my tortoise is doing the wind down now 4 days now he having a bath every day but i there a few things i want too ask and i may sound really silly but just got too ask.

606 g he started at 4 days later i weight him he now 577g she he be loseing weight this fast
he hasnt done a poo in a few days now but is still weeing if he not pooing he he ready to go in the fridge or do you still have too do the 4 weeks wind down

if he drinking water when he go into the fridge wont he wee as he just had he last bath and drink, sorry i know that sound very silly but everyone sound if they wee in there box you get them up but if your bathing them before they go in the fridge and they drink anit they going too wee ? i think that all ,oh yeah what temp should i set the fridge at ? is on on number 5 also i have one Hermanni Hermanni tortoise do i do everything the same with him as the others

Hi,

What species of tortoises have you got??

The fridge temperature needs to be checked and monitored before you put a tortoise into the fridge and you need to confirm your tortoise ia a hibernating species.

Have you read the hibernation section  please?

http://www.tortoise-protection-group.org.uk/site/78.asp

Would you please read through the hibernation section and drop me a line before you place your tortoise in the fridge as it doesn't sound as though it has been set up properly.

TC
Darren
darren@tortoise-protection-group.org.uk

hiya frist of i have hermans 

and 2nd of al i read what  it says and think i  done week one wrong      i went too garden center where they sell  tortoise and they told me  what i should so like a silly cow i being doing  so  he not having any heat and no uv light  they told me its got toobe all tuern off  so that what idid four days now  he still pooing though

How long are you planning to hibernate him for? Its just that it is still early and there is still plenty of food around growing in the garden, none of ours have started the wind down yet, they are still stomping round and eating. Especially today, we have had 26c here.

I dont start until mid November, so after 4 weeks of wind down our adults go in the fridge in mid December just before Christmas.

Laraine

Hi Sherri

Four days of wind-down is no way near enough for a tortoise of this size, and can I ask if you are certain whether your scales are right?  If I have read your post correctly, he hasnt really passed much through his digestion system but has still lost 50g, which is nearly 10% of his body weight in 4 days - this would concern me if he was mine.  How long have you had him, and how old is he - is he in good health and has he hibernated before?

The information the garden centre gave you is not right Im afraid, as Darren has said, there is a lot of good information on winding down, and the actual hibernation here:-

http://www.tortoise-protection-group.org.uk/site/78.asp

but it is vitally important that you know exactly what temperature your fridge is running at using a proper thermometer - number 5 could be 2C or 9C - if you dont use a thermometer, you are taking a huge risk.

regards

Arlene TPG

oh god your really making me worring so much  now but i have been watching him and  he hasn poo at all today  is  that lot lose then  he 10 years old  , and he stop eating by himself  a week before i started this wind down  couldnt get him too eat anything and its the same we my other one she wont eat anything at all she  just want too go in her hide/bed and sleep and been watching her a she  just wont eat but my four  other are fine eating everything going ,  i phone   someone up about all this too day  and i told me what was going on  but all he  just said it not time for them yet  but i cant make them eat  can i

should he not lose 10%  yet then

If they are warm enough and have enough light, they will eat. the best thing to do is bathe them righ before feeding them, you could also add an extra light, an ordinary spotlamp will bring the light levels and the heat up, just monitor the temps carefully.

Laraine