hibernation questions

[firework]

I heard you should weigh young torts once every couple weeks when they are hibernating, so you know the body mass loss.

My question is, when you weigh it, wouldn't it be waked up? Is constant waking up during hibernation bad or okay?

Once it's waked up, do you go through all the preparation for hibernation again before you let him sleep again or do you just put it back in the box right after weighing?

Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Firework:

May we know your name and where you're from?

A tortoise doesn't hibernate like, say, a bear does. The tortoise actually has awake periods and asleep periods, its just that he's too cold to move.

I don't disturb my tortoises while they're in the hibernation (brumation) mode. I put them in their boxes and don't look at them again until spring. Some people will touch a foot occasionally just to be sure the tortoise is still alive, but I don't think they need to be weighed or soaked during hibernation.

 

[GBtortoises]

I agree with Yvonne and basically do the same. Once mine are in hibernation they're there until spring. It's up to the keeper to ensure that the tortoise is in good enough health to hibernate before that tortoise is conditioned to hibernate and definitely before actually being put into hibernation. With that said, a tortoise can easily be handled if necessary for short periods while in hibernation. As Yvonne said, they don't truly hibernate as some animals do. Basically, they go to sleep and their metabolism slows to an almost suspended state. If they were to be kept out at room temperature for an extended time and began warming up they would become active.