# Hibernation



## Tom (Jan 28, 2010)

I've been reading a few posts about this subject and thought I would share some things I've learned in the past few years.

My first experience with hibernation was with desert torts. I learned about the same way as most of the other old-timers here, and I used to have the same ideas about it that I hear them passing on to others now.

A few years ago, I bought some Argentine Black and White Tegus from a wonderful man named Bert Langerwerf of Agama International. He has since passed away, but he was a great, innovative man and he taught me a lot. He had a particular affinity for reptiles that could be kept outdoors year round and use no electricity. He actually got import permits and went down to Argentina and collected his own breeding stock from the Southernmost, coldest part of their natural range. After painstakingly converting them over to a Northern Hemisphere seasonal cycle. They reached adulthood and he started getting breeding success. The babies from these original imports were giving him nearly 100% breeding success once they reached adulthood and they were all raised outdoors in the Alabama sunshine with no heat or electricity ever.

Babies hatch out every year around August and adults usually go into hibernation in September, even if its still warm out. The new years babies will stay up until end of Sept or Oct if its warm, but then they want got to sleep too. I told Bert that I normally don't hibernate babies( something I learned from tortoises ) and was planning on keeping them warm and up all winter for the first year or two. He asked me if I EVER intended to breed them. I told him yes. He then told me if you ever skip even one hibernation, even the first, that they will never breed and produce babies. So following his advice, I hibernated my two month old precious babies and they did fine.

I wonder if this also applies to other reptiles, including tortugas. Does any one have an adult that skipped hibernating and then went on to produce viable offspring? I know lots of people who raised tegus without hibernating them the first year and not a one has ever bred them. I would love to hear what y'all think of this one.


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## Yvonne G (Jan 28, 2010)

I've never heard that one. Problem with desert tortoises is you're not supposed to breed them, so it wouldn't matter if they skipped a hibernation. I suppose it could be tried with Russians and the other Mediterraneans that hibernate. Would be interesting to find out.


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## Nay (Jan 28, 2010)

Hi, I don't claim to know anything, but I can tell you I had Russians for many years and was scared to hibernate them. Then 2 years ago I got brave and did it.They did very well two winters They were placed with someone here and the very first year produced a clutch. I never did find out if they hatched.. They never produced eggs the whole time I had them..So if that was the question, that was my experience.
Na


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## Jacqui (Jan 28, 2010)

I have personal experience with Russians breeding without hibernation. As a matter of fact, do you happen to recall the article by Shelly Jones about hibernating her Russians in the refrig? She has stopped doing almost all her hibernations and so far has not had a drop in reproduction.


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## GBtortoises (Jan 28, 2010)

I can tell you from experience that the answer is "no". 

I've never hibernated any of my Northern Mediterranean hatchlings or young tortoises until they reach about 4". I'm not against it, I just don't do it. I won't get off track with my reasons why. 
Once they reach 4" and above if I intend to eventually breed them I begin hibernating them at that point. Usually it has taken a couple of full cycles for them to begin aggressive breeding. Some people never hibernate their Northern Mediterranean tortoises and still have fairly good success with them breeding and producing fertile offspring. I personally find that they are more aggressive at it after coming out of a true hibernation than simply overwintering or cooling them down. Probably my preference more than anything. But when I first got adult Marginateds they were rare so I treated them like fine china. I did not hibernate them at for the first half dozen years. Still each and every summer both of the females I had at the time would lay two clutches of eggs each all with very high fertility rates.
So I think "no" it is not necessary to hibernate tortoises in order to achieve sucessful breeding and fertility. But I do think it's a good idea to start doing at some point if someone intends to breed them and wants a better sucess rate. 
I'm only speaking from experience with Northern Mediterranean and Russian tortoises. Not any other species.


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## stells (Jan 29, 2010)

A friend of mine had more success breeding his Horsfields when he stopped hibernating them....


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