Hi
We are in the UK and so I have 2 female Hermanns - Timothea and Horatia (formerly Timothy and Horatio).
I started wind down for hibernation during November, decreasing and then withdrawing food, bathing them and moving them gradually into cooler and cooler locations. They ended up in a cold utility room temp around 5 - 6 degrees from where I was going to move them into the fridge. The South of England then experienced a sudden bout of extremely mild weather (a rise of around 10 degrees) and both of the tortoises woke up around the 20th Dec. I resigned myself to keeping them up though the winter and bathed them and fed them. Horatio has been fine, eating drinking and going to the loo, however Timothea less so, not really hungry and not as active. I am trying to sort out lighting and heat in my spare room (my usual set up is outside and now it is way too cold for them to be out) but they are currently in my lounge which has a stone floor with underfloor heating and a woodburner which they both head for and bask in front of. On Christmas Eve I came down and Timothea had laid 2 intact eggs and there was also a smashed one.
I have had Timothea for 2 years now, we took her in for the family of an elderly lady that passed away as we already had the other female Hermann. She is aprox 50 years old and I was told that she had laid eggs regularly during her time with her previous family. Today, 28th Dec she has laid another one that was smashed and I am a little worried. To my knowledge she hasn't ever laid eggs in the 2 years I have had her, the intact eggs are kind of knobbly at one end which I read could indicate retaining them for too long and the fact that 2 have smashed along with her age is concerning me. I have put down a cuttlefish and food for her but she doesn't want it. I haven't actually seen the eggs being laid so i don't know if they are breaking as she lays them or if she is standing on them. She has had access to a much better quality of life in terms of light, heat and diet since I have had her and she clearly has survived the bouts of egg laying in her previous owners care but she is 50 odd at least and I want to make sure I'm doing the right things for her.
Can anyone offer advice as to whether this sounds normal?
Thanks
Sarah
We are in the UK and so I have 2 female Hermanns - Timothea and Horatia (formerly Timothy and Horatio).
I started wind down for hibernation during November, decreasing and then withdrawing food, bathing them and moving them gradually into cooler and cooler locations. They ended up in a cold utility room temp around 5 - 6 degrees from where I was going to move them into the fridge. The South of England then experienced a sudden bout of extremely mild weather (a rise of around 10 degrees) and both of the tortoises woke up around the 20th Dec. I resigned myself to keeping them up though the winter and bathed them and fed them. Horatio has been fine, eating drinking and going to the loo, however Timothea less so, not really hungry and not as active. I am trying to sort out lighting and heat in my spare room (my usual set up is outside and now it is way too cold for them to be out) but they are currently in my lounge which has a stone floor with underfloor heating and a woodburner which they both head for and bask in front of. On Christmas Eve I came down and Timothea had laid 2 intact eggs and there was also a smashed one.
I have had Timothea for 2 years now, we took her in for the family of an elderly lady that passed away as we already had the other female Hermann. She is aprox 50 years old and I was told that she had laid eggs regularly during her time with her previous family. Today, 28th Dec she has laid another one that was smashed and I am a little worried. To my knowledge she hasn't ever laid eggs in the 2 years I have had her, the intact eggs are kind of knobbly at one end which I read could indicate retaining them for too long and the fact that 2 have smashed along with her age is concerning me. I have put down a cuttlefish and food for her but she doesn't want it. I haven't actually seen the eggs being laid so i don't know if they are breaking as she lays them or if she is standing on them. She has had access to a much better quality of life in terms of light, heat and diet since I have had her and she clearly has survived the bouts of egg laying in her previous owners care but she is 50 odd at least and I want to make sure I'm doing the right things for her.
Can anyone offer advice as to whether this sounds normal?
Thanks
Sarah
