Hibernation - 1

Before we get into Manuel’s Guide to Humans…

I want to ask one small favour.

Please don’t read this thinking, “I’ve kept tortoises for forty years. I already know all about hibernation.”

You might.

You might also have successfully hibernated tortoises for many years. But here’s the wonderful

thing about good animal welfare.

We’re always learning.

And this time…

The lesson happens to be coming from a tortoise.

A remarkably handsome tortoise, if I may say so myself.

Every year we understand a little more about how tortoises work, what their bodies need, and how we can help them live longer, healthier lives.

That’s not because people got everything wrong years ago.

It’s because knowledge never stands still.

It improves.

So if something I’m about to tell you is different from what you were taught twenty or thirty years

ago…

Please don’t dismiss it.

Don’t think,

“Mine have always survived, so I’ll carry on exactly the same.”

Instead, ask yourself one simple question.

“Could my tortoise do even better?”

Because there’s a very big difference between surviving…

…and thriving.

If learning one new thing makes hibernation even safer…

Isn’t that worth ten minutes of your time?

Manuel’s Guide to Humans

Part 1 – Hibernation Begins in Summer

Humans…

I really feel the need to have a proper chat with you.

My human has started getting lots of messages about hibernation already.

Some of the advice people have been given is excellent.

Some of it…

Well…

Let’s just say if tortoises had eyebrows, mine would be halfway up my shell.

So…

Go and put the kettle on.

Make yourself a nice cup of tea.

Because this isn’t one of my usual little stories.

This is important.

It’s quite a long read.

But if you have even the slightest thought that your tortoise may hibernate this year…

I really want you to read every word.

Over the next few weeks we’re going to cover hibernation in much more detail.

We’ll talk about temperatures.

We’ll talk about winding down.

We’ll talk about fasting.

We’ll talk about hydration.

We’ll talk about weighing.

We’ll talk about health checks.

We’ll talk about when not to hibernate.

But before any of that…

There is one thing I need you to understand.

And it may surprise you.

Hibernation doesn’t begin in November.

It doesn’t even begin in October.

In many ways…

It begins now.

August is the point where your tortoise’s health starts deciding whether hibernation is likely to be

safe a few months from now.

And here’s one of the biggest misunderstandings.

Humans often think they can feed a tortoise up just before hibernation.

You can’t.

You don’t prepare a tortoise for hibernation over a few weeks.

You prepare one from the day it wakes up in spring.

Every weed.

Every flower.

Every hour spent basking in natural sunshine.

Every healthy bowel movement.

Every day with the correct temperatures.

Every mouthful of fibre.

Every opportunity to explore, graze and exercise.

That’s what prepares a tortoise for hibernation.

Not a last-minute panic in October.

Now here’s something else my human really wants you to know.

If we suddenly get a spell of cold, wet weather during August or early September, please don’t assume we’re ready for bed.

Mediterranean tortoises don’t own calendars.

We respond to nature.

Cooler days…

Less sunshine…

Lower temperatures…

Those things tell our bodies that winter is on its way.

Sometimes they tell us that a little too early.

If your tortoise suddenly becomes less active because the weather has turned miserable, don’t

simply shrug your shoulders and think,

“Well… he’s stopped eating.”

Ask yourself why.

Has the weather changed?

Has the basking temperature dropped?

Is there enough warmth for proper digestion?

Sometimes we need a little help from our humans so we can carry on eating while the weather

makes up its mind.

Then, as autumn genuinely arrives, something wonderful happens.

We naturally begin slowing down.

We’ll spend longer basking.

We’ll explore a little less.

We’ll forage a little less.

We’ll eat a little less.

That’s completely normal.

Nature is gently applying the brakes.

You don’t need to fight that.

You simply need to understand it.

Now let’s talk about food.

This is where humans often get themselves into a panic.

“I’d better feed him up before hibernation.”

No.

The best meal for hibernation…

…was the one you fed me in April.

And the one in May.

And June.

And July.

And today.

A healthy hibernation isn’t built on one big meal.

It’s built on hundreds of good ones.

Every weed adds something.

Every flower adds something.

Every mouthful of fibre helps support the incredible little world living inside our gut.

Remember one of my favourite sayings…

A tortoise never eats alone.

The first mouths fibre feeds aren’t ours.

They’re the billions of tiny microbes living inside us that help us digest the foods we’ve evolved to

eat.

If you’ve looked after them all summer…

They’ll have looked after me.

So here’s the question I want every human to ask themselves during August.

Is my tortoise genuinely healthy?

Not…

“Is he eating?”

Not…

“Does he look happy?”

But…

Is he the right weight?

Has he had a good active summer?

Has he been eating a varied, natural, high-fibre diet?

Has he had the correct temperatures?

Has he had proper UVB or plenty of natural sunshine?

Has anything worried me over the last few months?

Because if the answer to those questions is “no”…

Don’t think,

“I’ll sort it out before hibernation.”

By then…

You’re already running out of time.

Humans…

Safe hibernation isn’t won in October.

It’s earned from the moment we wake up in spring.

So if you only remember one thing from today’s lesson…

Remember this.

You don’t feed a tortoise up for hibernation.

You feed a tortoise properly all year, so hibernation becomes the natural reward for months of

excellent husbandry.

Next time…

We’ll answer one of the biggest questions of all.

How do you know if your tortoise is actually fit enough to hibernate?

With Love, Manuel x

Join up with Manuel's Club and never miss a post https://www.tortoisehotel.com/manuels-club