hibernating tortoises

KiwiSue

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I have a Hermann's tortoise who decided to dig a hole in my small backyard and brumate himself.
This is in Denver, Colorado and it's near the end of October.Yesterday was 78 degrees,so the weather here is weird,we get cold then warm weather that melts all the snow even in winter
Should I cover him up more to stop him freezing as he isn't that deep?
Any other advice?
 

Millerlite

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Make sure its not in a flooding area where he's at. It you do decide to let him hibernate. Pile a bunch of leaves around the area help insulate the area. Also helps snow and water not hit directly on the area he's dug into. You can also take him out and have a hibernation box which is more controlled. More people can chime in and help out. We don't have hard winters here so never really have to do too much

Kyle
 

JoesMum

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I have a Hermann's tortoise who decided to dig a hole in my small backyard and brumate himself.
This is in Denver, Colorado and it's near the end of October.Yesterday was 78 degrees,so the weather here is weird,we get cold then warm weather that melts all the snow even in winter
Should I cover him up more to stop him freezing as he isn't that deep?
Any other advice?

Digging his own hole sounds good, but is potentially dangerous.

A tortoise needs to stay cool enough, but not freeze.

It also needs to stay dry - cold and wet can kill a tortoise - and obviously it needs to be totally free from flood risk.

And finally it needs to be free from risk of being chewed by rodents or attack by other predators while it is in a state where it cannot get away.

Personally, I would not allow a tortoise to hibernate itself outside. The risks are too high. I would dig him up, clean him up and hibernate him safely in a fridge, double boxed.... or @Yvonne G does it by proving a large deep box of earth in a dry place that the tortoise can dig into.
 

KiwiSue

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My 6 year old tortoise decided to dig a hole and hibernate himself about a week ago. He isn't really deep,so I am worried about him maybe freezing. Should I cover him with something or dig him out and stick him in his tank somewhere dark and cool?
Thanks
 

KiwiSue

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Thanks,that was what I was worried about,he hates his tank,which is pretty big,bit maybe if I filled it with wood chips he could bury himself. I think that is what he has been trying to do lately,as he kept disappearing.
 

KiwiSue

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Also ,do you just get soil from a garden store? I have never hibernated him properly. I usually just cover his tank with towels in a quiet dark room.
 

JoesMum

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In order to safely hibernate he needs a stable ambient temperature between around 5C / 40F. Never below freezing and not above 10C / 50F
 

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