Hello lovely tortoise people,
I am extremely stressed/worried/upset this evening as I am just back from university for Christmas and asked my mother about my Russian tortoise Simon whenever I got home and wanted to know where he was. She casually said "oh he is hibernating" and I nearly passed out. She was minding him for me this semester as I couldn't take him with me for these few months and I told her not to hibernate him with my not there as he has never hibernated before and she doesn't know a lot about reptiles apart from the basic care guidelines she knows for Simon.
She said Simon was restless and not eating which he is every winter and I know is rather normal for his species, I usually just make sure his temperatures are good and keep giving him regular bathing and offer him food adlib in case he feels so inclined. But she said she had him out in the garage with his lamp on (we live in Ireland so this is not a good idea, I was unaware of this). And then he stopped coming out of his hide at all. So she assumed he had hibernated and was afraid to disturb him.
Now I have no idea what to do as I have just come home to this and am so worried that it could kill him. I was always so meticulously careful about him at this time of year as I've read so much on the strict guidelines on hibernating, on their ideal weights, making sure no food is left in the digestive tract, getting a vet check, keeping a constant temeperature. And in Simon's case this has not been done so I am terrified.
I really really need advice as right now I have no idea what to do next. Whether I should leave him or attempt to wake him up or what's the best call of action in a situation like this.
Some background info: he is approximately 7-8 years old, he is in an insulated garage in his pen under his substrate and hay. The outdoor temperature is 5 celcius at the moment.
Thank you in advance,
a very stressed and worried Cristín
I am extremely stressed/worried/upset this evening as I am just back from university for Christmas and asked my mother about my Russian tortoise Simon whenever I got home and wanted to know where he was. She casually said "oh he is hibernating" and I nearly passed out. She was minding him for me this semester as I couldn't take him with me for these few months and I told her not to hibernate him with my not there as he has never hibernated before and she doesn't know a lot about reptiles apart from the basic care guidelines she knows for Simon.
She said Simon was restless and not eating which he is every winter and I know is rather normal for his species, I usually just make sure his temperatures are good and keep giving him regular bathing and offer him food adlib in case he feels so inclined. But she said she had him out in the garage with his lamp on (we live in Ireland so this is not a good idea, I was unaware of this). And then he stopped coming out of his hide at all. So she assumed he had hibernated and was afraid to disturb him.
Now I have no idea what to do as I have just come home to this and am so worried that it could kill him. I was always so meticulously careful about him at this time of year as I've read so much on the strict guidelines on hibernating, on their ideal weights, making sure no food is left in the digestive tract, getting a vet check, keeping a constant temeperature. And in Simon's case this has not been done so I am terrified.
I really really need advice as right now I have no idea what to do next. Whether I should leave him or attempt to wake him up or what's the best call of action in a situation like this.
Some background info: he is approximately 7-8 years old, he is in an insulated garage in his pen under his substrate and hay. The outdoor temperature is 5 celcius at the moment.
Thank you in advance,
a very stressed and worried Cristín