Hibernation.

[juliawright]

I have a greek tortoise. He is kept outside, we live in cyprus with temps at the mo of 7(night)-14(day) degrees. Before christmas he slowed down his eating, untill he stopped. I soaked him everyday until about 15 days after he stopped eating and he buried him self in his pen, into the ground. He has been there about 4 weeks. I am an absolute wreck as to the ins and out of hibernation. I have been digging down twice a week to check he still responds. He's very dry where he is. Is there any other checks i should be doing? Do i just leave him to wake up naturally?

I've had him about 18 months, i didnt hibernate last year due to first year with him. He is about 7.

Any help would be fantastic.

 

[JoesMum]

To be honest your temps are too warm for him to hibernate safely. They need to hibernate at a steady temp of around 6C.

Your tort will lose weight rapidly and this may harm his health. You should either over winter awake, or (in your climate) use a fridge for hibernation.

 

[juliawright]

I have a spare fridge, will it be ok to put him in the fridge now, or should i wake him? Will his health have already be effected do you think?? if this is the case will he have used up too much energy to continue hibernating in the fridge safely?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Julia:

In my opinion, if you pile up some garden trash over the spot where your tortoise is buried, the temp would be cool enough for him to stay where he is. There is no need to keep digging him up to check on him. You need to do one or the other...keep him up and indoors, or let him hibernate until he wakes up naturally.

Tortoises don't "burn calories" to stay warm. If they are inactive they usually won't lose weight.

 

[ascott]

Yvonne is absolutely correct. The temps for the day that you have shared here are fine. A tortoise can and do safely brumate at temps up to 60° f during the day..

 

[JoesMum]

That's useful to know ... Thank you.

 

[juliawright]

Thankyou all sooooooo much, it really is cold at night here now. he hasn't moved position at all. I'll pop some more substrate in, and see what happens. I'll let you know how i get on. !!!!!!!

 

[oscar]

I have 2 Greek tortoise and I keep them outside in the summer. In Illinois it get pretty cold in the winter. I bring them in late fall. I keep them in a room that is 65 degrees F. Were they stay dormant till spring. I check on them to make sure they are not getting to light. If so I soak them for a half hour or so. Not saying this is the right way to do it but has worked for me for 6 years now.

 

[CactusVinnie]

Julia, Cyprus is quite a paradise for tortoises! They lived there very happy from longtime ago. Don't worry about a native tortoise kept outdoors- he will just know what to do, better do not disturb him by digging and checking. In places like yours, tortoises do not hibernate like in the Balkans or inland Turkey- they often awake, bask, nip a few leaves.
He will be just fine.

 

[HtVic]

I didn't know Greek hibernate?

 

[Tccarolina]

The greeks should hibernate until their debt problem goes away.

 

[GBtortoises]

I didn't know Greek hibernate?

It depends upon which species and their geographic origin. Tortoises labeled as "Greeks cover a vast region of Eastern Europe, The Middle East and North Africa.

That's one reason that it is important to identify the region that a particular "Greek" tortoise is from.

 

[HtVic]

I didn't know Greek hibernate?

It depends upon which species and their geographic origin. Tortoises labeled as "Greeks cover a vast region of Eastern Europe, The Middle East and North Africa.

That's one reason that it is important to identify the region that a particular "Greek" tortoise is from.

oh i see, no wonder, thanks