Tortoise Hibernation

• Tortoises will start to come out of hibernation at the beginning of spring, waking up for some overdue warmth and UV light. This is a physiologically demanding transition for your tortoise and there are things you can do to help them with this.
• Tortoises will normally begin to hibernate as the temperature drops and will do so for around 2-3 months. Through this period they rely on their fat reserves that they have stored through the summer months.
• Make sure you keep a record of your tortoises pre and post hibernation weight, this is helpful to track and they should not loose more than 10% of their bodyweight through the hibernation period.

What you can do to help:

• Place your tortoise in a warm room to wake up slowly, this may take a few hours before they are fully awake.
• You will need to hydrate your tortoise by giving them a nice, warm bath. You can do this by placing them in a container with tepid water that just covers their legs up to their chin, this will allow them to dunk their mouth under water. You should leave them for around 10 minutes or until they begin moving around to get out. This should be done every day for around a week.
• Keep them in a warm room and provide them with a basking place with a UVA lamp or sunshine.
• Provide them nice juicy food items to stimulate eating and maintain hydration such as cucumber, lettuce tomatoes but also fibrous food such as kale and dandelions from the garden.