Weight, Hibernation and Microchipping?!

[alfiethetortoise]

Hello people, it's been a while!

Now we are moved i have finally gotten round to organising Alfie...

1) Alfie seems to have gotten really big recently! She is weighing in at 320g, 119mm - is this about right?! Do i need to cut down on lettuce?! I have been feeding mostly greens, ran out of dried food a while ago which she used to get once a week id say she hasent had it for around three months.

2) She has been over 10cm a while now, and today, at almost 12cm, should i really be considering this microchipping?! I also need to get her certificate changed over to my name.

3) She seems to have slowed down in the last week or so. Weather has been getting colder here. I have cleaned out her enclosure and have put a good amount of substrate in for her to dig over winter. Last winter, i over wintered her. She has never hibernated before. I haven't yet put the heat mat back in as i did last winter to make sure that she didn't get too cold. Temperatures have dropped a little in her enclosure nothing to ride home about yet. I once remember reading its best not to hibernate tortoises under five, who knows where. Is this still the case?!

Thanks

 

[Tracy Gould]

Hello people, it's been a while!

Now we are moved i have finally gotten round to organising Alfie...

1) Alfie seems to have gotten really big recently! She is weighing in at 320g, 119mm - is this about right?! Do i need to cut down on lettuce?! I have been feeding mostly greens, ran out of dried food a while ago which she used to get once a week id say she hasent had it for around three months.

2) She has been over 10cm a while now, and today, at almost 12cm, should i really be considering this microchipping?! I also need to get her certificate changed over to my name.

3) She seems to have slowed down in the last week or so. Weather has been getting colder here. I have cleaned out her enclosure and have put a good amount of substrate in for her to dig over winter. Last winter, i over wintered her. She has never hibernated before. I haven't yet put the heat mat back in as i did last winter to make sure that she didn't get too cold. Temperatures have dropped a little in her enclosure nothing to ride home about yet. I once remember reading its best not to hibernate tortoises under five, who knows where. Is this still the case?!

Thanks

Hi i have read on the back of the certificate u need to chip the tort when they get to 10cm. I have also read that u should not hibernate them till 5 years too, but i have also seen posts that say they hibernate their young torts, but u need to make sure she is in good health first. I am not going to hibernate mine till she is older although a weight check said she is ok to hibernate i would rather wait a few years and be a hundred per sure i know how to do this properly

 

[PeanutbuttER]

IMO, microchipping a tort isn't really going to do much. If someone finds your tortoise 1) they'll think it's a turtle and 2) hopefully they'll put up some signs for it. What I don't think most people would do is take it to a vet or a shelter just to see if it's chipped or not. It's just not a common enough practice, nor a common enough animal for people to even bother checking.

Maybe I'm wrong though and others will come on here soon to correct me.

 

[alfiethetortoise]

I understand that once your tortoise is 10cm, it must be microchipped for its licence?

 

[Tracy Gould]

I understand that once your tortoise is 10cm, it must be microchipped for its licence?

yer as i said before the certifate states to chip at 10cm. I know lots of people that find a tort would only put posters up but when the tort is at the vets they would check for a chip. I have a dog and she is chipped too that way she would be traced back to me and i can prove to the people that found her that she is mine. yer i am woried about her having it done but the benifits outway the worry

 

[PeanutbuttER]

My mistake, I didn't get that you have to do it for a license or a permit. Where I live I've never had to get any permits or licenses and I assumed that we were in the same boat.

 

[alfiethetortoise]

Yeah in the UK to keep with the CITES certificate, your tortoise has to be microchipped for identification and if your going to breed. I'm probably not going to breed from Alfie (have no male and also, id be worried as i dont really know about tortoise breeding) but the certificate needs changing and microchipping. Having troubles finding a reptile vet though...