Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I check my Russians yesterday and one had died in hibernation. It was one of the two females I got near the end of the summer. I don't think she had enough time to recover from the devastating effects of being in the pet trade.

I do weekly weighings and soakings but she still couldn't hang on.

Brian

Sory to hear about your loss, as Russian's are such a hardy tortoise. Just a few questions for you.

How long did you own her before hibernating?

Was her stomach and lower GI tract empty when she went into hibernation?

Was she well hydrated (soaked 2-3 times a week the last 2 weeks before hibernation)?

Her GI tract should have been fairly empty. I left them out quite late into the fall. They naturally slowed and then stoped eating on their own. I was going to bring them indoors to "empty them" but I figured they are better tortoises than I. They were digging in at night and basking during the noon hours.

I guess is general weakness and problems associated with being in the pet trade. I like the four month rule another person mentioned below.

Thank you for the input,

Brian

if she went while hibernating, though, i'm sure she went peacefully, as you would in your sleep, and she didn't suffer.

best of luck with your other tort(s).

Sorry for your loss too. I always make sure I have a tortoise for at least 4 months before I attempt to hibernate it, and that is if it looked healthy when I got it. If it is sickly, I will nurse it back to health for at least 6 months before attempting hibernation, if I attempt it at all that year.

I am sure I am not the only one that got freaked out by this and went and poked their tortoise that has been sleeping for a couple of months. Just to report, 51 year old Toby ( I did not name him) is doing fine. Although a little irritated at being disturbed
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Stacey

Yup, I dug up the boxies that were buried and they are all doing fine... at least all the ones I could find. I seem to be missing one but I'm not worried. It's a pretty big pen and there is lots of space for it to be buried in. Well see what happens in the spring.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

You are in Mountain View, right? How are you hibernating your tortoises? I'm looking to hibernate next year (Moxie, I mean, lol), but I'm still trying to figure out the best way.
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Sohni
Northern California

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.1 Rubber Boas
1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.2 Hermann's Tortoises
plus my kids' herps:
0.0.1 California King Snake
1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa
0.1 Leopard Gecko

I work in Mountain View, live in San Jose. (No one that works in Mtn. View can actually afford to live there ) My tortoise is a Desert tortoise so he does not need really cold temps to hibernate. I put him in a recycle bin, cover with a towel, stick him in the garage (not heated) and it's "nightie night" until about March. When I hear him rustling around in March he goes back in the yard. A couple good soaks, a fecal test and he is ready to go. If I had a female WATCH OUT! He is ready to breed! He even checks out the rabbits like, "Hmmmm, I wonder if I can catch her?"
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Stacey