Brumation Failure?

[MariaBingham]

Hello Gurus
I have been reducing the temperature in the enclosures of my two Herman tortoises for the past two weeks. However, the outside temperate here in the South of the UK has increased and I have been unable to reduce their enclosure temperature below 15 degrees. I could move them into the cellar but the thermometer reads just 11 degrees and the fridge is 5 degrees. So last night was the planned date. I put them in their shoe boxes filled with coconut coir substrate, topped with newspaper and they both promptly crawled out!
Can you please advise?
Many thanks

 

[TammyJ]

@Tom

 

[Tom]

Hello Gurus
I have been reducing the temperature in the enclosures of my two Herman tortoises for the past two weeks. However, the outside temperate here in the South of the UK has increased and I have been unable to reduce their enclosure temperature below 15 degrees. I could move them into the cellar but the thermometer reads just 11 degrees and the fridge is 5 degrees. So last night was the planned date. I put them in their shoe boxes filled with coconut coir substrate, topped with newspaper and they both promptly crawled out!
Can you please advise?
Many thanks

They should not be able to crawl out of whatever box you use to keep them in the fridge.

 

[MariaBingham]

Thanks Tim. I realise now that the shoe box is not appropriate.

 

[MariaBingham]

Sorry, Thanks Tim. I realise now that the shoe box is not appropriate.

 

[MariaBingham]

Apologies, fat fingers, Tom x

 

[TammyJ]

Welcome and please let us know how it goes!

 

[Tom]

Thanks Tim. I realise now that the shoe box is not appropriate.

I use shoe boxes most of the time. For a larger eastern Hermanns tortoise, you may need something a little bigger, and a box with latches that hold on the lid. Like this:

 

[TammyJ]

Just a random remark here: I really don't think I would ever like to go through this tortoise brumation thing. It seems so stressful and is it really necessary since the owner has the choice of just keeping the tortoise awake by temperature regulation? Suppose you get the right box, put the tortoise in it in the fridge all closed up, and the tortoise tries to climb out and ends up on its back...!? You would have to keep checking it, that would affect the temperature...🤔

 

[Maggie3fan]

Just a random remark here: I really don't think I would ever like to go through this tortoise brumation thing. It seems so stressful and is it really necessary since the owner has the choice of just keeping the tortoise awake by temperature regulation? Suppose you get the right box, put the tortoise in it in the fridge all closed up, and the tortoise tries to climb out and ends up on its back...!? You would have to keep checking it, that would affect the temperature...🤔

That's kind of randomly bad Tammy. However..I agree with most of that...I don't hibernate any of my reptiles. I don't breed any and for me that would be the only reason to hibernate them.
Before I ever kept a tortoise I had gotten injured on the job and couldn't work, so I hung out with my sister. At that time she was president of the local tort group, I forget the name...but what I came away from those meetings was; knowing if I ever kept tortoises I would NEVER hibernate them as at those meeting all everybody talked about was how many or their tortoises never came back up...
I am afraid to hibernate any...

 

[Tom]

Just a random remark here: I really don't think I would ever like to go through this tortoise brumation thing. It seems so stressful and is it really necessary since the owner has the choice of just keeping the tortoise awake by temperature regulation? Suppose you get the right box, put the tortoise in it in the fridge all closed up, and the tortoise tries to climb out and ends up on its back...!? You would have to keep checking it, that would affect the temperature...🤔

That's kind of randomly bad Tammy. However..I agree with most of that...I don't hibernate any of my reptiles. I don't breed any and for me that would be the only reason to hibernate them.
Before I ever kept a tortoise I had gotten injured on the job and couldn't work, so I hung out with my sister. At that time she was president of the local tort group, I forget the name...but what I came away from those meetings was; knowing if I ever kept tortoises I would NEVER hibernate them as at those meeting all everybody talked about was how many or their tortoises never came back up...
I am afraid to hibernate any...

Its really no big deal. Done correctly, it is just a normal natural part of their lives. Its not stressful to me in any way. Its relaxing knowing I'm doing what is best for those temperate animals. I've never had a tortoise flip in 30+ years of brumating them. I've never had any trouble brumating any temperate reptile over all those years, when done correctly. Snakes, lizards, turtles and tortoises. All fine.

The horror stories are from people doing things the wrong way. Its no different than all the stories of tortoises that are wide awake and eating screws on the floor, or drowning in ramped water bowls, or wandering off into the wilderness because people didn't contain them in a safe outdoor enclosure, or eating their sandy substrate and getting impacted... Just look at all the ways tortoises die or are harmed when they are NOT being brumated. All of these bad things happen because of human error. That is why we all try to help reduce those errors as much as we can. I wonder how many tortoises have died because they were up and awake and got into something that they would not have gotten in to if they were sleeping the winter away?

 

[TammyJ]

I certainly do understand that if it's done the right way, then it's the best and natural thing for these brumating species. But I also see how scary it can be for people who are unsure of themselves about it.

 

[MariaBingham]

I do find it scary Tammy, but this is through lack of experience. The support from the experts on this site is very reassuring. Thank you to all for you help and advice. My critters are now sleeping peacefully in the cellar for a few days until they are moved in to the fridge. My fridge temperature is set a 5 degrees and goes no higher than this. Will it be too cold for my 4 and a half year old Herman tortoises?

 

[Tom]

My fridge temperature is set a 5 degrees and goes no higher than this. Will it be too cold for my 4 and a half year old Herman tortoises?

A consistent 5C is great for hermanni. I wouldn't go below 3 or any higher than 7 or 8C, but 5 is perfect.

 

[MariaBingham]

Thanks Tom. Appreciate your input.