Re: Russian Tortoise - Picky eater or is it the heat?AESTIVATION?

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Posted by Leslie on August 07, 2000 at 15:17:43:

In Reply to: Re: Russian Tortoise - Picky eater or is it the heat? posted by KATHY on August 07, 2000 at 14:49:37:

I was wondering what aestivation (EXACTLY) was... But I bring my tort in at night and out in the AM and he does sleep a lot when it is hot, but I don't let him sleep for days. He does have water in his pen and seems to drink it (unless it is evaporating in this heat... But he does sleep a lot in this heat and when I let him out to graze the last couple of days he usually burrows under some dried out weeds So could this be a form of aestivation? THANKS! (oh by the way -- no sunken eyes)

: Leslie,
: One of my russians aestivates (kind of like summer hibernating) in the summer (I live in AZ). He's housed outside where our temps are reaching 111. He sleeps in a pile of hay in a shady corner of the yard, and I wake him up every other day to soak him for 10 minutes. I offer him food (which sometimes he takes a couple of bites, sometimes not), then I put him down to let him graze, but he usually just heads right back to the hay pile and back to sleep. If he's been given a clean bill of health and seems normal otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much. Just watch for signs of dehydration (sunken eyes).
: Kathy
: Arizona

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Re: Russian Tortoise - Picky eater or is it the heat?AESTIVATION? KATHY 08/07/00 (1)
- Re: Russian Tortoise - Picky eater or is it the heat?THANKS KATHY Leslie 08/08/00 (0)

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: I was wondering what aestivation (EXACTLY) was... But I bring my tort in at night and out in the AM and he does sleep a lot when it is hot, but I don't let him sleep for days. He does have water in his pen and seems to drink it (unless it is evaporating in this heat... But he does sleep a lot in this heat and when I let him out to graze the last couple of days he usually burrows under some dried out weeds So could this be a form of aestivation? THANKS! (oh by the way -- no sunken eyes) : : Leslie, : : One of my russians aestivates (kind of like summer hibernating) in the summer (I live in AZ). He's housed outside where our temps are reaching 111. He sleeps in a pile of hay in a shady corner of the yard, and I wake him up every other day to soak him for 10 minutes. I offer him food (which sometimes he takes a couple of bites, sometimes not), then I put him down to let him graze, but he usually just heads right back to the hay pile and back to sleep. If he's been given a clean bill of health and seems normal otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much. Just watch for signs of dehydration (sunken eyes). : : Kathy : : Arizona

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