Waking up my hibernating Russian tortoise

wandat

New Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2021
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3
Location (City and/or State)
Norfolk England
Hi All
im new here. Hello to everyone.
i placed my Russian in hibernation in the middle of November, prior to this he displayed all the signs of being ready to hibernate. He took a few days to settle. He is12 years old.
the weather at the moment is freezing. My tort is in an adjoining garage where nightly temperatures are droppin. Should I wake my tort and bring him out of hibernation now Or let him wake naturally..?
your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Wanda
 

Yvonne G

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You're going to be told he should be in the refrigerator, but I've been allowing my tortoises to brumate in cardboard boxes filled with leaves for many, many years and it works out just fine.

As long as it won't freeze inside the garage you can leave him there to wake up naturally. He needs to be in a container filled with either shredded newspaper or leaves for protection from freezing.
 

wandat

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Joined
Feb 11, 2021
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
Norfolk England
Thank you, he is in proper substrate in a plastic box (with air holes) and then in a polystyrene outer box again with air holes. I do have an inner and outer temperature probe, I’m not sure it gives the lowest recording levels So will check, I just tend to read it on the day I check.
its pretty cold at the moment.
thank you again so much for your information. I just want him to be okay.
kindest regards
Wanda
 

RosemaryDW

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Welcome!

Russians are tough but they don’t get active until things warm up.

If his weight is relatively stable let him be. My Russian went down October 29, earlier than I’d like but it is what is. I’d like to bring her out of the fridge at four months. Cold isn’t an issue here but if the forecast calls for heavy rain she’ll stay down a bit longer; she won’t do much in that kind of weather so there isn’t much point. Again, that’s assuming her weight continues to be stable. They can be down perhaps five months in the wild but that’s out of my personal comfort zone.
 

wandat

New Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2021
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
Norfolk England
Welcome!

Russians are tough but they don’t get active until things warm up.

If his weight is relatively stable let him be. My Russian went down October 29, earlier than I’d like but it is what is. I’d like to bring her out of the fridge at four months. Cold isn’t an issue here but if the forecast calls for heavy rain she’ll stay down a bit longer; she won’t do much in that kind of weather so there isn’t much point. Again, that’s assuming her weight continues to be stable. They can be down perhaps five months in the wild but that’s out of my personal comfort zone.
Thank you so much for your knowledge and information it’s given me lots of reassurance and will be good for next year. My tortoise woke on the 16th Feb. he’s eaten well since then and urinated but no bowel movement. He’s under a lamp during the day. I’ll be happy when he’s been!!! Thank you Wanda x
 
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