My Gopherus isn't hibernating at all

CharSparda

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Hello!

I'm feeling kind of worried since it's the first year my Gopherus Berlandieri is with me, and the vet told me he would start hibernating around october/november. However, he's still up and asks me to take a walk out of his enclosure. He's eating around 2 times a day and even though he buries himself at night when sleeping, he wakes up very early to eat.

Is this a bad sign? Should I lower his temp? (it's about 70-75 which is not very high)

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Yvonne G

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If the tortoise is indoors perhaps he hasn't seen the signs that tell him to stop eating and start thinking about brumation. I would go ahead and keep his lights on for 14 hours a day and keep him up over the winter and enjoy him.
 

Yvonne G

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Actually none of the species NEED to hibernate if they're kept warm enough. And in this case, the tortoise is new to the person, so they really shouldn't allow him to brumate this first winter. Next winter will be fine.
 

Lyn W

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My tort isn't a hibernating species so I only know what I've read here on the forum, but It's a gradual process when they stop eating as temps drop to empty their stomachs because any food in the gut would rot during hibernation and kill them.
So maybe keep him warm and fed this year and learn all you can about hibernation ready for next year.
 

CharSparda

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Thank you all, he's been eating a lot lately and he seems just fine. I think he won't brumate this year then.
 

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