Tortoise Hibernation Service at HappyTortoises

At HappyTortoises, we take every measure to ensure your tortoise has a safe, healthy, and comfortable hibernation experience. Our Tortoise Hibernation Service is designed to cater to the specific needs of each tortoise, providing the best environment for their rest during hibernation.

Hibernation benefits

Hibernation is a natural process that many tortoise species undergo to survive colder months when food is scarce, and temperatures drop. During hibernation, a tortoise’s metabolism slows down significantly, allowing them to conserve energy and resources. Hibernation is essential for their overall health and wellbeing, especially in species that naturally require this rest period. It offers numerous benefits for your tortoise, including enhancing their lifespan and promoting successful breeding behaviours. It slows growth, ensures that your tortoise is not overfed and allows for natural hormonal fluctuations. Hibernation supports healthier development and replicates the natural rhythms they experience in the wild.

Hibernation method used at HappyTortoises

We use the Fridge Hibernation Method, widely regarded as the safest and most effective way to hibernate tortoises. This method provides a stable, controlled environment, ensuring consistent temperatures that minimize the risks of fluctuating conditions commonly experienced with outdoor hibernation. Using a dedicated fridge, we maintain the ideal temperature range of 4-7°C (39-45°F), allowing your tortoise to safely enter deep hibernation without the dangers of dehydration, overheating, or freezing.

Not All Tortoises Hibernate

It’s important to note that not all tortoise species are suited for hibernation. Some species, like the Leopard, Indian Star or Sulcata tortoises, do NOT naturally hibernate, and attempting to do so can be dangerous. Please visit our website to find a comprehensive list of tortoise breeds that are suitable for hibernation. If you're unsure whether your tortoise should hibernate, we recommend contacting us for guidance or consulting with your vet.

When NOT to Hibernate Your Tortoise

There are certain situations where hibernation may not be safe for your tortoise:

Health concerns: If your tortoise is underweight, ill, or has an unresolved medical issue, hibernation could weaken their condition and lead to complications.
Age: Very young or elderly tortoises may not tolerate hibernation well. Young tortoises often require shorter hibernation periods, and in some cases, it may be best to avoid hibernation entirely.
Inadequate pre-hibernation care: If your tortoise has not been properly prepared for hibernation (e.g., not adequately fasted, hydrated, or cooled), it’s safer to delay hibernation until next year.

It is always better to overwinter (skip hibernation) if your tortoise is not in peak health or has not been properly prepared, as forcing hibernation in these conditions can lead to serious health risks.

Key Features of Our Hibernation Service:

Personalised Hibernation Plans:

We tailor the hibernation length to suit your tortoise’s age, species, history and health. The maximum hibernation period is 3 months (12 weeks), with shorter durations for younger tortoises.

3-4 Week Wind Down Period:

We prepare your tortoise for hibernation over a 4-week wind down period with daily health checks and bathing every 2-3 days:

Week 1: The fasting process begins on Day 1 of their stay with us. No food will be given upon arrival, so please ensure you continue to feed your tortoise as normal up until drop-off. We will also gradually reduce the heat over the first week to slowly lower their metabolism.
Week 2-3: Light and temperature are gradually reduced further to continue lowering metabolic rate.
Week 3-4: A final fasting period with pre-hibernation health checks to ensure your tortoise is ready for hibernation.

Monitored Fridge Hibernation:

During hibernation, your tortoise is kept in a temperature-controlled fridge, ensuring stable conditions for safe hibernation. We continue daily checks throughout the hibernation period and conduct weekly weigh-ins to monitor safe weight loss. This ensures your tortoise is losing weight at a healthy rate without any complications.

1-Week Post-Hibernation Wake-Up Period:

After hibernation, we guide your tortoise through a 1-week wake-up period, gradually reintroducing warmth, light, and food to ensure a smooth recovery.

Vet Confirmation Required:

Before hibernation, confirmation from your vet is required that:

A faecal exam for worms has been conducted and cleared.
Your tortoise has passed a pre-hibernation health check and is fit for hibernation.

Liability Disclaimer & Health Monitoring:

While we take all necessary precautions, HappyTortoises accepts no liability for illness or death resulting from the hibernation process, as it is inherently risky.
We reserve the right to stop hibernation at any point if health concerns arise. In the event of an emergency, we will consult our own vet to provide immediate care.

Pricing

3-4 Week Pre-Hibernation and 1-Week Post-Hibernation Service: £200
This service is mandatory and includes all the preparation and post-hibernation care, ensuring your tortoise is ready for and recovers from hibernation safely.
Hibernation Period: £20 per week
The hibernation period itself is charged at a rate of £20 per week, depending on the length of time your tortoise requires. Hibernation duration will be customized according to your tortoise’s age and species, with a maximum of 12 weeks.

Drop-off and collection location

Drop-off and Collection is in West Sussex. We will send out details once your booking is confirmed.
We offer various timeslots, and a suitable date and time will be agreed once your tortoise’s personalised hibernation plan has been prepared.

· Weekdays between 8-9am or 6-8pm

· Weekends 2pm-8pm

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer drop-off or collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Late drop-off / collections

If you are unable to drop-off or collect your tortoise on the agreed date/time, please let us know asap on the contact number provided. Additional charges will need to be paid before collection.

If you don’t collect your tortoise within 2 days of the agreed collection date, then we will charge £50 rehoming fee. We will then make arrangements to rehome your tortoise and any monies resulting from the sale of your tortoise(s) will be passed onto HappyTortoises.

Next steps

At HappyTortoises, we’re committed to providing the best hibernation service for your tortoise. If you would like to book your tortoise(s) in with us, please complete the hibernation questionnaire before placing your order. On receipt of your questionnaire, we will prepare a personalised hibernation plan for your tortoise and let you know the length of hibernation so you can go ahead and place your order. You will also need to arrange the vet visit in August/September (as per point 5).

Hibernation Questionnaire

Tortoise’s Name

Breed of tortoise

Select the breed of tortoise

Age

If you don't know the exact hatch date, please enter approximate age

Length of the tortoise's shell

Measured underneath, in cm

Current weight of the tortoise

in grams (this should be first thing in the morning, before eating or bathing)

What is their diet?

Please give as much information as possible on what you feed your tortoise

How long have you had the tortoise?

If you have had the tortoise for less than 1 year, was this tortoise hibernated by the previous owner?

Have you hibernated this tortoise before?

If you have hibernated this tortoise before, how long was the last hibernation?

Known hibernation issues?

Were there any issues related to hibernation either before, during or after the last hibernation? If so, what were they?

Have there been any health issues in the past year with your tortoise?

Please provide as much detail as possible on any health issues in the past year. (Enter n/a if not applicable)

Has your tortoise had any operations in the past year?

Please provide as much detail as possible on any operations in the past year.

Do you have any concerns over its general health?

Any concerns at all is helpful Eg more lethargic than normal, not eaten for 2 days etc.

Are there any long term or ongoing health issues?

Eg RNS, mycoplasma. How long have they had the issues? This is important to determine if safe to hibernate and length of hibernation

Current health status

Is your vet a reptile specialist vet?

When was the last faecal exam for worms at the vets and what were the results?

Please also provide a copy/photo of the results using the contact us form

Did your vet advise your tortoise has passed a pre-hibernation health check and is fit for hibernation?

Please also provide a copy/photo of the results using the contact us form including the date of the vet visit

Is your tortoise still eating normally?

ie eating a normal amount of food compared to summer months

Please confirm you will continue to feed the tortoise and provide warmth and UVB until they are ready to come to HappyTortoises to start the hibernation process?

This is important to avoid hibernation starting too early and causing unnecessary complications and risk

Any other information

Enter any other information you want to tell us about your tortoise that may impact hibernation or use this space to expand on other answers above

Emergency contact name

We will use these details to contact in the case of an emergency.

Emergency telephone number

We will use these details to contact in the case of an emergency.

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Contact Name

Enter contact name if this is different from emergency contact name

Contact Telephone

Enter contact telephone number if this is different from emergency telephone number

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Contact Email address

This email address will be used to confirm your booking, raise any questions etc. Please add happytortoises@hotmail.com to your contacts list so our emails reach you

We hope your tortoise has a relaxing hibernation with us and we look forward to seeing them soon!