You live in a country where tortoises naturally occur. I suggest you try and discover where they would normally dig in. Here in UK, tortoises look for a dry area under trees or bushes. Have you got that sort of area that they can choose for themselves? Presumably where you live would be exactly where Mediterranean tortoises would hang out? Tortoises can hibernate in the ground in southern England but most people would like to control where their tortoise sleeps. The place where they dig down can then be covered with straw and then a tarpauline over the top to keep off the rain.

I think you have to make the decision based on the winter temperatures you have over there.

 

I think as they are so young & you are nervous you would be better off having them somewhere you could monitor them. I hibernated mine in a fridge as the temperature was steady & I could check them frequently.

Its up to you whether to choose box method (provided you have somewhere you can keep temps steady) or fridge. I would do lots of research & most important of all check that your torts weights are suitable to hibernate on the jackson ratio.

 

I have just googled the jackson ratio....thanks for that i had never heard of it or ever come acoss any reference to it. I went out to measure the length and weight of my tortoise, (much to the amusement of my husband who doesn't understand my interest) and by that they should be dead...:lol2:. I think i need better scales, but the idea that i have some guide to go by does make me feel better.... thanks.

 

It's not easy to fathom. I have never used it and my tortoises have hibernated in boxes for over 50 years. As long as your tortoises are healthy and well fed there should be no problem. They all grow at different rates anyway. If you choose the fridge method, they don't loose much weight. I suggest you make a decision on which way you are going to do it and stick to it. Do you know what your lowest winter temps are likely to be?

 

I keep hermanni in Portugal with maximum temps up to 43c and minimums down to -7c. I let all the adults and babies hibernate naturally, they dig down into the soil, and I just make sure that the worst of the rain is kept off the area where they retire. Its important the soil doesn't get boggy.

The idea of bring a hermanni indoors to hibernate in a fridge when it is already living outdoors in a country where it naturally occurs is in my view barking mad !!

 

First of all, what type of hermanni do you have? Hermanni (Italian-French) or boettgeri (Balkan-Greece)? After all, they are considered separate species not only varieties, and they never occur together, not in a single case!
If you have hermanni, it is utmost important for them to remain in STRICT captivity, because any escapee may became part of a natural boettgeri population, polluting its genofond :!: :!:
About hibernation- as previous said, your climate is perfectly safe for tortoises.