New owner - marginated tortoises hibernating help!

[scrawlauren]

Hi there,

Please, any and all advice most welcome!
I’m a new owner to two 6yr old marginated tortoises as of this summer.
I was all set to hibernate them, had been reading up on what to do and was ready to go ahead when one of them developed a little bubbling in his nose (thank you wettest summer in recent memory!)
A bit of panicking and some changes to their habitat later, he is all better. But I’d decided not to hibernate them this year, out of concern he’d be too poorly and wouldn’t make it.
However, by the end of November the other one really was showing signs of wanting to hibernate. (Not eating much at all, barely comes out of nest.) And now that the other is better… I’m all dithering. Help!
So
1.) is it just too late now, have I missed it?
2.) is poorly Tort too poorly even though his nose is better now? (He does look a little small and had some trouble eating while he was sick.)
3.) does anyone know what a healthy weight for a hibernating marginated tortoise is supposed to be? I’ve combed what feels like the whole internet and I can’t find the answer? I know the Jackson ratio isn’t for marginateds. But everything I’ve read says weight is very important… it just doesn’t say what the weight should be?
4.) is there anything else I (as a novice owner) haven’t thought to ask?

Thank you for your time!

[lin]

Hiya, sorry I don’t know your name, but thanks for contacting us.

The lovely Margies, beautiful tortoises aren’t they.
After reading your message the first thing I would suggest is because you have only had them for what must be around 6 months it is not advisable to hibernate until they have been in your care for around a year so that you can learn their habits and routines. So looking at this it’s very good the bubbles started before you hibernated them because it could have been disastrous for you come spring. I would not hibernate either of your tortoises until they have had a healthy year with you and then start next year if all is well. The one that is starting to slow down and sleep, you can wake them up and place them under the heat daily, it don’t matter if they retreat back to the hide but wake them up a couple of times a day and if you do this daily it will break the routine pull of hibernation after a few weeks.

We come to a healthy weight be taking weights, once a fortnight and try and regulate their food accordingly to keep a weight gain of a few gms a month. Over the year of recording this you will see a pattern build and at a glance you can see if there is too much weight gain or too little over the past few months.

Here is a caresheet for Marginated tortoises that might help you, and it is far better if you ask us questions as they crop up rather than us fill your head with things you might already know. So if and when you think of them just ask.

https://www.tortoise-protection-group.o ... 014New.pdf

Hope this is helpful and we would love to see a photo of them.

Lin

[scrawlauren]

Hi Lin,

Oh thank you! Your reply is so clear and reassuring, I can’t tell you how grateful I am. We will definitely hold off hibernating this year while we get to know them. And I’ve started a log of their weights.

Here they are roaming the garden in sunnier times (assuming the pictures work: my tech skills… not always the best.) Their names are Esio and Trot by the way - favourite childhood book. The sunbathing one is Trot.

Thank you again.

Very best,
Lauren

[attachment=0]IMG_5481 Medium.jpeg[/attachment]
[attachment=1]IMG_4230 Medium.jpeg[/attachment]

[Nina]

Aren't they lovely! And super names too -- thanks for the photos.

Nina