hi is it true you dont hibernate tortoises until they are about 5 yrs old ? and mediterranean tortoises dont need hibernating ever ? thanks

Hi and

There are alot of people who say don't hibernate until 5 yrs old, because the body weight is more stable by then. This is a personal decision that the owner has to make, based on how your torts health and weights have been. I would however like to say that in the wild they would hibernate from tiny, not for very long, but they would close their bodies down, to regulate growth, organ rest, and because there is not much for them to each at this time of year. You don't have to hibernate, you can over winter them, but once again , their bodies are designed to do what keeps it naturally healthy, and hibernating and estivating are those functions. Our part in the process is to make sure that they hibernate safely, so it is very important that we understand how to do this, by reading, deciding on our method and monitoring the hibernation.
How old is your tortoise and how long have you had S/he
Jane

hi thanks for answering , both tortoises are 2 yrs old we were told at the shop , but they seem quite big , we bought them in september so still getting used to them and thier ways, one eats a good variety the other is quite fussy and some days doesnt eat . the boy has put on 4 ozs and the girl 1 oz in the time we have had them

net

Personally I would not hibernate this year, two reasons, as they are from a pet shop I would want to make sure that they are well hydrated and worm free, and two you have not had them for very long and I would want to see  how they behave and what is their normal behaviour. What breed are they? as this is very important to know if they are torts that hibernate!!
Jane

hi ive looked on the papers it says common name (spur thighed) and country of origin turkey , didnt know about worms so will read up about that ,thanks

net

Hi, Spur thighs are a hibernating species, so plenty of reading to do

I would be careful on reading up about worms, as some of it can be quiet scary, and you don't really know if they have worms,  or if they did what type? you don't want to stress yourself out unnecessarily. When I rehomed my tort I took her to a vet who specialises in Chelonia (Torts) and had her checked over, I would suggest doing this, as it gives you and the tort a good start.
Are you bathing them? a daily bath is essential at this age, and 2-3 baths per week for the adults,  helps to keep them hydrated, and easier to have a drink. Just fill  a Cat litter tray with tepid water which comes up just under the chin, this also helps you to keep an eye on their urates (passed in the wee, they are toxins that need to be expelled. ) to see what they look like, healthy ones should look like soft white toothpaste,  if hard and gritty, this will mean that they are dehydrated and you need to look at your set-up or up the baths to two a day.
What is the set-up you have?
Jane

too late ive read about worms sounds nasty lol ,have got a tray to bath them ,but havent been doing it daily ,we have them indoors in a tortoise table , with wood chips ,rocks,big water dish that they climb in,heat lamp and light , my husband has read they prefer a different base,so going to change the set up a bit,in the summer they will go outside in a run in the day ,looking for a specialist vet in our area as well , will take them just to check all is well as we got them from a shop and not had them long, like you say we wont know if they have worms or eggs.

net

Hi
Yes definately change the substrate, wood chipping is not good for a couple of reason, 1- they could swallow some wood and get impacted in the gut, 2- toxic fumes could come off them and lastly they cannot thermoregulate their bodies(get the temps they need) , which they need to do, plus if you look at what they have in the wild, it is soil and sand. you can buy top soil (although make sure it does not have any debris in it e.g. glass, and play sand doing a mix of 50-50
HTH
Jane