Hibernation - Help
 

Please could you advise my tortoise has woken yesterday after being asleep for 3 weeks he has not lost any weight. I have bathed him and he is fine and healthy. Is it safe to put him back in his box for hibernation. This weather is a nightmare he is in the garage where it is normally stable temps but this weather is so mild.

I have never had this problem in all the years I have owned tortoises and I'm so nervous his year with temps.

I would certainly suggest you put him back. Why don't you either put him in the fridge to cool down, or pack the box round with frozen bottles of water. Obviously you have had tortoises for a long time, so go with your instincts. Your others may start to wake as it has got so mild now, so be ready with some ideas. It is all about not using too much fat reserve. Lizards wake in the winter and will make use of some weak sun, so don't worry.

Thank you I have put him back, I'm starting to panic this year! The great thing about this forum is that there are so many people in the same boat and it's great to get reassurance!

Depends how awake the tort is I guess? If it's very very awake, then it has probably released it's glucose store or "get up and go reserve" for spring. If it's still sleepy then I guess the fridge is an option.

Personally I wouldn't risk putting it back into hibernation. Especially not after a bath! People seriously need to research hibernation properly. The box method kills loads of torts over the yrs but people still use it! Why?

Mine are fridge hibernated at a stead 4c. Better safe than sorry I say!

Hi James
Thanks for your reply, I have never had this problem before hence the panic!
I check and weigh my torties weekly to make sure they are all ok, is the reason you a saying torties die in boxes is that they lose to much weight?
The refrigeration method seems to be the way forward for future Hibernations as our weather is so mild! My garage always stays stable but not this year!!!

I have just checked him and he is asleep I will weigh him in weeks time to monitor weight.

Thank you for the advice

Andrea

Can you provide some information as to the box method killing tortoises, please?

Interesting opinion, Tort's have been known to break hibernation in the wild return back down if a weather shift. Also a posted fatality a few years ago, was a few tort's in the same fridge. The OP mentioned everything was in order, estivation does have the risk's.
I'm a bit weird :) with my methods as they are boxed in soil in a garage, but with a fridge standby, they go in if temp's are mild back to the box at a steady 5c'ish.

Hi Paul
Merry Christmas to you! Thank you for your reply I was starting to doubt putting him back down as he was quite awake. He hadn't lost any weight whilst being asleep for 3 weeks.

He is in tip top condition and I weigh them weekly and carefully check them without waking.

Would you say the reason why healthy torties die is that their weight is not carefully monitored during hibernation? Of course there is the obvious, freezing and rodents.

If your tort was fully awake and if it was me I possibly wouldn't of put mine back to sleep. You can't tell if the glucose reserve has been used. Due to wind down period they only get one shot of glucose usually.

The box method is fine if you have a constant external temp, which sadly due to great British weather don't really happy. Luckily you noticed your tort was awake. If you hadn't of done it could of been a different story x

I'd keep an eye on your torts weight, if in any doubt, wake him up & over winter. Waking up saves lives, ignorance kills! X