hi
this will be my first year to hibernate my 18 month horsfeild george ,really nervous about it ,i have been reading up but some one always says something different ,want to know ,when put him in ,how long for,and is it ok in our every day fridge i have read that is fine ?and could someone tell me about the temp again please thanks

I hibernate my torts in my normal fridge and haven't had a problem. I have a plastic tub with a lid and inside it is aubiose, that tub goes into a larger one and between them there is foam to keep the temp stable if anything should happen. I keep the lids on both the tubs but open them every couple of days to let fresh air in.

The fridge temp is 5 degrees and everyone in the house knows they have to shut the door asap! No messing around in there.

Obviously you need to wind the tort down correctly before you can think about them going into a fridge. I let mine have 12 weeks hibernation providing their weight is stable, up to now I haven't had any problems and the torts haven't lost more than a couple of gramms.

I was really nervous the first time I hibernated my first tort, but it all went very smoothly and when he woke up he was raring to go. I would suggest you read the tortoise trust page on hibernation, and you will be fine

thanks for the info,i pursume you still put air holes in he boxes

im not sure on the hole hibernation thing but readin up on it my littlens are 2 mnths old should i hibernate them this year... i was told that i dont have to as there so tiny when should i start hibernation a friend of mine is waitin till hers are a couple of years old so i was goin to to do the same

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kelz
0.0.2 hermanns tortoise (snoop and diddy)
0.1.0 cat (tilly new mummy)
1.0.0 kitten (toby born 17.08.07)
1.0.0 staffy (max)
0.1.0 guinea pigs (ginge R,I.P scruffs)
1.0.0. boyfriend (jay)

hi i asked this question when i first got mine ,and like everyone said no matter how small or old if it was in the wild it would harbernate ,i was not going to this year but decided i should

If they are healthy and a good weight then you should definately hibernate them this year!

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KERRY
0.0.6 Hermanns Tortoises
0.1.0 Hamster
1.0.0 Dalmatian puppy!

I set my alarm on my thermometer to go off if the temps drop to 3 degrees or rise to 6.5 degrees.

I had the torts snuggled in help, in boxes with air holes - as they were small they had 8 weeks hibernation. I checked them every couple of days and weighed them weekly - obviously really quickly so they did not warm back up!

Worked well for me and will be repeating it this year.

Tamie

Hold on ....... i have always been told NOT TO HIBERNATE A TORTOISE UNLESS THEY ARE OVER 3 YEARS OF AGE! is this not true? i personally would not hibernate the tortoise at 18months of age!

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Dont be daft of course they do,they dont sit around in the wild waiting till they reach their third birthday!

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KERRY
0.0.6 Hermanns Tortoises
0.1.0 Hamster
1.0.0 Dalmatian puppy!

LOL well i thought that too! But ive been told by people who have kept tortoises and from various tortoise books etc that they shouldnt - lol its all confusing within the tortoise world!

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