Pro's & con's??

[filardimarg2]

Can someone tell me the pro's & con's of hibernating my tortoises please?
I am rather scared of doing it, but if i had more info, it might help me make a decision, i have heard that it is better for the torts to hibernate, also that it slows down growth, THH, my THH is just 7 months old now, don't have to hibernate for as long as THB's.
Many thanks in advance.

Marg.

[pagan queen]

Originally Posted by filardimarg2

Can someone tell me the pro's & con's of hibernating my tortoises please?
I am rather scared of doing it, but if i had more info, it might help me make a decision, i have heard that it is better for the torts to hibernate, also that it slows down growth, THH, my THH is just 7 months old now, don't have to hibernate for as long as THB's.
Many thanks in advance.

Marg.

As far as I know there is no proof that it is beneficial to the tort and if it dies in the process that certainly isn't. I don't hibernate as I can give them everything they need to see out the winter and after all the only reason any animal hibernates is because it has to. The cold weather kills all the food they require and in the case of torts the heat they need is no longer available. In some areas, where the temps stay warm, the torts don't hibernate in nature.
That is just one opinion though and there are many on here on this subject so you will have to sort through it all and come to your own decision. Do a search and you will come up with numerous threads on the subject.

Here is a rather "interesting" link on the subject.http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/for...ht=hibernation

[EJ]

There are many threads on this topic throughout this forum. Do a search on the word to get a good overview on the topic and to see how opinions have changed over the years. This is an importan point because you will see that folks are starting to realize that it is not a necessity.

Originally Posted by filardimarg2

Can someone tell me the pro's & con's of hibernating my tortoises please?
I am rather scared of doing it, but if i had more info, it might help me make a decision, i have heard that it is better for the torts to hibernate, also that it slows down growth, THH, my THH is just 7 months old now, don't have to hibernate for as long as THB's.
Many thanks in advance.

Marg.

[emma_mcraf]

I completely understand your reservations and concerns Marg. I am trying to decide whether to hibernate my older tort this year or not. I overwintered him last year due to it being the first year we had him and I had no knowledge of his previous health history. This year I really am not at all sure. In some ways I wonder if a short hibernation would be good for him - December and January perhaps - but I know I'll be so worried too. I know it's not necessary to do it and I'm torn. I'm reading more into it at the moment and there's plenty of threads on here to work through.
I won't be hibernating my hatchlings for years and if I decide not to hibernate Theo, I expect the same decision will follow for them.
It's such a hard decision isn't it?

[TortBabe]

I completed my first hibernation earlier this year, and I have never seen my Horsfield so active since he woke up. Its a personal decision, but if you do decide to hibernate, you will have plenty of help on here. Its recommended that they hibernate for at least 8 weeks.

[Helen M]

I don't hibernate but I could mention the percieved benefits and the cons.

Benefits
-Seen as more natural
-Slows growth
-Improves fecundity/fertility
-No heating or lighting costs
-No need to pick weeds or feed salad etc through the winter months

Cons
-Can kill if tortoise has an undetected illness. There have been cases of people losing seemingly healthy tortoises but it has turned out to not being the case when they have died during hibernation
-Chances of frost damage if they are incorrectly housed during hibernation
-Also damage can be caused if animals are incorrectly wound down or when they are warmed up too quickly
-Tortoises have been stolen during hibernation from unguarded sheds etc

I'm sure there are more reasons for both points of view though.

Helen xx

[EJ]

I really like the way the original was laid out. I hope Hellen doesn't mind the editing...

Benefits
-Seen as more natural
-Slows growth
-Improves fecundity/fertility
-No heating or lighting costs
-No need to feed or care for through the winter months

Hazards
-Can kill the tortoise with the chances increasing with the presence of
illness.
-Chance of frost damage if they are incorrectly housed during hibernation
-Damage can be caused if animals are incorrectly wound down or when
they are warmed up too quickly
-Tortoises have been stolen during hibernation from unguarded sheds etc
-Tortoises exposed to animals such as rodents can be easily harmed or
killed.

Originally Posted by Helen M

I don't hibernate but I could mention the percieved benefits and the cons.

Benefits
-Seen as more natural
-Slows growth
-Improves fecundity/fertility
-No heating or lighting costs
-No need to pick weeds or feed salad etc through the winter months

Cons
-Can kill if tortoise has an undetected illness. There have been cases of people losing seemingly healthy tortoises but it has turned out to not being the case when they have died during hibernation
-Chances of frost damage if they are incorrectly housed during hibernation
-Also damage can be caused if animals are incorrectly wound down or when they are warmed up too quickly
-Tortoises have been stolen during hibernation from unguarded sheds etc

I'm sure there are more reasons for both points of view though.

Helen xx

[alley cat]

I do hibernate, it is natural for them in thier wild environment, they wake up with renewed energy.

[janeL]

I Hibernate mine too. As the days get cooler they seem naturally start to wind down and I have even had them attempt to hibernate in the garden even though they still have access to their heated sheds.
I take care to wind mine down and I hibernate them using the fridge method in a controlled manner. I check them twice a week and weigh them once a week. I wake and warm them in a controlled manner too.
I would not be adverse to keeping them awake and I have the facilities to do so, although they are never as happy inside as they are out. I don't see why I should stop them doing what they really seem to want to do and so far I havn't experienced any problems.

As for "no need to care for them in the winter months, Ed I do take umbridge at that!

[EJ]

hell... umbridge... gotta look that one up... got it...

Why would you take offense at that? If you look through the posts on the topic many keepers admit to the point. I 'hibernate' tortoises that are normally thought not to hibernate for that very reason.

My recommendation to a keeper is that if they can keep a tortoise going... do so.

umbridge... I like that... not that I'll ever use it.

Originally Posted by janeL

I Hibernate mine too. As the days get cooler they seem naturally start to wind down and I have even had them attempt to hibernate in the garden even though they still have access to their heated sheds.
I take care to wind mine down and I hibernate them using the fridge method in a controlled manner. I check them twice a week and weigh them once a week. I wake and warm them in a controlled manner too.
I would not be adverse to keeping them awake and I have the facilities to do so, although they are never as happy inside as they are out. I don't see why I should stop them doing what they really seem to want to do and so far I havn't experienced any problems.

As for "no need to care for them in the winter months, Ed I do take umbridge at that!