Hibernation

[GemmaR]

Hello,

We have some three year old spur-thighed tortoises. we've had them for about six months(ish) so have never hibernated them. They were hibernated before we had them though. We're really concerned to do everything perfectly so I just wanted to check our plans for hibernation were ok…

Just from the information we've gathered from other people our current plan is to use a fridge. We've checked it out over a few weeks with a minimum-maximum thermometer and the temperature seems stable.

We are going to check their weight and shell length against the Jackson ratio to make sure that they are ok to hibernate before we do anything. Then we will remove food and turn off the heat-UV light for two weeks, bathing them every day. At the end of that we are going to place them in the fridge for the winter. We will open the fridge door once a week to give them air and check that they're not losing weight every two weeks.

Is that ok? Is there anything else we should be doing or should we be doing anything differently? We're really concerned to get this right!! Should we place the tortoises in anything within the fridge or do they just go on the shelf?!!

Thanks for your help!!!

Gemma

[Catwoman63]

I open the fridge door 3 times a day for the whole duration, to circulate air and check on temperatures, make sure the fridge does not have an ice box in it x

This is what the tortoise fridge looked lik last year .....full of tortoises

[Pussygalore]

two weeks isn't really long enough unless they are really small and you give them normal heat/light but no food for the first week plus bathing every day then gradually reduce the heat/light over the next 2-3 weeks. The tort needs the heat/light so it goes to the toilet, it has to empty itself of food hence the 4 week period 3 for tinies, the last couple of days should have no heat/light and be in a cold room, cold meaning below 10c preferably so the tort is asleep when you put it in the fridge. I used to reduce heat/light about an hour a day 1/2 hour later am 1/2hr earlier evening untill no heat or light but you can work it how it suits you as long as the last couple of days don't have anything. But allow at least 3-4 weeks it takes that long for the digestive system to clear but don't stop bathing just not a long bath and cooler at the end, the tort needs to be able to drink but not be to active and be fully rehydrated before boxing.

[GemmaR]

Ok, that's great, thank you!! We've been worrying about it quite a lot. I'll increase the length of time to four weeks as you say and gradually decrease the length of time the lamp is on for. I think our tortoises have only ever hibernated for about 10-12 weeks. Is there a good way of telling how long to leave them for? Is it just until they start to lose weight during hibernation, is there a maximum amount of weight they can lose before it becomes dangerous and you need to wake them up? All the websites I've been reading seem to disagree so its really nice to be able to ask people who have actually been doing this for years!

[sandy]

Originally Posted by GemmaR

Ok, that's great, thank you!! We've been worrying about it quite a lot. I'll increase the length of time to four weeks as you say and gradually decrease the length of time the lamp is on for. I think our tortoises have only ever hibernated for about 10-12 weeks. Is there a good way of telling how long to leave them for? Is it just until they start to lose weight during hibernation, is there a maximum amount of weight they can lose before it becomes dangerous and you need to wake them up? All the websites I've been reading seem to disagree so its really nice to be able to ask people who have actually been doing this for years!

The two big reasons for getting them up are, if the urinate.
And if they lose more than 10% of body weight while in hibernation.
Another is if you see they have a runny nose.

[Pussygalore]

aim for 8 weeks min then if they are still ok and you are happy then keep it going, I used to weigh before wind down then when they are ready to be boxed, the 2nd weight is the one to go by for any loss during hibernation which if you have it right should be minimal. I always kept records as well its nice to have something to refer to and an after and before hibernation will give you how much they gain through the summer. Don't forget if your'e using a fridge to open the door for a minute or so each day to allow an air exchange, you can also check the torts quickly and they shouldn't wake but give them a couple of days before picking them up so they are well asleep, much the same with weighing say monthly if done quickly it won't disturb them, also put a weight on top of any box or tape it down just in case one tries to get out. I had a shock one day when I found one sitting on top of its box also use some of their own bedding they will be used to the smell and make sure the box with bedding has been in the fridge so its cold, sorry one more thing I found that it was best to box them either in the morning or evening when they were already asleep that way they don't move or wake up. I see you said open the door weekly but doing a check daily is more likely to spot any probs and ensure fresh air in the fridge in fact depending on where the fridge is we would always be checking the temps etc so plan to hibernate when you're at home not going away, better safe than sorry.

[pammy]

Hi everyone need advise please it's the end of 4th week torts still awake thought they should be boxed today to go in fridge wat do I do ?

[sandy]

Originally Posted by pammy

Hi everyone need advise please it's the end of 4th week torts still awake thought they should be boxed today to go in fridge wat do I do ?

They need to be in a cold room, while winding down:0)
And putting them in a dark place helps, as any light will make them wake up, and move around even if its only a little.

And the best time to put them in a fridge is at night when they would be quiet anyway.

[pammy]

Thankyou sandy can't find Anywere cold enough ? Will it hurt them being it is four weeks now with no food how much longer can I leave them sorry but it's so worrying never hibernated before but need to do it this year

[sandy]

Originally Posted by pammy

Thankyou sandy can't find Anywere cold enough ? Will it hurt them being it is four weeks now with no food how much longer can I leave them sorry but it's so worrying never hibernated before but need to do it this year

Going without food is more of a problem for you than the tortoise:0)
Do you have a garage?
Somewhere dry outside you can put your tortoises in a box. In the dark.
If you cannot find anywhere cold enough, you might have to think about keeping them up.
This year has been really mild, here in Kent we have yet to have a hard frost of any sort. We have had snow before now.
So tortoises have been totally confused.
The last of my tortoises dug down last week, when it did get cold over night.
Next year if you decide to hibernate your tortoises, you have to take into consideration the weather. As tortoises have a mind of their own as to when its time. Keepers tend to stick to the same time of the year, regardless of the weather. And the weather is vital.