Hibernation in London for the winter ?

[ictteacher]

Hi guys

It's getting to the end of September and the weather has turn to winter. Thinking about the current weather and how things can change for the bad in London I began to think about coco and what to do with her for this period. It would be my first Xmas looking after coco. I have a few question to ask. Does coco need to hibernate for the winter months? How would I know if she trying to hibernate? Do I leave her in her enclosure or box her up? How do you know when she would come out of hibernation? How should I feed her ( more food or less food then normal).

Information about coco are as follows.

Horsefield
I think she is 2 years old?
Size she is a 11cm long.


Thanks

Andre

 

[Yvonne G]

I like to allow my hibernating species to hibernate during the cold weather. It gives me a bit of a break from taking care of them. For the Horsfield's tortoises, I box them up in shredded paper in a cardboard box, and put them someplace quiet where it's going to be below 45F but above 40F. I don't box them up until they settle down and stop coming out of their hiding places during the day, and have stopped eating.

 

[george.T.tort]

I'm letting mine start to wind down for the winter before hibernation too.ive two marginated torts. I'm in Essex and mine have spent the summer in the garden. They shouldn't eat for between 4-6 weeks before hibernation to make sure their gut is empty of food. Continue allowing them to drink though. I double box mine in cardboard boxes insulated with shredded paper or similar. I will be hibernating mine in an old fridge with the door seals removed to allow for air flow and to keep a constant temperature of around 5degrees

 

[ictteacher]

I didn't know it had to be so cold for them to hibernate. I've got to storage room at the other end of my flat. So will have to get a Thermometer to see what's its normal temp.

 

[Yvonne G]

You don't want the temp to get down to freezing in the hibernatorium because their eyeballs might freeze.

 

[peasinapod]

If the storage room doesn't mantain the right temperatures you could look into the fridge method. There you have the bonus of having control over the temperatures.

Too warm = bad
Too cold = bad

 

[ictteacher]

Right when she goes into hibernation how long will she be out for?

 

[peasinapod]

Different people will tell you different things. I plan on trying to have Peter start brumating no earlier than the middle of octobre, then I'll hibernate him until march, there I'll decide when to wake him up depending on the temperatures. So more or less 5 months.

 

[ictteacher]

I've just read some one else tread on the forum about hibernation. This person was talking about only having there tortoise/ turtle for only half a year. It seem that the advise was too not hibernation in the first year so you can see if she is healthy.

So it leads me on to my little one, its the first year that she will be with me I think she is two years old and I don't think she has hibernated before. Should I keep her awake this year???

 

[bingbongbibidybobbo]

I have a russian and I've got no intentions of hibernating him. He has an indoor enclosure (for at night) and goes out in the garden in the day. I believe him to be around 2 years old and I've had him 18 months. I'd rather hibernate him when hes/shes older and when I am more experienced

Sent from my GT-N7100 using TortForum mobile app

 

[ascott]

was too not hibernation in the first year

Yes, this is my preference as well.....you really need a full year to establish a "normal" behavior pattern so that you will notice any changes straight away....this will also allow you a full year to provide food, exercise, hydration and such so the tort will be at optimum levels...

Just my opinion.