Deja Vu All Over Again!

I thought I was off the hook with soaking this time, but evidently my tortoise mom had second thoughts. She was worried about my kidneys, especially after comparing my pre-hibernation lab work from 2011 to 2010 (urates increased from 7.1 to 9.8!). So she came up with a new plan for soaking me today. All I know is I was peacefully sleeping away when suddenly I heard my tortoise dad's voice as he pulled me out of my toasty burrow AGAIN, then I got weighed AGAIN (still 3161 grams), and then put in the soaking pan like usual. Except this time it was slanted so my butt was at the low end. Then they added just enough water to make sure my cloaka was completely covered. My tortoise dad called it a butt puddle. Then they did something else that's new: they covered me with a dark cloth so I wouldn't be disturbed by sunlight, even on this rainy, gloomy day.



The only good news I can report about this new strategy is at least I could snooze during my 15 minutes of soaking as my head stayed high and dry. And when they weighed me afterwards, I did gain 10 grams this time (3171 grams). But I still thought it was a rude experience and so I gave them my "What the HeQQ?" look when they uncovered my head at the end of soaking. But I must say, they are fast at reweighing and scooting me back into the burrow.



Whew! Glad that's over for another two weeks. Glad I soaked up a little more water this time, and I'm really glad my tortoise mom and dad do all they can to help me hibernate safely this winter even though I don't like it one bit. But I didn't like this new burrow either, and now I must admit it's really comfy this winter, especially since Tortellini helped dig it out some more for me so about half my shell sits below floor level. Warm, dry, dark and quiet, mmm, the best place for a tortoise to spend Winter Solstice. Zzzzzz....

Winter Solstice Blues

It's that time of year and we're having trouble fooling my internal clock. I stopped eating my leafy greens three days ago and I've been agitated and looking for a place to burrow. So my tortoise mom called Dr. Johnson this morning to discuss what's going on with me since I don't seem to be in physical distress otherwise. That's a polite way of saying that the hay and water from my feeding tube are coming through just fine. Plus I'm alert and breathing fine. But I am showing an exaggerated startle response which is a clue that my body is slowing down.

Dr. Johnson said to block all outdoor light near me as it could be triggering my brain to brumate (the reptile version of hibernation). So maybe all those recent romps around the Christmas tree and peeking through the patio door weren't such a good idea after all? Maybe they gave me exercise but also reminded my body that it's really not summer.

So they've blocked out the window in the bathroom and added more bright artificial light to my UV light during the day in hopes my body will reset to its summer metabolism instead of responding to this big winter solstice signal. Did you know that while mammals hibernate through a complicated process of regulating body temperature, reptiles simply slow down all metabolic activity? That's why we don't need much oxygen in the burrow all winter.

Ooooh, I'm having a tough day. It's like tortoise detox as I shred newspaper while trying to get out of my tub, because I really just want to snuggle in my backyard burrow. I haven't figured out that it's not going to happen, and I'm pretty determined, so I guess we just have to wait until this extra artificial light and heat go to work on my nervous system. I do calm down when my tortoise mom or dad pat me and talk to me. So I'm sure they'll help me through this metabolism revving up process. But no peeking out windows for me anymore until it really is June!