Has anyone hibernated their tortoise in a fridge?

[maddiemosthorrid]

Erm, thats about it really.

We have been told its the best way to hibernate tortoises but I would like to find someone who has done so. Hopefully with a sucess story

NO!!

Ours used to hibernate in a box of straw in the garage.

BTW you don't have to hibernate them at all.

We had 2 for 20 years BTW.

no! why would you do that?

you're supposed to tuck them up nice and warm when they hibernate..l.. not chill them1

I have a friend who puts her tortoise in the fridge. Seems to work I think.

Never heard about putting it in the fridge. Mine used to go in a cardboard box in a dark cupboard.

poor tortoise

No they don't have to be warm Starlover. Their heartbeat slows right down anyway.... and their body temp drops. Our garage temp would drop below freezing. You warm them up to bring them OUT of hibernation.

But I still think the firdge is a tad extreme!

ok, how bored am I? I don't even have a tortoise but googled this because it sounds so odd - Here you go.

my tortoise died when we hibernated it

Not supposed to be kept warm but at a fairly constant 5 centigrade. The reason we were told to do it, is mild winters mean if the temp is higher than that they can wake up and dehydrate and die.

What happens if you don't hibernate FangAche?

nothing! i know someone with 2 tortoises who don't hibernate them...

i figured they were warm because they were wrapped up in lots of straw! lol

Maddie - Nothing! You have to keep them indoors during the winter months instead.

1 of mine died in hibernation during a particularly warm winter. He was 35 yrs old (we think!).

Tortoise is only five so probably could over winter in vivarium.

Thanks ghoulgrrl, very helpful.

We are in South, so quite warm winters.

Been told they actually only need to hibernate for a couple of months.

He has vivarium because he is still quite young.

Sorry one of yours died, FangAche. They are so lovely creatures to have around.

my landlady's dad's tortoise was young and a bit poorly last year so they said not to hibernate him and he went to the sctu at the reptile place near here to be looked after!

You have to keep them indoors during the winter months instead.

I presume you can't toilet train a tortoise, so what do you do, when they do IYKWIM.

image of a fridge being opened with tada a chilled tortoise inside, how serile would that be. Sorry keep giggling at the image lol

no cos it would eat all the salad!!