Tortoise hibernation

[quizzywig]

Have any tortoise owners put their tortoise into hibernation yet? Roly seems to be ready as the weather is getting colder, but I'm just not sure if it's too early yet. He only seems to eat if it's warm or he's in the sun - which seems to have left. We've had him 30 years so we ought to know but each year is different depending on the weather. All advice gratefully received.

[ruthann58]

victor is still up and about, must admit was thinking it might be time for him to go to bed this weekend

[josaphine32]

I would love a tortoise..... you lucky lucky a'bers, but I would be a little neurotic worrying about them, hope yours have a safe hibernation and all is well in the spring.x

[quizzywig]

Believe me, josaphine they are not as easy to look after as people think. In the garden they are constantly trying to escape and cannot be left for long unchecked in case they have turned themselves over. But even so, our Roly is very cute! (You are advised to leave them to someone in your will as they will most likely outlive you)

[woofgang]

Mine has just gone down at the end of last week. Which is around normal time for her. I have had her for about 45 years and she rarely stays up beyond the first week of october regardless of how warm it is. I put her in her hibernation box when the nights get cold and in the mornings, if she is on top of the straw i get her out and warm her up under her lamp. When she doesn't stay at the top any more then i pop in the temperature probe in the box that measures the temp inside the box. Every few days i check in the box and I check the temp a couple of times every day.

[quizzywig]

Thank you woofgang. It's difficult to know exactly what to do when it's warm one day then cold the next. I'll pop him in his prepared box and check him regularly til he's ready to be moved upstairs - top of the wardrobe - I was warned many years ago never to put him in the loft and I never have.

[Smowball]

I had a tortoise as a child. Lovely creatures

[woofgang]

isn't that too warm? they are supposed to hibernate at around 8 deg c

[quizzywig]

No, he always goes in the wardrobe or in the spare room - Mr Q is very frugal with the central heating!