Hibernating

[ashleydejuliannie]

Anyone have any advice on what to do when Hermann tortoises hibernate? I have read up on it and am still clueless. I guess the Internet doesn't have all the answers. Hopefully you guys do

 

[cemmons12]

I have a 9 year old Russian female, but I just refuse to let her hibernate during the winter months. With my p*ss poor luck she wouldnt wake back up. But I suppose its up to the owner if they want to put them out for the winter. Anyways, I would miss her little silly face all winter long.

 

[ascott]

Dan gave you a good link for information....educate yourself as much as possible...also, if you have had your tort for less than a year I would hold off....it is important for you to get to know your torts normal behaviors over an extended period of time, this will allow you to notice quickly if our tort ever begins to act out of sorts....

Also, your simple question here will get you alot of opinions of supporting this natural part of the life cycle of some species of torts...read here to understand;

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-38255.html

 

[ashleydejuliannie]

Thank you! And do you have to hibernate Hermann tortoises? I really don't want too.

 

[GBtortoises]

Anyone have any advice on what to do when Hermann tortoises hibernate? I have read up on it and am still clueless. I guess the Internet doesn't have all the answers. Hopefully you guys do

You don't mention if your tortoise is being kept indoors or outdoors. If it is indoors, kept under normal activity temperature and light levels it will not have the environmental clues to begin preparing for hibernation. If it is kept outdoors 24/7 it will begin to prepare for hibernation on it's own in the late summer. If you do not want it to begin hibernation it should be brought indoors long before outdoor temperatures begin getting cooler and days shorter. It can then be maintained at activity levels through the winter and put back outdoors in the late spring. The determination as to when your tortoise can go outdoors for the summer and come in for the fall will depend solely on your local climate. If you want your tortoise to hibernate it can be done semi-naturally outdoors as long as proper conditions are provided for it or artificially indoors with the right equipment. Depending upon what you want your tortoise to do, hibernate or stay awake through the winter will depend upon how comfortable you are doing either.

 

[ashleydejuliannie]

It's indoors. I'm happy to know I can prevent hibernation. Thank you

 

[ascott]

If it is indoors, kept under normal activity temperature and light levels it will not have the environmental clues to begin preparing for hibernation.

This is not necessarily true of all torts....you can try and see how your tort responds to attempts to trick it....and it might work and it might not----if you find that it does not, then you will want to have a back up plan "B"....just giving heads up to ya....

 

[GBtortoises]

"This is not necessarily true of all torts...." This is absolutely true of all hibernation capable Testudo species. Current and previous light duration, intensity, temperatures and to a degree, humidity levels and food availability regulate their every move, whether indoors in captivity, outdoors in captivity or in the wild.

 

[ashleydejuliannie]

Okay! Thank you I'm so excited to get a tort!

 

[ascott]

This is absolutely true of all hibernation capable Testudo species.

I am happy to agree to disagree with you on this....it is aok to have two different opinions on a subject that is simply not able to use the word "all"....nothing in life is able to wear that word....

 

[ashleydejuliannie]

Okay, that's good to know Thanks to all of you helpful people on this forum my soon to be getting tort will be healthy and happy!

 

[GBtortoises]

This is absolutely true of all hibernation capable Testudo species.

I am happy to agree to disagree with you on this....it is aok to have two different opinions on a subject that is simply not able to use the word "all"....nothing in life is able to wear that word....

Ascott-It's not a matter of human opinion, mine or anyone else's. it's a matter of inherent natural instincts on the animal's part. Instincts that have played a key role in the species survival throughout time. The instincts aren't going to be changed by man in any short time, but in captivity the environmental conditions that trigger the reaction to those instincts can easily be altered to essentially "fool" the animal each and every time. Altering captive environmental conditions is precisely what has enabled many species of reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds and more to reproduce so sucessfully outside of the their natural environment.

In the interest of not taking over the OP's thread you're more than welcome to pm me if you want discuss the topic further.

 

[ascott]

In the interest of not taking over the OP's thread you're more than welcome to pm me if you want discuss the topic further.

I have no desire to further debate the topic, I am fully aware of how pm's work and how to utilize them, if I choose to....but thank you for that detailed instruction....as I said, I am happy to agree to disagree with you on this subject....as you pointed out;

Instincts that have played a key role in the species survival throughout time. The instincts aren't going to be changed by man in any short time,

Also, can not always be fooled....not even by man in a forced captive environment....some can, but not all---THIS was my point....however, I will agree with you, I have no further interest in continuing our disagreement--at all

 

[ashleydejuliannie]

I am so confused right now...... I don't know if I can or can not have a Hermann tortoise hibernate....

 

[abclements]

Simply put, yes you can have it so your tort never hibernates as long as you don't let your tort see seasonal changes. Ie my tort (although a non hibernating species) sees 14 hours of light every single day of the year. If you don't "shorten" your artificial days and don't lower the temperature significantly, you should never have to worry about hibernating.

It has been said many times on here that a lot of keepers don't hibernate their torts and nothing bad has ever happened.
So if you're uncomfortable with hibernating, I would skip it. Hope this helps!

 

[ashleydejuliannie]

Thank you so much! Because I am 100% uncomfortable with hibernating a tort.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Anyone have any advice on what to do when Hermann tortoises hibernate? I have read up on it and am still clueless. I guess the Internet doesn't have all the answers. Hopefully you guys do

In nearly 40 years of tortoise keeping, I've never hibernated any of mine...no real need to do so, and there's always a risk they'll not wake up. Why risk it?

 

[THBfriend]

Thank you so much! Because I am 100% uncomfortable with hibernating a tort.

You shouldn't be. Hibernation is realtively simple if you know what to do. The fridge method for example is easy and quite safe.
For the past six years I've hibernated around 30 Hermann's tortoises, most of them hatchlings and juveniles, and they all made it through just fine.

In nearly 40 years of tortoise keeping, I've never hibernated any of mine...no real need to do so, and there's always a risk they'll not wake up. Why risk it?

If you leave the house, there's always a risk you'll slip and break your neck, or maybe get hit by a car, etc. So why risk it?

Seriously, if you want to keep Hermann's tortoises under healthy natural conditions, you should let them hibernate. I have no scientific proof to back this up, but I've heard that denying a Hermann's tortoise regular hibernation can lead to reproduction problems up to infertility and also weakens the immune system. It's also logical that no hibernation leads to faster growth (and most of our captive tortoises already grow too fast even with hibernation) and probably reduces their life expectancy (the candle that burns 12 months a year instead of 7 months a year won't last as long).

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Seriously, if you want to keep Hermann's tortoises under healthy natural conditions, you should let them hibernate. I have no scientific proof to back this up, but I've heard that denying a Hermann's tortoise regular hibernation can lead to reproduction problems up to infertility and also weakens the immune system.

Some folks used to think this, but it has since been disproved...European tortoises that have never been hibernated still reproduce enthusiastically. Nor does not hibernating them have any affect on their immune systems.

It's also logical that no hibernation leads to faster growth (and most of our captive tortoises already grow too fast even with hibernation) and probably reduces their life expectancy (the candle that burns 12 months a year instead of 7 months a year won't last as long).

No reason to think that, either. My first Hermann's, who'd been my grandfather's pet for over 30 years, upon his passing became my pet for another 19 years, and was at least 10 years old when he found her, and possibly as old as mid-20s, so, upon her passing was at least 60 and possibly as old as 75...a ripe old age.
[/quote]

Hibernation is absolutely optional.

 

[ascott]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-38255.html

Please understand that when you toss the word brumation or hibernation out in to this Forum (as well as many other places )...you will GENERALLY get a vast array of comments, opinions and a bunch of other stuff....so, you will really need to determine where you stand on the entire subject, then and only then, will you decide what you will or will not support as part of a life cycle....