Safe weight for Hibernation

Mason181

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Hello all.
I am Hibernating my Marginated Tortoise this year for the first time and I am confident about everything except for weight. As his species is marginated I havent been able to find any information on a healthy weight for tortoises his size.
I have been fasting him since late november and he has been rececing frequent soakings to ensure he is hydrated. I will be hibernating him inside a fridge at around 4 degrees celcius and I intend to begin his hibernation on the 27th and end it on the 3rd of feburary.

So the question is about his weight. He is currently 642 grams and is 16 centimeters long. Is this a healthy weight
At the beiging of his fasting period he was 685 grams on the 28th of november.
Any clarifaction if I should go ahead with the hibernation would be much appreacited.
 

KarenSoCal

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I have no experience with marginated tortoises.

But generally, it's said that a tort should not lose more than 10% of his weight during brumation. I'm wondering why he's been awake for so long using up his stored resources? There needs to be at least 2 weeks of fasting to empty the digestive tract, but this has been 4 weeks, and he's lost a lot of weight already.

Have you started cooling him at all? You can't just take him from room temp and put him in the fridge...he needs to be slowly cooled down. If he's outside, are the nighttime temps close to 4°C?

Depending on your answers, I'm thinking you might want to abandon brumation this year and keep him inside and feed him.

I'll tag others for their opinions.

@Tom
@HermanniChris
 

Mason181

New Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2019
Messages
12
Location (City and/or State)
surrey
I have no experience with marginated tortoises.

But generally, it's said that a tort should not lose more than 10% of his weight during brumation. I'm wondering why he's been awake for so long using up his stored resources? There needs to be at least 2 weeks of fasting to empty the digestive tract, but this has been 4 weeks, and he's lost a lot of weight already.

Have you started cooling him at all? You can't just take him from room temp and put him in the fridge...he needs to be slowly cooled down. If he's outside, are the nighttime temps close to 4°C?

Depending on your answers, I'm thinking you might want to abandon brumation this year and keep him inside and feed him.

I'll tag others for their opinions.

@Tom
@HermanniChris

Yes I have been cooling him he has been kept at around 10 degres celcius. I do intend to weigh him regualry in Hibernation to make sure that he doesnt lose to much weight but he isnt outside in the evening due to predators such as foxes and such. His behavoiur is slowed right down already sleeping for most of the day only moving to go to a favoured sleeping spot when I put him on his table.
 

KarenSoCal

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Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
Yes I have been cooling him he has been kept at around 10 degres celcius. I do intend to weigh him regualry in Hibernation to make sure that he doesnt lose to much weight but he isnt outside in the evening due to predators such as foxes and such. His behavoiur is slowed right down already sleeping for most of the day only moving to go to a favoured sleeping spot when I put him on his table.

I'm glad to hear you have cooled him. I don't know of any reason you shouldn't go ahead with the fridge.
 

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