Reptile & Amphibian Forums

its about that time of year again for my guys to start slowing down for the winter but none of them are showing any signs of slowing. they are eating everything i put in front of them and waking up as soon as the lights go on, even the wild caught ones ( 2 out of the 3 are wc ). i was jut wondering, should i take the initiative and slow them down or just let nature take its course and let it happen on its own?

Have you reduced the temperature and the amount of time they are exposed to light?

I keep mine in an enclosure in the basement this time of year. When the ambient temps drop below 65, even with a basking light in the 90s, they will start to sleep more and move less. It also seems to help to reduce the time the lights are on from about 12 hours to maybe 8 or fewer hours.

Once my torts want to sleep all of the time, I turn off the heat and lights. Temps in the basement drop into the 40s and 50s until around March, when I bring the torts back up again.

NOTE: I don't let my russians eat the last two weeks before I start actual hibernation, and I give them frequent soaks. I also give them a soak every two to three weeks while they are in hibernation.

Good luck!

Bradtort is correct. You should also consider that whether an animal starts to slow down is a matter of that particular animal's individual biology. I had a marginated male that always slowed down during the autumn months, responding to the reduced intensity of sunlight. On the other hand, I had a greek tortoise male who wouldn't settle down under any conditions. Perhaps this has to do with the climate of his country of origin, but I've always noticed that no two tortoises are alike in their response to hibernation preparation.

T.G.