When do tortoises hibernate

Category: tortoise. At this time of year, a lot of people with pet tortoises start to think about hibernating their little shelled friends. Gone are the days of just letting our reptile friends dig under the garden when it gets cold and hope that we see them next spring. With improvements in animal husbandry, we are aware that these animals need to be closely monitored and kept in secure environments while hibernating, including weighing and measuring them during the process.

A fridge makes a fantastic place to hibernate a tortoise! One reason being you know they are safe, and the temperature can be controlled. It also makes them easily accessible for weighing and measuring. Another good aspect of keeping them secure inside is that you are able to wake them up much easier than having to dig them up from the garden. This is actually a question that needs to be asked in mid-late August! This is the key period to assess whether you will be able to safely hibernate or not.

If your tortoise is not fit to hibernate at the end of August, then it certainly will not be in October. Your tortoise needs to have sufficient amounts of body fat, vitamins and minerals and water stored to make it through hibernation in good condition. If they are lacking in these items, they will then start to extract them from the muscles and organs, and this will then lead to mortality.

As well as the weight you need to check that your animal is fully fit and healthy, so checking eyes, nose and tail for any discharge or runniness. Some strains of RNS are highly infectious. Legs need to be checked for any lumps or bumps, abscesses are common in captive reptiles and if left untreated can be serious.

Ears need to be checked for abscesses as well as this can be fatal if left untreated and is very common in captive tortoises. And then finally check the mouth. Mouth rot is common and can be fatal if left. If all of these are clear and your tortoise is up to weight, then you can start preparing your tortoise for hibernation.

The final point is that tortoises need to be hibernated with an empty gut! It is common that people feel they need to give their pet a last meal before hibernation. However, tortoises which are hibernated with food still remaining inside are unlikely to survive in good health.

When a tortoise goes into hibernation, they will slow their metabolism down to almost nothing. This total inactivity is perfectly normal. Brumation is a set of different physiological changes than hibernation. Of course, you can still call it hibernating and nobody will think any less of you. The best way to tell if your tortoise is hibernating or dead is to be involved with his hibernation preparations. Is that tortoise hibernating or dead? But for those that do, hibernation is a way for them to reset their bodies.

It lets them know when the seasons are changing. They may also hibernate due to lack of food or colder temperatures, which is not really an issue for a captive tortoise.

Oftentimes after hibernation, tortoises will seek out mates and begin the courting ritual. Your pet tortoise comes with a built in clock. He just knows when it is the right time for hibernation. So if you have a tortoise species that needs to hibernate, and you feel they are healthy enough to do so, read on to learn how you can do this safely, and give your tortoise the best life possible! This is up to you and your vet, so take the time to talk it through with your vet team.

Some keepers like to hibernate their tortoises to encourage natural behaviors that mimic situations in the wild. This seems like the best choice, if you ask us.

If you chose to hibernate your tortoise, then make sure you are prepared for all outcomes. Make sure your tortoise is healthy and a good weight first. Find out the actual hibernation times for your species. Make sure you have the right environment and have done your best to mimic what your tort would experience in the wild. How long you hibernate your tortoise depends on his age and how much body weight he can afford to lose.

A tortoise can only stand to lose about ten percent of its total body weight. Always seek the advice of your exotics vet on how long or if you even should hibernate your tortoise. Never hibernate a tortoise for more than twelve weeks, however.

In general, a one-year-old tortoise could hibernate for three weeks, a two-year-old tortoise for six weeks, and a three-year-old tortoise would hibernate for ten weeks. But, again, this also depends on the condition of the tortoise and its species. Even so, there are things to keep in mind. It will be quite the daunting task for a newer tortoise owner, and some people recommend you wait a year or two with a new tortoise to get used to each other.

It is also suggested that very young tortoises should not be put through hibernation. They should wait a few winters to put on enough body weight to survive. This is, as always, something you should discuss with your vet. Your vet will know best. Most tortoises will start their hibernation in November. That means you should start monitoring and keeping check on your tortoise around August.

If your tortoise is not healthy enough during this time, then it should not be put into hibernation. First, check with your exotics animal vet for essential health checkups. If they get the all clear then you can start the pre-hibernation process. And if you feel uncomfortable with hibernating your tortoise, that is okay, too!

Here are a few other interesting things about tortoises and hibernating. Getting all the facts may help ease your mind.

Maybe these things will even get you a little excited about trying to help your little friend get a great nap. This process will take some time, like everything else about our slow buddies. You need to fast your tortoise for two to six weeks depending on its size. Fasting is when you do not give the tortoise any food. Weigh your tortoise often and keep a record. To help clear his gut of any remaining fecal mater, give your tortoise warm baths every day in a shallow dish of water.

This encourages him to pass feces and drink a lot, which will help clear out his stomach. Bacteria can build up and make him sick! Keep your tortoise in a temperature of This is a perfect time to let your tortoise wake up naturally. By moving the hibernation box to an area that is slightly warmer your tortoise will start slowly moving around the box, this may take a couple of days.

After the first two or three days of movement it is important to remove the tortoise and bath it in lukewarm water for about ten minutes to re-hydrate it and then return it to the warm vivarium. Again the reason we use vivariums in the spring is that between spring and summer temperatures are very unstable. In April we get a lot of rain and frost which are both dangerous to tortoises. This is to help extend their summer.

Many tortoises that wake up in spring and are left outside sometimes try to go back to sleep in April because its cold, wet and sometimes frosty, which is not a good idea. Once they are awake they should stay awake. Vivariums are one of the most important things to have when keeping tortoises as they can be used to extend the summer and reduce hibernation time. The hibernation box must be strong with a vented clip-on lid and stored between 3 — 7 degrees C in a rodent-free place.

Make sure you use soil or compost which will prevent dehydration, temperature fluctuation, and weight loss. Always remember that tortoises are cold-blooded creatures that depend on you to provide the right conditions for them to survive long term. Only put them outside when its dry warm weather and never leave them outside in damp wet and cold conditions. Join our email newsletter to get the latest tortoise related news, advice and special offers direct to your inbox Hibernation Advice.

Safe Hibernation The most traumatic time for a tortoise owner is at the end of the summer when nights draw in, temperatures start to drop and the first thoughts of hibernation come to mind.