Should I bathe my tortoise during hibernation?

This allows their gut to be empty when they go into hibernation as food sitting in their stomach for a couple of months will go mouldy! During this period you should also bathe your tortoise regularly to allow them to drink and maintain hydration.

Should I soak my tortoise during hibernation?

Undigested foods left in the digestive track will not be digested during hibernation and will rot. During this time it is important to soak your tortoise once monthly in a shallow container. This will help them to build up water reserves and stimulate them to empty their bladder and bowels.

When can I bathe my tortoise after hibernation?

After a few hours and before being placed back into its house you should bathe your tortoise in warm water, ideally with an electrolyte replacer like Reptoboost.

How do you take care of a tortoise in hibernation?

Encourage him to drink, and bathe him in lukewarm water to allow him to rehydrate and flush out any toxins that have accumulated in his body. Increase the temperature of his environment and bathe him daily in the days that follow, and start to feed him within a day or two.

Should I wake up my hibernating tortoise?

Thus, if your tortoise is still sound asleep after 4 months, it's time to wake them up. Another reason to wake your Sleeping Beauty is if they become active during the winter months and then fall asleep again. This happens if the temperature rises temporarily, such as during a warm snap, and then falls again.

Tortoise Hibernation Beginners Guide - Tips on a safe winter tortoise care

What happens if you wake a tortoise up during hibernation?

Unless it receives adequate quantities of heat and light it will simply 'not get going properly', and instead of starting to regain weight and strength lost during hibernation, will refuse to eat, will use up its existing fat and energy reserves, and will begin to decline.

Do you dry a tortoise after a bath?

If your tortoise is dirty and needs a good clean, then use a soft toothbrush to gently brush its shell and limbs. After the bath make sure your tortoise's legs are dry before returning it to the soil substrate so that it doesn't accidentally rub its eyes with soil clinging to wet legs.

Can I soak my tortoise in tap water?

The best care for turtles and tortoises would be to use tap water directly, and to not worry about the presence of chlorine. Dechlorinators are absolutely unnecessary anyways, because chlorine will evaporate completely within 24 hours, and the majority evaporates if left to sit overnight.

What happens if you don't soak your tortoise?

Tortoises need to soak twice a week or so to help them stay hydrated and clean. This keeps them strong and healthy, avoiding getting sick from dehydration or bacteria that can build up on their body. Tortoises also need to soak so that the shell and the skin do not crack from dryness.

Can you disturb a hibernating tortoise?

At this temperature tortoises remain safely asleep, but are in no danger of freezing. Incidentally, it is important to point out that the advice that a hibernating tortoise should never be disturbed is completely invalid. It has absolutely no basis in biological or veterinary science, and should be ignored.

How often should you check a hibernating tortoise?

During hibernation

Weigh your tortoise at least monthly and wake them up early if they are losing more than one per cent of their body weight monthly. The time a tortoise should be hibernated for depends on their size.

Do you put a tortoise in the fridge to hibernate?

A refrigerator is an ideal place to hibernate a tortoise as it provides a controlled cold temperature environment above freezing. To maintain hibernation, the tortoise must be kept between 1C and 10C. It is preferable to use a separate fridge – not one used to store food – due to food hygiene concerns.

How soon should a tortoise eat after hibernation?

Your tortoise should have regained its appetite within about 10-14 days.

Do tortoises need a heat lamp while hibernating?

Hibernation prep should start in October – as outdoor temperatures will have already started to drop before this it is recommended that you provide heat and UV lamps so that they will continue eating up until this time. (This will also be required after hibernation as Spring temperatures can be very unpredictable)

Do tortoises move when hibernating?

Tortoises do move in hibernation (they will often try to 'dig down' as temperatures drop), and this prevents them digging too close to the outer side of the box where they lose the benefit of any insulation. Insulation only slows down the time it takes for severe cold to reach a tortoise.

What bedding should I use for a hibernating tortoise?

A small cardboard box is ideal. The bedding you use for your tortoise should offer insulation and ventilation (for example shredded paper). Place this box inside a larger box and pack the space between the two boxes with newspaper to provide extra insulation.

How do I know if my tortoise is too cold?

The tortoise needs a temperature of around 38 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit to make it through hibernation. If they go below 38 degrees for any appreciable length of time – they can freeze to death. Even if they don't die, these temperatures may leave them blind or cause tissue damage which is permanent. It may drown.

Can I soak my tortoise everyday?

DO NOT SOAK YOUR TORTOISE DAILY! The reason soaking is recommended by some, as I understand it, is to prevent pyramiding, an abnormal distortion of the tortoise's carapace that is characterized by deformed, pyramid-shaped scutes.

Do turtles drink water during hibernation?

As mentioned earlier, their gastrointestinal tract must be clear for hibernation. You do not want to feed your turtle either before or during hibernation, but hydration is still important; so give them continued access to water.

How many days can a tortoise go without water?

Desert tortoises are herbivores, dining on grasses, flowers, fruit, and cactus. These foods contain a lot of moisture, and desert tortoises can go for up to one year without access to fresh water!

Do tortoises like being bathed?

Most tortoises do not like water and do not like being held, but that is not to say they will all dislike bath time. Just be sure you are washing them gently and taking it slow. A tortoise can, in fact, feel through its shell, which is why you should use soft bristle brushes and wash them carefully.

How deep should tortoise bath be?

Fill a shallow container with water.

Make sure the tortoise's head pokes above the water when he's in it, but it should be about chin deep. You can also place one end of the tub on a book to create a slight angle, making a shallow end and a deep end.

How do you give a tortoise a bath?

All one needs is a toothbrush, a tub of some sort large enough to accommodate the tortoises, and tepid water, no deeper than is necessary to cover the entire plastron, and a few centimetres of the carapace. Allow your tortoise awhile to rehydrate itself, usually 15 to 20 minutes, then replace the water.

What is the white stuff in tortoise urine?

it's excreting urates -- a combination of excess uric acid, minerals, and other body waste products that the tortoise's kidneys have filtered out and excreted. Urates can vary in consistency from totally liquid to about the same consistency as toothpaste.