This would apply to most people outside of tropical or equatorial zones and may still apply in places within those zones. Thus, while torpor is fine for weathering a storm or for getting through a chilly night, it’s not going to help your tortoise get through winter.Īs a general rule, it’s a good idea to move your tortoise inside for the winter, if you live in a area with a cold winter. However, a tortoise cannot enter torpor forever, if the environment does not warm up or the temperature falls too low (it appears that 2-5 degrees Centigrade is about the minimum a tortoise can take for very long) then the tortoise will eventually freeze to death as even in the torpor-state it is still using some energy. While this demands quite a bit of a tortoise’s energy, the expectation is that it won’t cost as much as they saved while in torpor. This is quite normal and it’s part of the process. You will see a tortoise arousing itself from torpor with shaking and muscle contractions that can last up to an hour. While it is used to protect the tortoise from extremes of cold, the price for it is that when the tortoise warms up again, they must expend quite a lot of energy to “come back online” fully. Torpor is a survival technique and it comes at a cost. They may also enter a state known as “torpor” when they are cold and it is very clear that the animal isn’t at its peak performance, they move sluggishly and they lower their breathing, heart and metabolic rate to enable them to conserve energy and prevent themselves from coming to harm. Torpor A (Hopefully) Temporary Reaction To Cold By moving underground, the tortoise benefits from the radiated heat of the earth whilst being protected from the extremes of the weather such as frost and wind chill. So, whether it be a brief storm, the arrival of night, or the beginning of winter, the tortoise will head down in their burrow to escape. It is worth noting that tortoises are burrowing animals and if they are in their natural environment, they will simply retreat to their burrows and wait for the change to pass. Well, it depends on how far the temperature falls and for how long. ![]() What Happens To A Tortoise When The Temperature Falls? However, when the temperature drops (either at night, with a change in weather or change in season) the tortoise cannot sustain this temperature and its blood temperature begins to fall. When your tortoise is allowed to maintain its body temperature like this, its blood temperature is roughly the same as a human being’s. Pet tortoises do the same thing if they are free to roam outside and if they are kept indoors they need to have heat and UVB (ultraviolet-B light) to simulate the outdoor weather. However, they can’t stand extreme heat and when things get too hot, they have to move into shade because not only can they not generate any heat in their bodies, they have no power to cool themselves down.Ī tortoise maintains thermoregulation (that is it keeps a healthy balanced temperature) in the wild, by moving in and out of sunlight all day long. As you will know from watching your tortoises, they like to bask out in the sun during the day and this helps them to stay warm. This is why, for the most part, reptiles tend to be found in countries with warm climates. That means that your tortoise is cold-blooded and as such it is unable to produce any form of heating within its own body. The Tortoise’s Heating System (or Lack Thereof)Ī tortoise is an ectothermic or poikilothermic (depending on whether you like Latin or Greek more) animal as are all reptiles. ![]() The good news is that for a pet tortoise, at least, you can hugely reduce the risks with some very basic precautions. Let’s see what tortoise owners like us can do to ensure our beautiful pets do not freeze to death. Anything below is very cold and can become dangerous. If the temperature drops too low for too long, whether or not the tortoise is in hibernation, she can freeze to death.Īpproximately 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit / 7 to 12 degrees Celsius can be considered cold for tortoises. A tortoise is a cold-blooded animal and in the wild, they tend to hibernate through winter to avoid extreme cold. ![]() Caring for a tortoise is not an easy job and you may be wondering if your reptile companion can withstand every aspect of the weather where you live or whether they might be in danger of freezing to death if things get too cold? Here’s what you need to know.Ĭan a tortoise freeze to death? Tortoises can freeze to death.
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