Another over-wintering thread
 

This is relevant to the other one, but slightly different.

What is it that we are aiming to do when over-wintering? Several keepers have said that we are trying to trick the tortoise into thinking it is 'summer'.

But I have also seen keepers saying that this is not possible, especially with tortoises that have ever been hibernated, and/or tortoises that are adults.

Some keepers have said that over-wintering is just about keeping the tortoise going, that they always slow down to some degree no matter what. The aim then becomes to stop the tortoise slowing down too much. I think this point of view is more widespread in other European countries.

Although I haven't been on the French and German forums hardly at all for ages, the 'normal' view there is that hibernation is the usual thing. Exceptionally, the tortoise might be kept up artificially, but it's not expected that the tortoise will be active like it is in summer. This isn't seen as a problem, just something inevitable.

I can't really answer your question, but none of mine have slowed down this winter at all.
Last year I only had the one and she seemed to sleep a lot more and only get up and wander for a few hours. My temps and lights have stayed the same as they were in the summer x

Keeping a tortoise up that has hibernated in the past or just tortoises in general over the winter, I have had no problems having them act and be no different then they were in the summer. All it takes is heat and light, especially heat at night for some individuals.

Danny

mine have the same heat and light all year round all are very active eating normal interacting with each other the same all year round.

I read an article many years ago which stated that animals in the wild only hibernate due to the lack of food available and due to it being too cold for their body's to function normally which is why I started over wintering mine and in the 15 years ive had them ive seen no differance in their behaviour between the seasons.

EDITED TO ADD ~ if my tortoises seemed to be slowing down and I felt they wanted/needed to hibernate I would turn heat and lights down and let them hibernate but as yet ive seen no signs of them actually needing it.

I have successfully over wintered my very old herman, the last 3 years, and up until then he has always been hibernated, it hasn't been difficult, but I'm not saying it won't with some that have always been hibernated. My reason for over wintering him now, is his great age, he is definitely well over 80 years, he could even be close to 100, and he was struggling with coming out of hibernation. So I decided to over winter him, and he has been much more lively during the summer too. I'm sure in the wild he would now be dead. My babies havent hibernated yet, but they will next year, the only reason is that I just haven't got round to it. They are all lively and eating like little monsters, no slowing down at all. They are all in a very warm cosy room, with basking bulbs and uv.

Thanks for those replies. My own experience is limited but I've found with my hermanns that as Danny says it is a question of providing enough heat and light. But I have seen posts lots of times by keepers saying that they cannot keep a tortoise up in the winter no matter what they do.

My adult female Xena, stopped eating around early October, and kept buried all the time even thought the lights and temps were as summer, the other adult zelda was still going outside eating and basking up until I started the process of windown at the beginning of of November, so I agree that it's down to the individual tort x

I hibernated Pickles because he started to slow right down. I was going to wait until he was older but he wanted to sleep so I went with it this year.

On the other hand I got Poppy and Pip in November, their owner sold them as she lives in a static caravan and couldn't keep the temps up at night, so they were winding down. She sold them rather than hibernate. As I only just got them I had to over winter so I put an extra light in the table and a better UV than they previously had, they have been active and stuffing their faces every day! Both have put on weight and grown.

I wonder if I'd given Pickles the extra light/heat he would have perked up too? Or if it's different between individuals? None of them have hibernated before.

I think there must be a difference in how the tort is kept in the summer too? Pickles was outdoors in his table every day except in heavy rain, he will have noticed the temps dropping and less sun. The girls were in a table indoors with just supervised visits outdoors when it was sunny.

I have overwintered my little one (my first winter with a tortoise) and while I have kept the light and UV on the same and continuing to feed as normal, she has slowed down considerably. Sometimes only up for 2 hours per day. However, other days she it up for much longer and I have spotted her getting up for a wander around her table at 1am! Not sure what (if anything) I am doing wrong. She has a good nibble on her food most days and is gaining weight steadily.

While I can't answer your question, this is my experience.

On another thread Alan has noted that he does not hibernate his tortoises and that they are a lot less active and eat a lot less this time of year. And I'm guessing that Alan is providing lots of heat and light.

Alan lives in the same part of the world as me and it's likely his torts are getting more heat now than they do in summer yet they are less active and eating less.

Lots of keepers seem to find that there is something else going on here. Is it barometric pressure?