how old to hibernate

[sola]

hi

i was wondering how old does a tortoise have to be before you hibernate it.

what is the best method to use.

i'm sorry it put this in the wrong place, have also now put it in the correct place.

thanks

sola

[Cockys Royals]

It is NOT advisable to hibernate, now a days Tortoises are indoors, due to the change in our Climate, so hopefully you will keep it awake & not hibernate and keep indoors.

[SWsarah]

This is a highly debated subject

Is it something tortoises are programmed to do?

Do you want to keep your tortoise as he/she would live in the wild and hibernate?

[teiryklav]

i thinkcocky is right, why should we let it hibernate?
like it's us that we're proggamed to eat when we're hungry, but if we're not hungry, we should not eat. so if your tortoises are kept nicely and warm it shouldn't and won't hibernate. what's the problem?

[fatfecker]

Hibernation is natural, indoor tortoise tables are all well and good but I think it is cruel to force them into a small table over winter, there is also the question of overfeeding and the effect on the animals, in the wild some tortoises are only active for a few months out of the year, who knows what effect forcing them to stay awake and feed all year round will have on their long term health.

[Tortoisekeeper]

Hibernation in the wild last just 6 weeks or less during the 'coldest' of the mediteranean winter. In the UK the same temperatures last for closer to 6 months! Don't hibernate, or if you do limit it to a month, thats enough to get the females cycling correctly and adult males just dont care either way.

[Testudo Man]

This is a an amusing thread ...

Ive hibernated my torts, that Ive hatched, as young as 4 months of age. Thats no food for 3 to 4 weeks, then hibernation for 6 weeks...

My adults hibernate year in, year out, for between 12 and 16 weeks...after zero food for 4 weeks prior to hibernation...

Try stopping my Mediterranean adults from hibernation?!...NO chance ...T.T.

[purplepixie]

Why is it some think they know better than tortoises?
Why is it some think because they are scared of hibernation it shouldnt happen?
Tortoises have survived for millions of years doing it their way, and suddenly someone thinks they know whats better for them.
Sorry I trust the experts the tortoises.

[moody232002]

Originally Posted by purplepixie

Why is it some think they know better than tortoises?
Why is it some think because they are scared of hibernation it shouldnt happen?
Tortoises have survived for millions of years doing it their way, and suddenly someone thinks they know whats better for them.
Sorry I trust the experts the tortoises.

well said

[aerofine]

Originally Posted by Cockys Royals

It is NOT advisable to hibernate, now a days Tortoises are indoors, due to the change in our Climate, so hopefully you will keep it awake & not hibernate and keep indoors.

Who recommends this?

Whoever it is I want them to come round to my house this winter to try to get my Horsfield to stay awake and eat! Not a chance in hell! Once October hits, Lurpak my Horsfield starts winding down on his own, regardless of the fact that the heat lamp is still on and food is still available.

As far as I am concerned, tortoises have hibernated for thousands of years, and is natural and preogrammed into them to do so, regardless of whether they are captive or wild.