February 26, 2008: Tortoises Hibernate

[xoxoxoBruce]

From the Daily Mail.

Mrs Neely who runs the Jersey-based Tortoise Sanctuary, had to set up the fridges because of the particularly mild winter.

Her tortoises hibernate for up to three months between December and March, and need steady temperatures between 3c and 8c.

They are in danger of waking early if it heats up - and then do not have enough body weight to keep themselves warm and not enough energy to eat or drink.

But fridges, at a steady 4c to 6c, are the perfect environment.

Mrs Neely said: "It's much easier to maintain a constantly cool temperature with a fridge than it is with our ever-warming climate."

On Saturday night a guest said she would get a bottle of wine and was stunned when she opened the fridge.

Mrs Neely said: "I do sometimes keep a bottle of wine inside because it helps stabilise the temperature."

A friend of mine is a dog catcher... er, Animal Control officer... I'll bet she wishes she could put her menagerie in the fridge, once in a while.