The Tortoise Table

Hello Nina/Everybody

A little update, it's two weeks tomorrow since we put Penny in her hibernation box and a week today since she went into the fridge (it still seems so odd saying that!)

Over the first 3 or 4 days we did hear some slight movement coming from the fridge (not much though and only for a few seconds) and on one of the days we opened the door to let air in we noticed she had actually turned right round and was facing the other way. Am I right to think a little movement is normal?

Since Thursday we have heard very little. We decided to check and weigh her this morning, she is weighing in at 1348g and was 1351g when we put her in her box on December 4th. She was fast asleep, her back legs moved a little when we put her on the scales and she looked fine, no problems. Her box was dry so no worries about her having had a wee.

She is definitely coping better with hibernation than we are. If we hear her moving we worry, if we don't hear her moving we worry! but so far so good it seems.

Many Thanks
Emma

Hi Emma,

Sounds like a perfect hibernation to me! They do move around quite a bit in hibernation, especially at the beginning, so Penny is doing fine. Have a lovely Christmas!

Nina (in sunny Morocco, where I’m spending Christmas with family).

Thank you Nina, and wow Morocco! Have a fabulous time and Christmas with your family...

I accidentally placed my tortoise in a refrigerator for 3 days, thinking it was hibernation. Is there any harm done, and how can I ensure its well-being and recovery after this unexpected hibernation period?

Hi Daniel,

If it was only for three days then there was no harm done, but you need to prepare a tortoise for hibernation -- you can't just put them in a fridge or an insulated box in an outbuilding without preparing them first. They can't go into hibernation with any food in their stomachs, as it can rot and produce toxic gases, so you need to withhold food for a set period of time, depending on their weight. If you send me an email at nina@thetortoisetable.org.uk I will send you full instructions on how to prepare the tortoise and also about fridge hibernation.

So the thing to do now is to make sure your tortoise has plenty of light and warmth and get him back to full activity and appetite. If you can describe where you are keeping him, we can make some suggestions on how to ensure that he fully recovers from his time in the fridge.

It's probably getting a bit late to hibernate now anyway, although you could give him a short hibernation (but you shouldn't hibernate your tortoise if you have had him for less than a year). If we send you the instructions now, you have plenty of time to read through them and ask any questions.

Nina

Danielkag wrote:
> I accidentally placed my tortoise in a refrigerator for 3 days, thinking it
> was hibernation. Is there any harm done, and how can I ensure its
> well-being and recovery after this unexpected hibernation period?

Can tortoises experience depression or loneliness in captivity, and if so, are there any effective methods to alleviate their emotional well-being?

Yes, it is possible. Can you describe your tortoise's set-up so that we might suggest ways to improve it?

Nina

Danielkag wrote:
> Can tortoises experience depression or loneliness in captivity, and if so,
> are there any effective methods to alleviate their emotional well-being?