# Hibernating a Hermann tortoise



## Clairesingh (Oct 15, 2016)

Hope someone can help! I am hoping to hibernate my Hermann tortoise. He's 5 years old. I don't like the idea of fridge hibernation! I would like to put him in an insulated box. I've read I should start slowing his intake mid October-start November. 

Please could someone give me some basic tips. How do I know when he's ready to hibernate? Where do I keep him? How often do I monitor him?


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## JoesMum (Oct 15, 2016)

Hi

Before you hibernate a tortoise you need to be certain that it's completely healthy and also be sure of your climate. 

How big (straight carapace length) and heavy is your tort? This affects the decision on whether to hibernate and for how long. 

Please understand that hibernation is not mandatory. Many people do not hibernate their torts. 

For good hibernation, temperatures need to be above freezing and consistently below 10C/50F. 

We have box hibernated for 46 years, but are switching to fridge this year as it's getting harder to get the temperatures right here in Kent, UK. 

Both methods require a two week wind down where the lamps go off and food is withdrawn - with the tortoise receiving daily 30 minute soaks in warm water to stay hydrated. 

You must know your tort's weight and you must weigh it regularly through hibernation. Your tort cannot afford to lose more than 10% of its bodyweight and must be roused if it loses this amount. 

I used a double box method. 

Inner box packed with shredded paper for the tort. I also include the outdoor probe of wireless indoor/outdoor min-max thermometer in this box so I can monitor temperatures. 

This box goes in a much bigger box packed with straw to insulate as much as possible. 

The whole box ensemble needs to be stored in a cool, dry rodent free place that will not freeze. We use our garage. 

My tortoise is already slowing down now - he's outdoors. The wind-down proper starts next week and I'm aiming to hibernate him at the end of the month. It will be in a specially bought fridge this year for the first time. Joe weighs 3.3kg and will probably hibernate until March.


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## Clairesingh (Oct 15, 2016)

Thank you for your reply! How do people decide whether or not to hibernate their tortoises? I haven't done it before as I worry he won't wake up. Is there any downside to not hibernating him? I'm not sure what's up with him lately he doesn't seem to be eating as much and is hiding in this coconut shell I have in his house. He has a heat pad and his house in near a radiator so I don't think he's cold. I'm a bit worried now. 




JoesMum said:


> Hi
> 
> Before you hibernate a tortoise you need to be certain that it's completely healthy and also be sure of your climate.
> 
> ...


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## Gillian M (Oct 15, 2016)

A very warm welcome to the forum!

Please post pics of your tort and read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread as well as the care sheets.


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## JoesMum (Oct 15, 2016)

You should know the 4 important temperatures (directly under the basking lamp, warm side, cool side and overnight minimum) in the enclosure. The temperatures can vary as the seasons change even in indoor enclosures. 

Lights need to be bright and on for 12-14 hours to mimic the sun. When did you last replace your UVB?

Basking at 35C/95F is vital for activity and food digestion. 

The overnight minimum in a house frequently gets much cooler in winter. 

The only way to know for sure is to use a good digital thermometer. A min/max thermometer tells you the overnight minimum. A temperature gun type thermometer (like this) is best for spot temperatures. 

Pictures of your enclosure and lighting can help us to check your setup.


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## JoesMum (Oct 15, 2016)

I have hibernated Joe for so long, I can't help with the decision on whether or not. 

We just know how to read him and when he's ready to go which isn't very helpful to others 

The only year we didn't was when he was sick on a good herp vet's advice. Our vet does pre hibernation health checkups which are useful for those concerned.


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## Tom (Oct 15, 2016)

Clairesingh said:


> Hope someone can help! I am hoping to hibernate my Hermann tortoise. He's 5 years old. I don't like the idea of fridge hibernation! I would like to put him in an insulated box. I've read I should start slowing his intake mid October-start November.
> 
> Please could someone give me some basic tips. How do I know when he's ready to hibernate? Where do I keep him? How often do I monitor him?



Where are you? How will you maintain the correct hibernation temperature with out refrigeration?

Click open this thread and scroll down to post number 19 for the step by step instructions:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/looking-for-an-rt-hibernation-mentor.128790/#post-1201587


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## tglazie (Oct 17, 2016)

In my opinion, fridge is the only option I feel safe enough to use. Now, I live in South Texas, and the winter temperatures aren't that winter-like, which is fortunate or entirely unfortunate depending upon your point of view. Tom's thread on the subject covers the subject quite thoroughly, so all I will say on this matter is this. You don't have to hibernate the animal until you're comfortable doing it. If you return your tortoise to regular temps (95 basking area, which can be easily accomplished in a large, covered enclosure with a 125 watt flood lamp, and a seventy five to eighty degree ambient temp; I find most Testudo start their slowdown when the ambient temps drop into the sixties, but maybe that's just me in the ovenlike conditions of South Texas; I'm sure folks in more northerly climes would report something slightly different), he should be fine. Some torts are more strongly governed by the instinct to brumate than others, in which case ensure he is hydrated and has access to bright basking warmth and a sizable indoor enclosure. I've kept many tortoises, and it is a rare one who won't respond positively to this. I can tell you that having an open top enclosure does tend to dry them out, and this tends to make them want to spend a lot of time hidden in an attempt to preserve their water reserves. I've found that since I increased the ambient humidity inside my reptile room, my baby tortoises (I don't brumate them) are much more lively than they had been in the past, when I kept them in the house in the dry conditions. They also grow more smoothly. 

Apologies I didn't cover more of the brumation basics, but Tom really covered that in his thread. Bottom line, you need to do more research on brumation and figure out exactly whether or not you want to go through with it. To me, brumation is great. My torts get a little rest period in the colder months, when the vegetation grows more slowly and the outdoor time is restricted at best. I use the time to do wall maintenance on their enclosures, add extensions, prune trees that are producing a little too much shade, replant areas that have become overgrazed, rebuild nesting mounds, reorganize all of my tools and equipment, and generally get things ready for the spring. I always got tired of seeing their angry little faces gazing up at me, wondering why I was such a jerk, keeping them from guarding their outdoor territories that were surely being overrun by intruders. When they were asleep, they could wait out the dreariest of days, ready to remerge into their outdoor enclosures on a warm late February morning. 

Now that I've got Rads, it's going to be interesting in a few years, keeping older tortoises that won't be hibernating. Hopefully their faces aren't as angry as the Marginated torts are during that brief period in early November when I'm forced to bring them in at night. I really hate that look, that "you aren't allowing me outdoors today, are you?" look. It's the same look my cat Stinky gives me when it rains, because clearly the rain is MY fault. 

Anywho, as for the risks to your animal in not brumating, many here on the forum have kept tortoises around for decades having never brumated them, and these animals all appear outwardly healthy. Me personally, I imagine there's a risk, given that these beasts have existed this way for thousands of years, but it is certainly not as big a long term risk as some of the older books would have you believe. Certainly, I've never seen an animal die of liver failure, as so many of the old books have said. Bottom line, there's not a lot of scientific evidence either way about this. It is one of those things over which so many on the forum have argued so passionately over the years. It's a controversial topic, right up there with mixing species and which tortoise is the prettiest (obviously the prettiest tortoises are my tortoises, but people keep saying I'm biased). Bottom line, garner as much information as you can, then do what's right for you. You'll figure it out. I mean, you say he's five, so I figure that if you've raised him from a wee beast, you should know him fairly well. And Hermanns are a hardy bunch. If he's getting the fall blues, a little light, heat, water and space will get him going. 

T.G.


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