I have never had dryness as an issue, but the hibernation medium I use is very specific. First off, when you set up your fridge, do it in a place that has relative temperature stabilization. i use my garage, which is insulated, so the temperature dips between forty five and sixty five degrees farenheit, and the fridge dips between fifty and forty at the most, usually settling in the forty four to forty seven range.

I put the tortoises in rubbermaid containers with holes drilled in the tops. The containers are twice as wide, long, and deep as the tortoise is long (this is approximate; little less, little more can't hurt). I use untreated peat moss mixed with sphagum moss as the substrate. I don't use sand or regular dirt, as this seems to act as a dehydrator in my experience. Plus, it cakes around the eyes of the animals during sleep and causes other problems. Peat moss is definitely the base, and sphagum sits on top.

I've never usually found dehydration problems with this arrangement, and I've only seen an animal void urine once during a hibernation sequence, and it was after the fridge had failed in a blackout that lasted three hours. This happens sometimes. Something I did to remedy this was soak the animal in cold water in the fifties. If thirsty, the animal will drink. After this, throughly dry the animal and return it to hibernation. Like I said, I've never had this problem but once, so don't anticipate it being a big obstacle.

Another important item to purchase is a scale. Depending on the type of scale, you can weigh the tortoises without removing them from the sweaterbox. All you need to do is calculate the weight of the box and materials sans tortoise, and substract the difference. If you notice the tortoise starting to lose more than fifteen to twenty percent of its bodyweight, you should bring him/her out of hibernation. The goal is to lose less than ten percent. In some cases, I've had animals lose next to nothing. Also, inspect the animal regularly, to see if he/she is drying out too much or developing any problems.

When I put the animal to sleep, I set them in a barren patch in my yard where they cannot graze (you can also bring them indoors, but this is not usually necessary if weather permits; what you don't want is them going into natural hibernation). I keep them there for two to three weeks, offering water every two to three days in the form of a warm soak, bringing them inside should the temperature fall below fifty. This usually causes them to void all gut contents rather quickly and assuredly. Once you pass the two week mark, wait for a night that drops into the fifties. Keep your guys outside on this night, and around one or two in the morning, transport them to the sweaterboxes that have been sitting in the fridge, then transport the sweaterboxes to their spot in the fridge. Run thermometer probes to the inside of the fridge and make sure the temperature is set before placing the torts in the hibernarium. Set the temperature for forty five, as warmer often keeps the torts in a state of limbo. These guys have antifreeze in their blood. It can drop to the mid thirties without problems, though this should not continue on a constant basis. Make sure to briefly open the fridge door every day to ensure proper air circulation.

When you bring them up, do it in much the same way as you would putting them down. Pick a night when the sun will be shining in the morning but the night is still in the fifties. Remove the tortoises from the sweaterboxes and place them in a shelter with the hibernation media covering them. The next morning, these guys should emerge quite naturally. If they do not, give them 'till the afternoon, then remove them to a sunny location. Most of these guys tend to start eating by the days end, some of them by the next day. Just make sure that the weather is reasonably sunny for at least two days before bringing them out. You wouldn't want to do this during spring rains, for example. Some people I know bring their guys out of hibernation indoors, but I believe that exposure to the sun causes as of yet unknown chemical reactions that trigger a healthier return to the warm world. Once out, make sure to soak the animals every day. Should you notice any problems, take the animal to a vet for diagnosis. Never hibernate animals you know to be sick. Never hibernate hatchlings; there is just too much risk involved, given their small size. Overwinter them until their third year is my general advice. I usually hibernate the animals around Thanksgiving and bring them out around Valentines Day, giving them three to four solid months of hibernation. This is nice, as the holidays are not filled with worries over tortoises getting too cold. Though I don't generally find this to be the case, other species (such as Testudo graeca) tend to become restless toward the end of their hibernation period. If an animal becomes restless and you notice a great deal of disturbance in the medium, bring the animal out of hibernation before too long. Energy is precious, and you don't want the animal to start losing weight.

T.G.

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