To hibernate, or not to hibernate.

[NathanMorrow6]

I am quite sure that I'm buying an adult Russian group (2.3), and I want to add the Russian I've had for awhile into this group, and I realize that hibernation is important for breeding, but I have a few concerns.

1. Not sure if she's wild caught. So I don't know if breeding her is even worth it, and I'm worried about her being completely healthy. I got her as a rescue, and the person I got her from got her at petsmart.

2. Parasites. I'm not sure how to check for them. Should I bring her to the local vet for an all around check up?

3. I don't know her age, so would it be dumb to add her into the group? And if I did, would her hatchlings be less valuable since she's so mysterious?

That's the main stuff. As far as hibernation, I should decrease her food intake gradually down to nothing, make sure she has cleared her digestive system, hydrate her, and get a weight on her, right? I believe those are the steps.

Thank you.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Nathan
You should hibernate any tort for the first 12 months . You don't know torts health well enough , does it have enough. Fats stored up to last .
You don't have to hibernate any tort . Give it 12-14 hours of light and keep the heat up . And the tort will not hibernate .
And you need to quartine the two groups of torts for at least 6 months .
But have a great day ! Good luck !

 

[JoesMum]

Hello Nathan
You should hibernate any tort for the first 12 months . You don't know torts health well enough , does it have enough. Fats stored up to last .
You don't have to hibernate any tort . Give it 12-14 hours of light and keep the heat up . And the tort will not hibernate .
And you need to quartine the two groups of torts for at least 6 months .
But have a great day ! Good luck !

That first sentence has an important word missing...

You should NOT hibernate any tort for the first 12 months of ownership

 

[Tom]

First of all, know that it is very un-likely that a 2.3 group of russians is going to get along. The males will likely try to kill each other. Even if by some miraculous chance they have existed this way wherever they are, when you move them into new territory and small indoor confines for winter, that tenuous peace is not likely to last. Are you prepared to house 6 tortoises individually in large enclosures indoors? That is the contingency plan you will need.

1. If its from Petsmart it is WC. I don't understand what her being WC, or not, has to do with making it "worth it" to breed her, or not. Can you explain what difference that makes to you?
2. You can take a fecal sample to an experienced tortoise vet. They will be able to tell you if there are parasitic ova in that sample, and that is all they will be able to tell you. There are a host of other diseases and pathogens that can be carried by WC Russians that are difficult or impossible to diagnose without a necropsy on a dead animal. Be aware of the risks you are taking by mixing animals. If one of them is asymptomatically carrying something, the stress of new confines and new cage mates may hamper the immune system enough to let the disease take over. Also the other tortoises might not have the same resistance to this new and novel pathogen that the asymptomatic carrier has. The point here is that: Its a gamble. With their lives. Proceed with caution.
3. No and no.

Hibernation is a longer process than that. There have been many threads on it in the past. Search around and see what you can find. I don't have time to type it all out this morning.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

That first sentence has an important word missing...

You should NOT hibernate any tort for the first 12 months of ownership

Your right with old age comes brain farts . Thank you for seeing it ! " not " is important !

 

[Yvonne G]

I always recommend keeping new-to-you tortoises up for their first winter with you. You haven't had the animals long enough to recognize if they are completely healthy enough or heavy enough to withstand hibernation.

 

[NathanMorrow6]

Okay. I'll keep them up for the winter.

I'll have 4 4x4 or 2 8x4 enclosures so I can separate the males and and keep the females together or keep them in smaller groups. During the warm months, they'll be in a large outdoor enclosure, and I'll keep an eye on the males and be ready to pull one of them. With that being said, during breeding season, I've learned from Chris Leone that some fighting is okay to promote natural behavior.

As far as the wild caught stuff, I was just concerned about the health stuff. I brought her to the vet, and he gave me the ok to add her to a group. She's very active, eats great, and defecates regularly, and all around seems healthy.

They are a young breeding group, so they might not be quite ready. With that being said, I'll keep them up all winter, and get them outdoors next year and see what they do. As I said I'll keep any eye on them. Once winter comes next year, I'll prepare to hibernate them and get them all set for that. I'll record weights and all that to make sure they are ready, and I will feel confident that they are ready if they look healthy. If the males are a problem, I'll split them up into 2 1.2 groups, and see how that goes.

Thank you.