Hibernation

As the summer months draw to a close, most Mediterranean tortoises will begin to slow down; just like they would in the wild.

Many keepers begin to worry, and a lot of tortoise message boards are FULL of questions regarding hibernation.

In this page I am going to describe how I hibernate my own tortoises each winter.

The first point to check when hibernating your tortoise is to find where they are going to be hibernated. When tortoises hibernate, they need to be kept between 3c and 7c. Some people benefit from having an outbuilding made from brick, which is often a good way to hibernate your tortoise. However, with the effects of 'global warming' some places are much too warm to hibernate your tortoise. For this reason, many keepers have adopted the method of 'Fridge Hibernation'. Using a fridge may sound shocking, but it is very successful for hibernation, as a food fridge keeps temperatures between 3c-7c if the thermostat is set correctly. I have personally had great success using this method. For more detailed information about the fridge hibernation method, please check the Tortoise Trust Guide, by Clicking Here.

Hibernating species include: Ibera, Marginated, Hermanns, Horsfields/Russian tortoises. 

The First step I take with my tortoises is to decide if they are healthy for hibernation. I weigh them around August, and then start weighing more frequently each week to check that they are not underweight.  I also check that my tortoises eyes, ears and mouth are clear and healthy, and keep a very close eye on their general activity.

Usually, my tortoises let me know when they want to begin to hibernate, they often slow down and sleep more often, and are less tempted by food as they usually are. When my tortoises are slowing down, I begin 'wind down' this is a period of starvation for my tortoises, this is to replicate what would happen in the wild at the beginning of winter. For smaller tortoises, I starve them for around 3 weeks. This is to ensure that their digestive system is empty completely before hibernation. During this time, I hydrate them daily by giving them a long, soak in warm water. My older, larger tortoises, take a longer time to wind down, between 4-5 weeks.

It is extremely important not to feed your tortoise ANYTHING during wind down, they can survive perfectly well without food, and feeding them a last meal, can and will be fatal to your tortoise.

Once my tortoises have wound down for the appropriate amount of time, I give them one last bath and then put them into their hibernation boxes. I use plastic sandwich boxes filled with the tortoises substrate. The substrate allows the tortoises to bury down, and the plastic sandwich box means that you can shut the lid tight- meaning they cannot escape and touch the cooling element of the fridge. I make sure there is adequate ventilation by piercing a few holes in the lid of the box. Once I put all of my tortoises in their hibernation box, I transfer them to a cool room so that they settle down, and then I put them into the fridge.

If using the box hibernation method- a plastic sandwich box would not offer suitable insulation. Instead, a polystyrene box filled with the tortoise's usual substrate is much more effective. Polystyrene boxes can be obtained from tropical fish shops, where they are used for transporting fish, or from butchers.

During the hibernation process I use two thermometers in the fridge, one inside the box, and one to take the air temperature of the fridge.

I open the fridge door daily and 'waft' the door. This is to allow good air exchange for the tortoises. However, during the first two weeks of hibernation, I do not weigh them, as they are not completely settled.

After the first two weeks, I then have weekly weigh ins of my tortoises. I also check that they are alive and well by 'tweaking' their back leg to check their reaction. Taking your tortoise out of the box in a cool dark room to weigh them will not disturb their hibernation, however, if they are weighed in a warm room with bright lights, they may be disturbed. For this reason I always turn the lights off in the room where I weigh my tortoises.

When should I wake my tortoise Up? and How?

I judge when to wake my tortoises by their weight. Once my tortoises are close to loosing 10% of their pre-hibernation weight, I move them out of their fridge and into a warm room for a few hours. After about an hour in a warm room, the tortoises start to stir and begin to climb to the top of their boxes. Once they have climbed to the top of their boxes, I encourage them to drink by giving them an extra-long soak. I usually leave them in their bath for about 40 minutes, and top up the water constantly so that it is kept warm. To encourage my tortoises to drink, I lap water over their faces and shells.

They then are placed under their heat lamp and offered food and a large dish of water to encourage them to eat and drink. After a few hours, my tortoises generally start to eat, although sometimes they can take a day or two to start eating. For the first few weeks after hibernation I give my tortoises daily soaks to keep their hydration up, this also encourages them to eat.

If your tortoise is seems ill, off their food, or is having trouble coming out of hibernation, do not hesitate to contact a reputable and experienced tortoise vet.

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