been reviewed.
Some very intense read- but very informative.

Source: BIOLOGICAL RHYTHM RESEARCH Volume: 35 Issue: 1-2 Pages: 105-120 DOI: 10.1080/09291010412331313278 Published: FEB-APR 2004

JD~

 

[Yvonne G]

Barometric pressure.