Hi my name is Linda and I just got my Russian tortoise over the summer, or I should say inhereted it. I work at vet clinic and Good Sam found it and brought it in. So I adobted it. I have read alot about the hibernation info and noticed that my tortoise is burying herself in ground in her in closer outside. I bring her in at night cause she is still to small to leave out. Question is should I start to prep her to hibernate since she is showing signs? She has not been eating a lot for about a week. This is first winter for both of us so I could use some advise. Thank you.
New at hibernating...
- Thread starter lmason@48
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- Apr 3, 2013
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Hi Linda
There is no rule that you have to hibernate any tort ! And if you haven't had your a full year you shouldn't hibernate your tort no matter how big it is , cause you don't know it's health yet , you don't know it's diet has been ! But it's your tort !
There is no rule that you have to hibernate any tort ! And if you haven't had your a full year you shouldn't hibernate your tort no matter how big it is , cause you don't know it's health yet , you don't know it's diet has been ! But it's your tort !
Hello and Welcome. I second Grandpa Turtle 144 post/advice.
And I third it.
Hello, Linda, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Make sure he gets 'sunlight', real or artificial for 12 to 14 hours a day, keep the temps high and offer tempting foods and he'll give up trying to hibernate in a couple of weeks.
Hello, Linda, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Make sure he gets 'sunlight', real or artificial for 12 to 14 hours a day, keep the temps high and offer tempting foods and he'll give up trying to hibernate in a couple of weeks.
Thanks for all the advice, I had not planned on hibernating her. She goes outdoors in day in her inclosure which has full sun most of day and I bring her in at night. I plan on keeping her indoors when weather gets cold and will supply her a basking lamp. I will continue to feed her she loves hibiscus and dandilion greens.
Welcome Linda, are you in Templeton California?
If your tortoise is outside right now, you may need to bring her in sooner than anticipated; as mentioned above, keeping her up can require lots of hours of artificial light.
I’m in Southern California; we hibernate. My Russian has slowed down early due to a bunch of cloudy weather we’ve had; lots of burrow digging. I’m pretty sure I can get her active again now that the sun has returned. But I’m getting her hibernation fridge ready early, to be on the safe side.
Once they go down, it can be fairly hard to keep them up. So hibernation or not, it’s time to start getting ready for fall/winter!
If your tortoise is outside right now, you may need to bring her in sooner than anticipated; as mentioned above, keeping her up can require lots of hours of artificial light.
I’m in Southern California; we hibernate. My Russian has slowed down early due to a bunch of cloudy weather we’ve had; lots of burrow digging. I’m pretty sure I can get her active again now that the sun has returned. But I’m getting her hibernation fridge ready early, to be on the safe side.
Once they go down, it can be fairly hard to keep them up. So hibernation or not, it’s time to start getting ready for fall/winter!
