Hibernation in NH, USA

[tobysmommy]

Hi everyone,
My name is Kelcie, and I have a baby Russian Tortoise named Toby. The lady we got him from didn’t tell us much about him or where he came from. All I know is that he is a male and he is still young because he’s quite small. I have little to no experience being a tortoise owner and I have NO CLUE what to do with him this winter. I have many questions. Does he have to go into hibernation? If so what do I do? And if he doesn’t do I have to keep our room a certain tempature? I am completely lost and would appreciate as much help as I could get please and thank you! I will attach photos of my little guy as well!

 

[T Smart]

That's no baby! You got an adult. He won't get much bigger.

It isn't mandatory. Many choose not to do so, and their tortoises do just fine. You could always wait a winter, learn, and make sure he is in good health before hibernating him.

If you choose do hibernate him, just know it's not a scary as it sounds. There are many great threads here on the forum to help!

 

[LaLaP]

Hi! I have a Russian too and am relatively new at caring for one. I'm not going to hibernate mine this year because I'm not ready to do the whole process. It seems a bit involved and can be dangerous for the tort if you make a big mistake. That said, many people do it successfully and you could too if you're willing to learn all the steps and get some equipment. If you decide to keep him awake this winter you'll need to follow all the regular care protocol. Here is a caresheet that explains everything he will need including temperature and lighting.

https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

What is his current set up like?

 

[tobysmommy]

That's no baby! You got an adult. He won't get much bigger.

It isn't mandatory. Many choose not to do so, and their tortoises do just fine. You could always wait a winter, learn, and make sure he is in good health before hibernating him.

If you choose do hibernate him, just know it's not a scary as it sounds. There are many great threads here on the forum to help!

The pictures look misleading, he is only about four or five inches in length. Thank you for your help I think this year I won’t hibernate, maybe next year.

 

[tobysmommy]

Hi! I have a Russian too and am relatively new at caring for one. I'm not going to hibernate mine this year because I'm not ready to do the whole process. It seems a bit involved and can be dangerous for the tort if you make a big mistake. That said, many people do it successfully and you could too if you're willing to learn all the steps and get some equipment. If you decide to keep him awake this winter you'll need to follow all the regular care protocol. Here is a caresheet that explains everything he will need including temperature and lighting.

https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

What is his current set up like?

I’ll attach a photo of what his home look a like. It’s equipped with a UV/heat lamp that puts off a good amount of heat and when it’s cold we have him in a separate room with a heater on.

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum.

A cute tort. God bless.

 

[TechnoCheese]

The pictures look misleading, he is only about four or five inches in length. Thank you for your help I think this year I won’t hibernate, maybe next year.

Yep, that’s about how big Russians get. You have an adult, likely wild caught 5-15+ year old russian tortoise.

Please keep in mind that your tort needs a minimum enclosure size of 8x4 feet