Hermann

[ady09]

4 years old and never hibernated happy as Larry. What should I do give him ago in the loft which is the only place possible or let him carry on with lights heat and food,water ect.??????? he's happy don't want to spoil it.
Thanks, Ady.

 

[Tom]

This topic is highly debatable and opinions will run the spectrum. Its a personal choice.

I prefer to hibernate animals that would naturally hibernate in the wild. Other people prefer to keep them up and enjoy them all winter long. There are plenty of success stories from either choice.

 

[Gillian M]

Hello Aday, and a warm welcome to the forum!

Please post pics of your tort as well as his enclosure. How about reading the 'Beginners Thread' and different care sheets?

Good luck!

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the forum, Ady!

If you enjoy keeping Larry awake through the winter, and enjoy his company and caring for him, then, by all means, keep him awake. It is not going to harm him at all to not hibernate.

 

[GBtortoises]

While it's true that Hermann's and other species hibernate in the wild they do so only because they must survive a long period of temperatures that are too cold for activity and there is little to no food available. In captivity that period does not take place unless the keeper allows it. If kept at normal activity temperatures, light duration and intensity a tortoise continues to function normally. Every time a tortoise hibernates it can be dangerous if conditions aren't optimum for it's survival. This is true with and controlled hibernation in captivity as well as a natural one outdoors. Not all tortoises survive hibernation every time. There is no environmentally based reason to hibernate a tortoise in captivity, it simply comes down to the choice of the keeper.