The Tortoise Table

Hi Nina, Lin (everybody at the TT)

I wanted to say hello and give a little update on Penny as she's gearing up towards hibernation again. On the whole she has really slowed down over the last few weeks, she seems to alternate between having a quieter day where she is happy under her lamp not doing much, to days where she is very mischievous and wanting to have a wander round and eat. We're lucky that there has been somebody home with her most days so on the sunny autumn days we are having she has been able to have some time in the garden when the sun is on her outdoor enclosure.

We're getting ready to set the fridge up for hibernation and make sure temperatures are ok etc. Aiming to start wind down mid November and keep everything similar to last year with the actual hibernation itself, but add a couple of extra weeks on. I have the email you sent me last year Nina, with the wind down diary on so I'll be making use of that again.

I can't believe how quickly it has come round again, and although we can see its what she needs to do and its natural for her I definitely have those hibernation nerves again!

No doubt I will be posting more updates in the next few weeks, and probably asking more questions!

Thanks
Emma

Hi Emma,

So lovely to hear from you and to know that Penny is well and thriving! My Doris and Dolly haven't wanted to wake in the morningds for about three weeks now, and will just sleep in a corner if I let them. I don't want to start winding them down for about a fortnight, so I've been getting them up each day, feeding them (I'm lucky that they will still eat, as many tortoises won't when they get into hibernation mode), and then after eating they might linger under the lamp for two or three minutes and then it's straight back to bed.

When we've had a warm, sunny day I've put them outside, as you did with Penny, and they are happy to wander around the garden a bit and munch on vegetation they find, but indoors they are definitely in hibernation mode. I'm getting those 'hibernation nerves' too -- always do this time of year -- but hopefully it will be the success it always has been, and I hope that Penny has a good hibernation too!

Cheers,
Nina