Hi, I'm a new user!

Miesha

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Hi, I'm Miesha and I'm new to this site!
I've had two 10 year old twin brother spur thighs for little over 8 months now (i got them around late March), I got them from a tortoise rescue shelter and can happily say that after wanting one for basically all my life i now have TWO amazing tortoises!
I was told by the shelter they only hibernate for 2 months and that i should get them ready to hibernate this January. Since this is my first hibernation I'm a little worried and any information would be VERY HELPFUL!

Thank you :)
 

Jodie

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Welcome to the forum. It you keep them inside, you don't have to hibernate them. If you do hibernate them, make sure to do it correctly. Do a search on it, and you will find a lot of information.
 

Miesha

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Welcome to the forum. It you keep them inside, you don't have to hibernate them. If you do hibernate them, make sure to do it correctly. Do a search on it, and you will find a lot of information.
Thank you, I've got them inside at the moment so do you suggest i just keep them inside for winter instead of hibernating them?
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Tom recently answered a hibernation question on the Russian section. Here's a link. Scroll down to post #2
 

popeye tortoise

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Miesha, Welcome to the forum. I have been raising Sulcatas for years In Pennsylvannia and do not hibernate them. I house them indoors in the cold weather. They need a lot of room and a great heat source if you are keeping them in a barn or a garaged area.
 

Miesha

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Miesha, Welcome to the forum. I have been raising Sulcatas for years In Pennsylvannia and do not hibernate them. I house them indoors in the cold weather. They need a lot of room and a great heat source if you are keeping them in a barn or a garaged area.
thank you so much! I have been seeing little signs now and then that make me think that maybe they are not both boys, just wondering if you have any advice?
 

popeye tortoise

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I am a newbie to this forum and I know the best thing to do is send pictures. This allows the experience Keepers see what you are talking about. As you can see I have not figured out the picture thing yet LOL!!!
 

Miesha

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I am a newbie to this forum and I know the best thing to do is send pictures. This allows the experience Keepers see what you are talking about. As you can see I have not figured out the picture thing yet LOL!!!
okay thank you, I think there's a issue with uploading pictures at the moment I saw a few people talking about it and was unable to upload myself, Hopefully it will be sorted out soon!
 

Jodie

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Thank you, I've got them inside at the moment so do you suggest i just keep them inside for winter instead of hibernating them?
If you have a good indoor enclosure, yes. Once you know them well, and their behavior, you can research and decide if you want to hibernate.
 

Jodie

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Miesha, Welcome to the forum. I have been raising Sulcatas for years In Pennsylvannia and do not hibernate them. I house them indoors in the cold weather. They need a lot of room and a great heat source if you are keeping them in a barn or a garaged area.
I am very glad to hear this, Sulcatas do not hibernate.
 

popeye tortoise

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Not to hibernate is not for everyone. I get to enjoy them all year around, it was a task to build a large indoor pen but worth it.


Thanks
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Hello,Miesha, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
I don't hibernate my little Greek Spur-thighed, myself, partly as she's still quite young and partly because I want to be with her!
I keep up my temperatures and offer extra tasty treats when she begins to prepare for brumation (hibernation) and she soon snaps out of it and acts normally for the rest of the winter.
i'm not sure January is a good time to let them sleep, they enter hibernation in nature a couple of months earlier than this and by January are almost ready to start emerging (Feb or March).
If i were you i'd leave it for this year and consider the options again next autumn.
Some useful threads for you. ;
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-testudo-graeca-care-sheet-overview.87146/
as well as http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pairs.34837/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/bad-day-for-baby.114328/
Keep a close eye on your tortoises if they are housed together.
You may well need to separate them, the signs of bullying can be subtle.
 

Miesha

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Thank you for the help!
When I first got them from the shelter they did use to 'bully' each other but they soon stopped that and I haven't seen any signs since of it since. I think it was partly over food so I started putting two portions of food out separate from each other and that seemed to work.
 
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