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Old 06-10-2013, 06:04 PM   #1
TommyLeo
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Default My 2 10 yr old Hermanss have buried themselves

We have 2 10yr old Hermann tortoises, but only had them for 2 years. After much deliberating, we hibernated them last winter using the fridge method. This summer, we decided to leave them outdoors overnight instead of bringing them into the conservatory.

A few days ago, they both burried themselves, one completely with the other's shell just visible. We have the fridge all prepped but we're not sure what to do next.

I've built them a 'summer box' with perspex roof and heat lamp so should I dig em both out and put em under lamp each morning til winter sets in?

Or should I leave where they are til the temps start to fall and then dig em up, bath them and put them in the fridge?
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Old 07-10-2013, 10:18 PM   #2
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One of my adult horsfields has been dug down for weeks, I get her up for her twice weekly bath, she's not impressed, but leave her the rest of the time as that's what she wants to do, when the time comes for hibernation, I will reduce temps in the shed and the when ready to hibernate I will transfer to the fridge x
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Old 20-10-2013, 04:54 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Catwoman63 View Post
One of my adult horsfields has been dug down for weeks, I get her up for her twice weekly bath, she's not impressed, but leave her the rest of the time as that's what she wants to do, when the time comes for hibernation, I will reduce temps in the shed and the when ready to hibernate I will transfer to the fridge x
If she's burried then presumably she's not eating? Does this time not go towards hibernation time? Also, can I ask, how do you know when she is ready to hibernate?
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Old 20-10-2013, 04:56 PM   #4
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Well my 2 boys haven't moved for 2 weeks so gonna dig e up, quick bath and pop them in the fridge.

My concern now is that in keeping hibernation down to 12 weeks, this means they'll be coming out in January! If this ok?
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Old 20-10-2013, 05:13 PM   #5
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She does make an appearance every so often, I see her head sticking out of the soil lol, but if she doesn't want to come up and eat I won't force her, I weighed her recently and she still weighs 1.65 kgs, so she hasn't lost a lot of weight, I hibernated them at the beginning of November last year but were up gain beginning of feb, so won't put them down till beginning of December this year so will wake them up beginning of march x
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Old 20-10-2013, 05:53 PM   #6
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Just dug my two out and popped them in the fridge Catwoman, I know it's early but they haven't budged n over 2 weeks. We've had some heavy down pours over the last few days and I wasn't happy about them being in our after logged soil.

Takes me back to when my girls were babies, constantly fretting .
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Old 20-10-2013, 06:08 PM   #7
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Tommy Leo how do you know their guts are empty?

I have several Hermans of differing ages all showing signs of wanting to hibernate ( I have had to dig 3 or 4 of them up at various times over the last four weeks. Mine are now in their heated shed, they can choose if they want to walk into the greenhouse where their basking lamps are or not - they are choosing not to.

I bath them but they are not eating. I have left it a few weeks so as not to have an overly long hibernation. I still bath them but will up that now & wind them down for 2-3 weeks as im 99% sure theyre quite empty of food now.

I could have left them where they were but would have spent the whole of hibernation time worry where they were + if they would survive due to the gases from undigested food
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Old 20-10-2013, 06:18 PM   #8
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They haven't moved for over 2 weeks and a prior to that they hadn't ate anything for about 2 weeks. When they first burried down, I dug em up, put em in the 'sun box' I built with a basking lamp. After 5 mins, they both left the box and made their way to fav spot and burried again.

I'm not really sure what I should do but I wasn't happy about them being burried down in this weather (cold night and warmish days) with lots of rain).

Do you reckon they'd be better left ourside for a few more weeks?
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Old 20-10-2013, 06:29 PM   #9
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I don't know the full history, but I do know torts need some heat at the beginning of wind down to digest what food is in their gut, you then gradually reduce both heat & hours of daylight.

Were they just outside, without housing/heat & light prior to them digging down?
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Old 20-10-2013, 06:30 PM   #10
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And have they had just the one bath prior to being put down?
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