Hibernation newbie - please help

[Timmy22653]

Hello all!
I inherited a Greek tortoise this summer. Around 50 years old. I have been researching hibernation but thought I'd check with the experts on here, if possible.

Timmy is used to being hibernated in a garage (in the North of England).

However, I do not have a a garage. My possible options include...

- his outside enclosure (a purpose made enclosure with an insulated 'bedroom' within a larger house.

- a wooden greenhouse. It has shelves so he wouldn't be on the floor

- a loft inside my house

- a metal shed

I do not have anywhere to put a hibernation fridge in the house if they're the same size an normal fridges? Please help!!

The research I have so far done suggests the two box method? Would this work inside his enclosure inside another box? Also I have read you should stop feeding them 2-6 weeks ahead of hibernation. He is still eating at the moment (but is naturally eating less). He is still taking himself on walks around his enclosure in the day.

Thank you

 

[Tom]

Hello all!
I inherited a Greek tortoise this summer. Around 50 years old. I have been researching hibernation but thought I'd check with the experts on here, if possible.

Timmy is used to being hibernated in a garage (in the North of England).

However, I do not have a a garage. My possible options include...

- his outside enclosure (a purpose made enclosure with an insulated 'bedroom' within a larger house.

- a wooden greenhouse. It has shelves so he wouldn't be on the floor

- a loft inside my house

- a metal shed

I do not have anywhere to put a hibernation fridge in the house if they're the same size an normal fridges? Please help!!

The research I have so far done suggests the two box method? Would this work inside his enclosure inside another box? Also I have read you should stop feeding them 2-6 weeks ahead of hibernation. He is still eating at the moment (but is naturally eating less). He is still taking himself on walks around his enclosure in the day.

Thank you

Any of those locations can work IF IF IF the temperature is able to be kept correctly. If the temperature can not be kept where it needs to be, then none of those areas will work. Only your thermometer can tell you. We can only guess.

Give this a read through:

Tom's Brumation Thread

Every fall we get bombarded here on the forum with all sorts of questions and problems regarding hibernation and tortoises "slowing down" for winter. The purpose of this thread is to talk about all aspects of this subject, to dispel some of the myths and mysteries, and give a "how to" list of...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Yossarian]

There is no need to use a full size fridge - a small fridge will work as long as it holds a consistent temp. The problem in the UK is that it is sometimes too cold and sometimes not cold enough for them to properly hibernate at outdoor temps. They will try to hibernate at temps higher than are ideal though hence the garage working for so many years. I know one person that used to hibernate theirs in their shed in wales, was 18 odd years old when it didnt wake up one spring. You take your chances imo if your not controlling the temp and able to monitor it.