Hibernation Hatchling.

[Koen]

Hi Guys,

Got 4 hermanni hermanni' from Puglia including 2 hatchlings and I am hesitating how long I should hibernate them.

I used to have boetgerri's and the hatchling I would hibernate for 8 weeks so I assume the same applies for Westerns?

Does anybody have experience with longer hibernations with hatchlings, full length 4-5 months? Don't even know if they would survive but then again I would assume in the wild hatchlings would sleep as long as the adults?

Thanks.

 

[Koen]

Nobody any experience with hibernating 2-3 month old hatchlings?

Thx!

 

[Tom]

I have no experience hibernating hermanni hatchlings, but I don't agree with the usual advice to not hibernate hatchlings in general. I've hibernated russian and DT hatchlings as well as Tegus and never had any problems at all. I usually go 8-10 weeks with hatchlings and 12-14 weeks with adults.

Babies are no different than adults when it comes to this subject, but I think babies have a smaller margin of error. If the person doesn't make an error, babies hibernate just as well as adults, and I think its good for them to do so.

 

[Koen]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your asking. I will hibernate my hatchlings no doubt about it but I used to hibernate my eastern babies 8 weeks and was just wondering whether 2-3 month babies would be able to handle full hibernation of 4-5months if they are healthy. Keen to try it although being quite scared to lose the babies

 

[GBtortoises]

There is no reason hatchlings and young tortoises cannot be hibernated the same period of time as adults. They do in the wild. But in captivity there is no reason that a tortoise must be hibernated. In the wild they have to do so to escape the adversities of winter such as lack of food, low temperatures and low light intensity and duration. It is necessary for their survival in the wild. It is not in captivity.