Hibernation

[tsemiller]

Hi everyone , new to this page but already picked up lots of tips and advice My daughter got her wee horsefield, Rocky, about 5 months ago and he's the cutest thing ever! She does a great job looking after him as he eats well and is nice and active - dies need bringing out of his bed some mornings though lol. He is about 18 months now and was looking for advice on whether he should be hibernated its winter and how we should prepare for this - read a lot of conflicting advice on the subject so very confused!

 

[ascott]

Hello....cute little tort by the way.....so, brumation is a simple thing for a tortoise to do, it is the human participation that needs lots of education/research--so, happy to see you inquiring here

If the tort has been with you for less than an entire year of seasons then I would not suggest supporting brumation....that is my opinion. A few things you want to think about;

Do you have a proper place that you can store a brumating tortoise in (cool/dry/dark/quiet/rodent free place)?
Have you familiarized yourself with a good wind down process going into the cooler months?
Has your goal in mind been to offer food items/hydration/exercise all working towards brumation?

I can not stand not saying this, so please do not be upset with me----I mean no harm When I look at the pic you shared here I get gravely concerned about the substrate that you have in the enclosure....sand is a high risk substrate as it can lend a hand to an impacted tortoise (perhaps you can reduce the sand mixture by lets say coco coir at 75% and sand mixed in with it at 25%, and then on the side where the wood shavings are, you can replace that entirely with a more earth like material (coco coir or natural clean dirt) and be sure to offer the substrate as deep as possible without your tort being able to walk out....this is a species that has the deep seeded skill to submerge itself several feet into the dirt....so the deeper the better...

 

[tsemiller]

Thanks for the advice - want to learn as much as possible to keep little guy happy. Woodchip has been removed entirely and mixture of topsoil and sand in it's place. At the moment I have a 50/50 mix of untreated top soil and play sand (vet's advice) but will add more soil to make it deeper and less dry. Have also added some plants and hides since these photos were taken. Will add some updated pics soon.

Also wanted to ask about bathing him. He seems to enjoy a 15 minute bath every night and always produces a pee and a poo - regular as clockwork! Works well as he almost never does toilet in his enclosure and if he does, it's always in water. Is it ok to bath him every night?

Have a walk in cupboard at home I could keep him in winter that would work perfectly and will continue to collect info before I try to hibernate him - have been keeping regular record of his weight and diet for the vet so he can hopefully keep me right on the safest time to go ahead with this.

On the subject of weight, when we got tortoise he weighed 59 grams. We have had him 5 1/2 months and he now weighs 79 grams. I have read so many different opinions on what the correct weight gain is. I grow all my own weeds for him plus he has alfalfa hay and cuttlefish to snack on. He also enjoys carrot, courgettes, cabbage and beansprouts but mainly weeds and dandelions. I also sprinkle calcium powder on his food twice a week. Sorry for all the questions

 

[ascott]

If you have a location in mind for brumation....I would get temp readings for comparison sake...I mean, the temps should not fluctuate too much, but should rather remain within a couple degrees at the warmest time of day and should never fall below freezing at the coldest time of day (which is the hour or two just before dawn)....

Also, daily soaks are a fantastic thing to offer....so soak away

 

[tsemiller]

Think cupboard will be suitable but will take temperatures to make sure. Hopefully vet will keep me right too . Only concern I still have is weight gain and what is a healthy amount for tort to gain each month - happy with what we feed but just want to be sure not over-feeding! Anyone help??

 

[ascott]

If your goal is to educate yourself and develop a safe plan and place to support brumation, then I would not worry about overfeeding the tort....this is a species that will eat and eat and eat with anticipation of a long rest...my goal from the moment the torts come out of brumation here is to support grazing as much as possible and I also will supplement their diet with romaine, red and green leaf lettuce and a variety of other items high in water content.....this is just what I do here.

 

[dmmj]

I don't hibernate a new tortoise ( I have had it less than a year), Plus personally I don't like hibernating a tortoise under 4 years of age. Brumination is a physical reaction to cold weather so it is not 100 % vital, more of a personal choice.

 

[tsemiller]

Think I'll keep the wee guy awake this year thanks everyone for advice - so many conflicting opinions on how best to look after a tortoise! I thought I had done quite a bit of research before buying him but now realise how little I actually know and how many people give wrong advice lol. This site has been a godsend!