Advice on hibernation

[Jess_me462]

Hey my hermann tortoise is due for his first hibernation this year and I would love some advice on how to go about this.
I've heard and read lots of different ways on how to do it and it is very confusing!!
Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

Here's a link to a nice article written by Andy Highfield, who is in the UK:

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/newhibernation.html

 

[peasinapod]

Isn't it a bit late to start hibernating? Once you've done the read up on it and did the wind-down it will almost be time for your tortoise to become active again.

If i were you I'd read up on it and plan ever ything for next year, but not do it this winter.

 

[THBfriend]

I agree with peasinapod, it's too late for this winter. My Eastern Hermann's tortoises hibernate from beginning of November to end of March / beginning of April.
Even if you started the wind-down period right now, it'd be almost March already before you could begin with the proper hibernation.
How old is your tortoise?

 

[cortney80]

Do you have to hibernate your tortoise every year? We just got ours and she's pretty small, I'm just not comfortable with her hibernating for months at a time. I don't think I have enough information on the subject

 

[Kele7710]

I reckon they mean later this year?

 

[bouaboua]

Here's a link to a nice article written by Andy Highfield, who is in the UK:

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/newhibernation.html

WOW. Great information. Thanks.

Two out of four tortoise went hibernate last winter already waking up. Two more still in sleep, the weather will be warmer next week. We may taking them out.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Do you have to hibernate your tortoise every year? We just got ours and she's pretty small, I'm just not comfortable with her hibernating for months at a time. I don't think I have enough information on the subject

You never have to hibernate a tortoise...it's 100% optional, no matter what some folks have been led to believe. And some tortoises do not survive the experience, for a variety of reasons.

Hibernation is how they react to bad weather, so I bring mine in over the winter, put 'em back out once it warms up.

In 40 years, I've never brumated (hibernation is not what reptiles do) mine and all of my pets are VERY healthy.

 

[ascott]

It is ALWAYS a good idea to do massive research on supporting all aspects of the species of tort you care for....and in some species of torts and turtles, brumation is part of their deep seeded make up....once you have decided what you become comfortable with then you have a basis to make your own decisions on. If a person does not want to deal with brumation then perhaps choosing a species that does not brumate would be easier on the care giver as well as the tort or turtle....just saying.

 

[THBfriend]

You never have to hibernate a tortoise...it's 100% optional, no matter what some folks have been led to believe. And some tortoises do not survive the experience, for a variety of reasons.

Even if that were true (which you can't prove)... you never have to build an outdoor enclosure for a tortoise either, it's 100% optional and some tortoises might not survive the experience, for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless it's better than keeping them indoors the entire time.

Hibernation is how they react to bad weather, so I bring mine in over the winter, put 'em back out once it warms up.

In 40 years, I've never brumated (hibernation is not what reptiles do) mine and all of my pets are VERY healthy.

I didn't know that winter was classified as "weather" now. Also, my grandfather smoked 30 cigarettes a day and lived until 97, hence smoking is totally harmless.

As for brumation vs. hibernation, what's the difference exactly, apart from the fact that one term is used for reptiles and the other for mammals? Some definitions I found mention that brumating reptiles stir occasionally to drink water, which isn't at all what tortoises do. Oh, and some sources say it's "basically the same" as hibernation.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

You never have to hibernate a tortoise...it's 100% optional, no matter what some folks have been led to believe. And some tortoises do not survive the experience, for a variety of reasons.

Even if that were true (which you can't prove)... you never have to build an outdoor enclosure for a tortoise either, it's 100% optional and some tortoises might not survive the experience, for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless it's better than keeping them indoors the entire time.

Son, getting a tortoise sunlight is VERY important for their health, and, again, you're talking when you still should listening.

The conceit of keeping them "naturally" cannot be done, in all honesty...are you going to feed the plants they eat in the Mediterranean countries only, or are you going to find suitable substitutions at your local produce market?

Are you going to let them roam an area that they'd roam in said Mediterranean countries (potentially many, many acres), or are you going to build them a more logically-sized outdoor enclosure, which will NOT allow them to roam naturally?

Are you going to allow them to become potential victims of predators, like wild tortoises face, or are you going to protect then via screen lids and locked gates?

And finally, as these creatures, in the wild, almost never live more than 30 years, if that long, while pet tortoises sometimes reach beyond a century, are you going to euthanize yours on their 30th birthday, to re-create Nature?

Think before you speak, son.

Hibernation is how they react to bad weather, so I bring mine in over the winter, put 'em back out once it warms up.

In 40 years, I've never brumated (hibernation is not what reptiles do) mine and all of my pets are VERY healthy.

I didn't know that winter was classified as "weather" now. Also, my grandfather smoked 30 cigarettes a day and lived until 97, hence smoking is totally harmless.

Two foolish statements that you'll hopefully not repeat when you're an adult.

As for brumation vs. hibernation, what's the difference exactly, apart from the fact that one term is used for reptiles and the other for mammals? Some definitions I found mention that brumating reptiles stir occasionally to drink water, which isn't at all what tortoises do. Oh, and some sources say it's "basically the same" as hibernation.

Again, son, you're talking when you still should listening. Work on getting yourself educated via the latest information, and when it comes to tortoise husbandry, for instance, talk to as many experienced tortoise keeper as you possibly can.

Old ideas aren't always the best ideas.