hermanns - is heating needed indoors in winter

[alocin7]

Right. Im new to 1.tortoises and 2.forums... so bear with me here. I live in New Zealand and have just got a 1 year old Hermanns Tortoise. The breeder I got it from is helpful and knowledgeable, but Im just looking to get information from more sources. New Zealand is not particularly cold, and I have been told from 3 years on tortoises can be kept outside all year round here. Until then, however, they need to be inside in the coldest part of winter (approx 3 months). I know I need a UV lamp inside, my question is, do I need a heat lamp over winter?? Our house is pretty warm in winter (approx 24degrees celcius), and I figured if a tortoise was in the wild, it would be colder for them in winter anyway, thats normal. So would using a heat lamp that would essentially create a fake summer in winter be advisable??

 

[Rue]

Congrats! I am new to tortoises too...I have had my Hermann's for an entire month now! She is 4 months old.

Night time temps should be around 18 C /65 F. They should have a daytime temp. spot of around 27 /80 F - so they can digest their food properly.

Normally they would brumate during the coldest part of the winter. But they don't have to. And it might not be advisable with babies kept in captivity regardless.

I plan to overwinter mine for 1-2 years...and then brumate her. If you are going to keep them in the house for the winter, you need to provide 'summer' conditions and I have mine also on a 12-hour light cycle. And yes...you will need a UVB lamp. You can buy an all-in-one UVB and heat light bulb (mercury vapour).

 

[alocin7]

Thanks! The breeder I got my tortoise from suggested a mini-hibernation for the first two years.... that is - lights off and no food for 6 weeks. So, my intention was to prepare the tortoise for this hibernation, which I assume means dropping temperatures so it gets the idea that winter is coming. With that in mind, should I have a heat lamp on it when I bring it inside? I would have thought that would give it the idea summer is coming, not winter!

 

[JoesMum]

Yes, heat is needed year round for a small tort. Hibernation should not be attempted until your tort is much bigger.

One year old is far too young. An adult, healthy tort may be hibernated, but does not have to. It doesn't need to practice in the early years - indeed what has been suggested could be harmful in my opinion.

With a house temperature of 24C your tort will be active and burn calories without heat. Not feeding him would lead to rapid and dangerous weight loss. Basking heat is required to help your tort digest the food he must eat.

Whereabouts in NZ are you? What temperature do you get outdoors typically in winter? Do you get frost? Snow?

A small tort should be kept indoors under lights in anything other than the warmest weather.

Summoning @Tom and/or @HermanniChris for further advice

 

[JoesMum]

I also recommend that you read these threads:

Tom's Beginner Mistakes http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

HermanniChris' s comprehensive Care Sheet for Hermanni http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sticky-hermanns-tortoise-care-sheet-updated.101410/

 

[alocin7]

Thanks...interesting. we are in Auckland. Winter temperatures are around 7 to 14deg C in winter. We never have snow and may have had frost a couple of times in the last 20 years!. Aucklands climate is generally humid in summer and damp in winter. Summer is around 20-26deg C. In NZ tortoises tend to be kept indoors for the first year all year round, with no hibernation, and in their second year oudoors day and night in summer and the warmer parts of spring and autumn, and inside at night only for colder parts. In the worst of winter they are bought in fulltime with a hibernation if they are 1+ years. We are heading into autumen here now, and the tortoise i have turned 1 in january, so this will be his second winter we are about to go into. Is it advisable to hibernate him? If so, would a heat lamp not confuse the issue for him?

 

[Rue]

Good question. Your climate is very different. Our winter's get to -50 C / -60 F (thankfully not for too many days!).

When mine is old enough...I expect to go through the pre-hibernation process...then put her in a fridge for a few months...

But while they are eating...they need the heat to digest. This is my first tortoise...but I've had snakes most of my life (and the kids had small lizards).

That's actually why I have a tortoise...my last snake passed away a couple of years ago...and I missed her more than I thought I would - but finding food was a bit of an issue - and I didn't want the stress of finding frozen rats anymore. Lettuce (store-bought notwithstanding) is a lot less stressful to procure.

 

[JoesMum]

Hibernation goes by size. What length and weight is your tort. I very much doubt your tort can be hibernated safely until he's 4 or 5 years old.

To be active and healthy outdoors, your tort still needs to be able to bask.

Below 10C, your tort will be more or less inactive - I hibernate Joe (who is at least 50 years old) once the weather is consistently below 10C. Perfect hibernation requires a stable temperature around 5C. There is a risk it won't actually be cold enough for you to achieve it safely.

I have a basking lamp in a dog kennel outdoors that allows Joe to bask on those cooler days of spring and autumn. He can wander in out when he chooses.

 

[alocin7]

Thanks. So I gather the consensus is not to hibernate a tortoise so young. Point taken, I will plan to overwinter him! My original question was really that I wanted to know if in winter a room or house was warm enough, was a heat lamp needed. I have been reading through other forums and have now found the answer, I think. - It seems even if the ambient temperature is high enough, they still need a basking / hotter spot. Correct me if Im wrong on that, otherwise I will assume thats the case and start organising an indoor tortoise table, UV and heat lamp set up for when the weather is too cold outside for him to stay out there.