First Year Of Outdoor Hibernation

Ocirne94

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May 26, 2015
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Hello all,

I have this 8-year old Hermann's juvenile which I have carefully grown mostly indoor inside a comfortable tortoise table; this spring I thought he was big&strong enough so I released him in the garden, which is big&secure and has housed other Hermann's over the last 50 years. He weighed 244 grams at the time.

This summer all went well, and now he weighs 279 (always unsupervised grazing in the garden, no feeding).

But now winter is coming (7-12 °C except when it's sunny) and he is out there, cold as a rock and idle.

Should I get him inside and hibernate him indoor? Has he forgot how to safely hibernate outdoor on his own, after 6 indoor hibernation cycles (last year I had to overwinter him)?

The other Hermann's in the garden have (probably) gone into hibernation fine, haven't seem them for some days.

Thank you in advance for your advice,

Ocirne
 

Yvonne G

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Do you know where your other tortoises are hibernating? Is it possible to put this one with the others?
 

Ocirne94

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Unfortunately I don't have a clue :( I suppose they are each in a different place...
 

Tom

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I wouldn't hibernate any tortoise outdoors. They are at the whim of a cruel mother nature out there. They are exposed to the weather extremes, rain, rodents, etc… I'd bring them all indoors and hibernate them somewhere that is safer and always the correct temperature.
 

Ocirne94

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In fact about half of the hermann's in my garden were there before I was, and have always hibernated on their own in the garden; they are free and on their own, but for this juvenile I have some concerns as it is his first year in the garden.
 

ascott

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Hello all,

I have this 8-year old Hermann's juvenile which I have carefully grown mostly indoor inside a comfortable tortoise table; this spring I thought he was big&strong enough so I released him in the garden, which is big&secure and has housed other Hermann's over the last 50 years. He weighed 244 grams at the time.

This summer all went well, and now he weighs 279 (always unsupervised grazing in the garden, no feeding).

But now winter is coming (7-12 °C except when it's sunny) and he is out there, cold as a rock and idle.

Should I get him inside and hibernate him indoor? Has he forgot how to safely hibernate outdoor on his own, after 6 indoor hibernation cycles (last year I had to overwinter him)?

The other Hermann's in the garden have (probably) gone into hibernation fine, haven't seem them for some days.

Thank you in advance for your advice,

Ocirne


Where in the world do you live? What is the rain like there? I personally would gently bring the newbie in and get a small enough container to only allow him to turn about during rest...I would toss a cotton tshirt into the bottom, then add the tortoise, then place the entire container in a cool dry safe place (I say this because you say that the tortoise is currently "cold as a rock and idle"....then just periodically check in on him..this way he can continue his rest and you can assure he does not freeze sitting out exposed....
 

Ocirne94

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May 26, 2015
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I live in Milan (IT - southern Europe), it doesn't rain too much and the garden has some covered areas where the ground remains mostly dry year-round.
I have now set everything up for a standard indoor hibernation in the cellar, but on the long term I'd prefer him to gain independence as I won't always be able to find him in the garden before the big cold, and I won't always be here to help him with hibernation...
 
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