hibernating george for the first time please help

[charlotte1508]

Hello
Sorry if this has been asked before! George is my Hermanns and he is 7 I have never hibernated him before I always brought him in through the winter. I am really nervous and daunted by hibernation! He is living outside in a big enclosure with an indoor section with a heat lamp (I like to pamper him )

I am wondering if anyone can give me a step by step idiots guide to preparing him and where is best to keep him. Or if I should turn off his light and let him do it naturally but when do I start cutting his food down? I feed him mostly weeds like milk thistle dandelion etc watercress and some bits of veg and odd piece of fruit if my little boy doesn't eat it first!

Thank you

Charlotte

P.s I am in the UK xx

 

[ascott]

Is your cold time of year upon you? If so, then you likely have missed the opportunity to support brumation this winter.

The general idea should be the overall plan for brumation starts well before winter.

You will want the tort eat, hydrate, exercise and bask all of the good months of weather heading into winter setting themselves up for the winter sleep...so preparation is in the works for months before the few weeks right into winter arrives....

Lets say if you have planned for brumation since the good weather months began, you offered food and encouraged grazing for your tortoise(to plump him up with reserve weight--not a porker however)....you offered soaks and access to water to assure hydration (juicy up the tort)....you offer plenty of natural sun time and outside exercise time for physical and mental health....and during this time you observe your torts behavior so you are right in line with him so you can see all is going well and he is normal and healthy....if all works out and you are confident that you have a healthy plump juicy ready tort....then

A few weeks before you target time to brumate you stop offering food (allow him access to natural grazing only) and continue soaks--to assure hydration....and this will also aid him in moving any food out of his digestive tract so he will have a clear system, which is imperative...let him be outdoors so he can slow down with the weather cycles--which will offer him reminders to what his species is designed to do...not leaving him out during freezing weather or wet cold weather as you do not want to make him ill---but some of the cooler weather ....then begin to bring him in at the end of the day...without any artificial heat/lighting...and place him in his brumation box/container...in a location that does not rise about 50 degrees during the winter and that does not drop below freezing temps....I would offer him this brumation opportunity for a few weeks for his first brumation---you will eventually allow him to do what comes naturally for the full length of time...but suggest an opportunity for his body to recall what is natural without artificial light and heat being used....

When the tort is brumating, you can quietly peek in on him to assure he is resting....and when the three weeks are done the tort should slowly be warmed up over a couple of hours...should be soaked in a warm water soak...then do a visual check of your tort to assure eyes are clear (may not be instantly spunky) and nostrils clear and then set him up in his indoor enclosure and slowly resume his normal routine....

I am curious....what has inspired you to consider supporting brumation at this point? Is your tort difficult to keep active during the peak of winter? Is it difficult to keep nutritional offerings up to speed during the peak of winter?

Please do as much research as you can and become confident in the place and methods you will use to set up the most successful brumation for your tort and for you as well...

http://lllreptile.com/info/library/care-and-husbandry-articles/-/reptilian-brumation/

Just an informative link here...

 

[thatrebecca]

A few weeks before you target time to brumate you stop offering food (allow him access to natural grazing only) and continue soaks--to assure hydration....and this will also aid him in moving any food out of his digestive tract so he will have a clear system, which is imperative...let him be outdoors so he can slow down with the weather cycles--which will offer him reminders to what his species is designed to do...not leaving him out during freezing weather or wet cold weather as you do not want to make him ill---but some of the cooler weather ....then begin to bring him in at the end of the day...without any artificial heat/lighting...and place him in his brumation box/container...in a location that does not rise about 50 degrees during the winter and that does not drop below freezing temps....I would offer him this brumation opportunity for a few weeks for his first brumation---you will eventually allow him to do what comes naturally for the full length of time...but suggest an opportunity for his body to recall what is natural without artificial light and heat being used....

When the tort is brumating, you can quietly peek in on him to assure he is resting....and when the three weeks are done the tort should slowly be warmed up over a couple of hours...should be soaked in a warm water soak...then do a visual check of your tort to assure eyes are clear (may not be instantly spunky) and nostrils clear and then set him up in his indoor enclosure and slowly resume his normal routine....

I am curious....what has inspired you to consider supporting brumation at this point? Is your tort difficult to keep active during the peak of winter? Is it difficult to keep nutritional offerings up to speed during the peak of winter?

Please do as much research as you can and become confident in the place and methods you will use to set up the most successful brumation for your tort and for you as well...

http://lllreptile.com/info/library/care-and-husbandry-articles/-/reptilian-brumation/

Just an informative link here...

Interesting. I, too, am preparing for my first brumation season (although in my case I know the torts have brumated before with a prior keeper) and I hadn't thought of doing a mini, 3-week brumation. When would you do that? Early in the season? And how many weeks prior do you stop offering food?