Should I hibernate my tortoise?

Should you hibernate your tortoise? First off, when dealing with reptiles brumation is the correct term. Brumation is a reptile-specific state of reduced metabolic activity and dormancy to conserve energy during cold periods, while true hibernation is characteristic of mammals, for example – hedgehogs. Some species of tortoise, in their natural environment, will brumate for up to 3 months at a time, this is done through necessity to survive cold temperatures and when food is thin on the ground. Not all tortoise species will brumate, African species such as the sulcata and the leopard tortoise will never brumate. Some American species like the red foot and cherry head will also not brumate. Mediterranean species (specifically the Testudo family) will sleep away the colder months as will some American desert species.

One of the most frequently asked questions is “should I brumate my tortoise?” while I can’t answer this question for you, I can offer my own opinion on brumating captive tortoises.

As a keeper of tortoises and turtles, I constantly want to better my own knowledge of the animals themselves and their natural behaviours. I am a firm believer of “knowledge is power” particularly when it comes to the captive husbandry of some of our favourite species of reptile, amphibians and invertebrates. After reading all of the information I could find on Testudo horsfieldi, their wild habits and behaviours, speaking to several breeders, keepers and rescues that dealt with them, I put my (at the time only) pet horsfield tortoise into brumation when he was 3 years old. It was a long, but fairly straightforward process to prepare little Timmy to brumate (of which I will describe later in this article), he was placed in a fridge and left for 8 weeks. When I woke him up, it was a struggle to get him to respond to any stimuli. He eventually started knocking around after he’d been up and back at temperature for around 2 weeks.

Fast forward 20 years and I do not hibernate any one of our breeding Horsfield or Hermann tortoises. All of our animals are in peak health, eat well, display natural behaviours, breed readily and do not have any known medical issues. The only problem we had was when some swine stole one of our male Horsfields, promptly returning him after we posted on our various social media platforms “we know what you did last Tuesday, bring him back and we won’t call the police.”

There is little to no concrete, scientific evidence that captive brumation is beneficial to Testudo tortoises, but there is also no evidence that it’s not a benefit for the animals. There are those that will say that by slowing down the metabolic rate of the animal you increase its longevity, there is increased hormonal output, and it slows the growth rate of younger animals (as put forward by the Royal Veterinarian College), but is this enough to put your pet through a tough physical challenge? For me, it wasn’t.

Testudo species will brumate in their wild ranges through necessity, the lack of food and decreased temperatures not allowing the tortoise it’s optimum temperature, and with artificial heating and UV lighting now leaps and bounds ahead of where they were 20 years previously, I, personally, see no need to brumate tortoises. Please, dear reader, (and this is where it gets a bit wonky) don’t think that we do not change our habits in the winter months for the benefit of our tortoises. The heating and lighting period is altered, giving less over a 24-hour period. The diet is changed, limiting what our girls and boys are given on a daily basis, there are more dried flowers, grasses and weeds than fresh leafy greens.

The tortoises can feel a change in the air (for wont of a better word) and will become more sluggish during the winter months, feeding less frequently and being less active. We change with them and don’t overfeed or interact with them as much.

There are hardcore tortoise keepers that will swear to you that a tortoise that does not brumate will either die or be unhealthy in its habits and weight. If we, as keepers, control what the animals are exposed to and their diet during the cooler months, why can’t you skip the brumation part of it? Mississippi map turtles are a naturally brumating basking turtle species found in north America. When winter descends on the land and temperatures drop, map turtles will dig themselves into riverbanks or the bottom of ponds and sleep away the colder months. I challenge you to find any indoor kept turtle species that is brumated…….. so why do we do it with tortoises? There seems to be two trains of thought from the “pro-brumate” team;

1. The animal HAS to brumate in order to survive, it is beneficial.

And

2. The animal sleeps for 3 months and gives me a financial break.

That being said, this is the method I brumated my horsfield tortoise (Timmy) way back in the year 2000, I’ve broken it down into steps so you can use this (if you choose) as a reference to brumation-

• Diet and Hydration

1. Fasting Period:

Withhold all food for a period of two to six weeks, depending on the tortoise's size, to allow its digestive system to clear completely.

2. Daily Baths:

Bathe your tortoise in tepid water daily during the fasting period to stimulate bowel movements and encourage water intake, which is crucial for a healthy brumation.

3. Check for Completion:

Ensure the tortoise is completely empty of faeces before moving on to the next phase.

• Temperature and Lighting Reduction

Gradual Reduction: Slowly decrease the temperature of the tortoise's enclosure.

Lighting Changes: Reduce the intensity and duration of the lights.

Monitor Environment: Move the tortoise to a cooler room, ensuring the location is frost-free and the temperatures remain stable at approximately 12-13°C after its last meal.

• The Final Transition

Final Bath:

Give a final bath two days before the end of the wind-down period, ensuring the tortoise is thoroughly dried afterwards.

• The Fridge method

Yes, you can brumate a tortoise in a dedicated fridge (not used for food, mine was a mini beer fridge).

You’ll need:

A box slightly larger than your tortoise so it can turn around (plastic, cardboard or wood)

Sterilised soil or substrate deep enough for burrowing

Air holes for ventilation

It is vital to weigh the tortoise (in the brumation box) and record it.

• Temperature control is vital.

Ideal range: 4–5°C

Acceptable range: 3–7°C

• Avoid:

Above 10°C: Your tortoise may wake up and burn through fat reserves

Below 3°C: Risk of freezing

• Tips:

Keep the fridge in a room-temperature space (not a garage)

Add sealed bottles of water to help stabilise internal temperature

Open the fridge 2-3 times per week for fresh air

Weigh the tortoise and box weekly and record the weight. If your tortoise loses more than 1% of its body weight in 4 weeks you should end the brumation.

When it’s time to wake your tortoise up you should do it slowly-

Gradual Re-warming

Move the Box:

Take the tortoise's brumation box out of the fridge and place it in a warmer room at approximately room temperature.

Allow Time to Wake:

Leave the tortoise in the box for a few hours to allow its body temperature to rise gradually and for it to start waking up naturally.

Provide a Warm Bath

Prepare the Bath:

Prepare a shallow bath with warm, tepid water, ensuring the water level comes up to the tortoise's mouth.

Encourage Drinking and Hydration:

Place the tortoise in the warm water for about 10 minutes. The bath helps the tortoise to rehydrate and allows you to check its mouth, joints, and vent for any issues.

Monitor Waste:

It's important for the tortoise to empty its bladder to get rid of accumulated toxic waste and to replenish its water supply by drinking during the bath.

Settle into a Heated Environment

Create a Heated Area:

Once the tortoise is awake and active, move it to its well-ventilated table equipped with a heat lamp and zone 3 UV light.

Monitor and Feed:

Weigh the tortoise daily and offer it a tempting diet of weeds and its favorite greens to encourage it to eat.

Monitor Bodily Functions:

Keep a close watch for urination and defecation to ensure its bodily functions are returning to normal.

You will find that it can take up to 2 weeks to fully awaken the tortoise and have it back to it’s usual active behaviours. Consistency for the animal is crucial, dips in temperatures and humidity spikes can have detrimental effects on a freshly awakened tortoise.

Whether brumating or not brumating your animal, I think we can all agree, Tortoises deserve the best care and husbandry we can offer and we have a moral obligation to do just that.