Hi all,

We brought our first tortoise this summer, a baby Hermanns called Stuart. He is 1 years old and we would like to hibernate him over the winter as I believe that is what he would do in nature. I know he shouldn't sleep for as long as his adult counterparts but I'm not sure how long we should be aiming for (provided everything goes OK).

Is 4-6 weeks about right?

We have also just been given a fantastic opportunity to go away with family for Christmas but I'm a worried about leaving him. It would only be for a week and a bit, if he is fine (sleeping well, not lost weight, poo's or wee'd) do you think it will be OK to leave him? I'm worried about the fridge breaking down or something! Any suggestions or experiences would be helpful in making the decision whether or not we go. We would have a friend that could check on him once but that would be it, I'm not sure what we'd do if he needed waking up.

Liz

I can't see an edit button, but I wanted to mention he is currently 5.3cm and weighs in at a hefty 58 grams.

Hello Zem,
If you click on "The Tortoise" in the box on the left, there is a sub-heading "Hibernation" which contains some v. good info.
Do come back if you need further clarification. I would aim for 6-8 weeks.
Regards
Tom