One of mine dug down on 10th Sept and the other on 3rd Oct. I spoke too soon about the rain, heavy rain all day here today :roll:

It’s been torrential here today. Stopped the little sods up the road from going on the trampoline though. Always a silver lining. :lol:

I really wish I hadn't mentioned rain, it has never stopped and there's flooding now :)

Speeding up!
 

Gosh! I'm having exactly the opposite experience and am wondering if it's normal. I'd really appreciate your opinions.

I live in Southern England and we got our 13 year old tortoise last year. He then seemed to know when it was time to start the hibernation process, eating next to nothing and becoming most lethargic. He started hibernating on 10th November. This year, he is still running around and eating probably more than he ever has. He is showing no signs at all of slowing down. Is this normal? Should I try to make him hibernate by reducing the temperature of the room he's in and stopping feeding him? His previous owner said that he didn't hibernate some years but I don't know if that's right either. He seems really happy but I don't know whether not hibernating will harm him. I'd really appreciate your experience on this (as I have in the past). Thank you.

Torrential, flipping cold, murky grey and depressing and that's just brexit talk. Weather is typical.

Tessaruth I think you need to decide whether you will overwinter (keep up )or hibernate. If hibernating then slow down, reduce food, reduce lights (enough to purge food)and pack away at 5/6/ or 8 degrees.

If overwintering them resume as normal but usually nature takes a hand and everything slows down a beat anyway so just maintain husbandry and the normal routine. there are no rights or wrongs. A lot of us hibernate (I wish) and our tortoises but equally some overwinter. My preference is hibernate as I believe it recharges batteries, but its one or the other though an intermediary state of existence such as just slow down, less heat, less food , more sleep can be had if you know your tortoises habits, CB

Its been a bright warmish day here:0)
All my tortoises and boxies have buried down in the GHouses:0)

What breed of tortoise is he? They don't neccessarily hibernate on the same day or same week as the previous year. A lot depends on the temperatures at night and the amount of daylight plus a bit of instinct. Not hibernating won't harm him but what did he hibernate in last year? My ones hibernate themselves in a big tub of soil (in a greenhouse) when they are ready then I surround it with insulation but other people do the fridge method. Some people just keep them going but they are usually less active and eat less

I live in the SE, and all of mine are down. They go down on their own once I stop heating the GH, and I stop any feeding. They know the days are shorter and colder anyway. And have been slowing down since middle September. Not eating as much, going to bed earlier. Last year it was later than this. Each year varies:0)

Hibernation is always good for hibernating species, they dont put on extra weight during this time, and better for their hormones:0)

My pair are up today. One went down on 6th September or thereabouts and the other a couple of weeks later maybe and both up today 16th March

Great news, Alan. Bet it’s good to see your girls again. x