Hi Everyone.

Popular topic at present this hibernation, and after a lot of sole searching bit the bullet and got my 3 year old Hermans Tortoise down (I was very nervous), but how long should I leave her down for?
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I check her twice a day. She seems to move herself about a bit, but the fridge is keeping the temp down and I think she is ok although I have not yet checked her weight.

Hope everyone else is doing ok

Thanks

Well done you for letting your little one sleep through winter. I think that it has been said that the shortest period for hibernation is 8 weeks, (providing everything is going ok and your tortoise doesn't wee or lose too much weight) As your tortoise is in the fridge it will be easy to monitor weight, by popping her on the scales whilst she is asleep and recording it. If you tortoise has had a wee, or the weight loss is too much, then it is recommended that you wake your tortoise. If all is fine after the 8 weeks you may decide to let your tortoise carry on sleeping or you can slowly wake them up.

Some tortoises can sleep for more than 16 weeks. So really, as your tortoise is in the fridge, and easily accessible, as long as everything is ok, you can decide how much longer than 8 weeks you would like them to sleep.

Gail
xx

Ditto everything Gail has said, the only thing I would add is to cut your checking down to once a day you don't wanna disturb her too much

Mine are hibernating au natural so I let them decide she the go down and again when they wake, that said I will get them up beginning of march this year weather permitting cos a couple of them went down beginning of October

Thank you for your replies. She only went down at the beginning of Jan. I tried earlier but with the weather being up and down she kept running around. Thanks for the advise.
Mark