Hi chaps,

i'm getting concerned over Mr Brown, any chance he gets he digs himself down and dosn't seem to want to get up, i am bathing every day, and he seems fine once i have woken him up , he has his bath, eats a little, has a small wonder about but them goes back to bed, but as he is eating so little he has lost 5g over the last ten days, is this nornal before hibernation, i want to hibernate him this year as he was too unwell last year, but i'm very nervous about it, i also wanted to ask when is it time to start the wind down, i've got all the sheets of the site but there is no set date.

He's a Hermans, nearly three years old, and weighs 277g.

All replies greatfully received.

Thanks

Debs  

Hi Debs,

Tortoises do have a tendancy to let us know when they are ready. we have some here who determine when they are ready to go down each year, no matter what tactics we use to try and string them out until a bit later on in the year.

If his weight is fine and he's healthy - now may be a good time to make a start:-)

Most of our Iberas aren't coming out of the tortoise house at all now - so we're starting wind-down here.

HTH
Darren

Thanks Darren, my biggest worry is the tempreture though, as i  will have to use the box method for hibernation and it isn't that cold at the moment, do you think i should just keep on waking him up for the time being.

The plan is to keep him in the hut in the garden, but if the weather isn't cold enough, what happens.....

Sorry to keep bothering you chaps, but your advise is really appreciated.