Why do people think that tortoise that hibenate in the wild don't need to hibenate when kept as pets?

Question

If in the wild a tortoise hibenates from the same year it is hatched, then why do people think that when they purchase one a s a pet. That they will not need to hibenate...or at least not for the first few years!!!

Answer 1

its not just tortoise's people buy all kind of pets and don't have a clue what to do to care for them.
that's why the rspca is so busy

Answer 2

Simply because they often don't need to.

1. In the wild, there are only a few species of tortoise (land-dwelling turtles of the family Testudinidae) that hibernate even in the wild- and in most of these cases, there are groups of that species that do not hibernate because it does not get cold enough in that location.

2. In most cases, we have learned over time which species need to hibernate and why. Some species seem to need to hibernate to thrive in captivity (Russian tortoises, for example), while most only seem to need to do so to mate successfully.

3. Hibernation is risky. Even in the wild, many tortoises die in hibernation- attacked by frostbite, dehydration, bacterial/fungal growth, starvation, rodents or other predators, etc. There are risks in captiivty as well- it is just tricky.

4. Hibernation is not well understood by most keepers. In the wild, many species hibernate for mere weeks, or aestevate instead of hibernate, or want slightly different conditions than more familar species, etc.



Now- if you are using another meaning for tortoise (Australians, for example, call a lot of fresh-water turtles 'tortoises'), then the answers would be subtly different- but pretty similar.

Answer 3

We kept 3 tortoise for 20 years or more. They lived in the garden but had a place to hide at night. When the colder weather came on they started to dig themselves in so we used to take them in at night. When it became really cold they were put in a cold cellar until the following spring.
One bitterly cold winter one was not taken in in time and it could not be found but the following spring while digging the garden it was turned over with a spade of soil. They all survived but eventually given away to a 'good home' on condition they were all kept together.
I think a problem can arise with small tortoises in that they may not be able to store enough energy to survive the winter and probably should be kept indoors and offered food when awake

Answer 4

Tortoises don't need to be hibernated if kept in correct conditions as a captive pet. They have no food or digestion worries as they would in the wild because we feed and keep them warm enough to digest through the winter. Many pet tortoises die during hibernation as people tend to gutload them so they have plenty of food inside to keep them going, this just rots in their stomach though as the tempertaure drop (required to get them to hibernate) means they can't digest all the food they have been stuffed with.

Answer 5

People must be a bit daft.

Although, if a pet tortoise is kept in a temperature-controlled vivarium, where it is a very warm temperature all the time, it won't hibernate simply because it won't need to.

Answer 6

Maybe it is because at home it is cosy, the tortoise will get all the food it needs, it doesn't have to face any hungry predators......

Answer 7

my mum was told that hers couldnt sleep the first winter away cos they were to little and didnt have enough body weight/fat to support a long sleep they do now though but i think mum wakes them to check there ok half way through

Answer 8

That's because people are dumb.

Answer 9

they say animals are dumb they are far from it