Fridge hibernation best thing for tortoises, says Shifnal vet

Thirty-seven tortoises will hibernate this winter in fridges at Taylor and Marshall Vets in Shifnal

Tortoise owners should not be scared of hibernating the reptiles in a fridge, an exotic veterinary nurse said.

Liz Hanson has been offering the service for three years at a practice in Shifnal, Shropshire.

Using a fridge allows the tortoises to hibernate at a controlled temperature compared to gardens and garages, she said.

"I think it scares certain people, it doesn't seem right, but actually it's the best thing," Mrs Hanson added.

Dozens of tortoises will be put into fridges at Taylor and Marshall Vets this winter after they have been checked for parasites.

"It has just gone massive this year with the hibernation service. In total we have got 37 coming this year. I think I have probably got about another 10 at my house," Mrs Hanson said.

"We have got one that is coming from down south and they have travelled up because they just feel happy that we are hibernating them and they don't have to put their tortoise in the fridge."

Exotic veterinary nurse Liz Hanson said fridges allow the temperature to be controlled during a tortoise's hibernation

Hibernation is vital for most tortoises due to their need to supplement their body with warm air in summer months as the cold-blooded creatures cannot regulate their own body temperature.

Some owners use carefully temperature-regulated places to store their pets due to climate conditions in the UK being lower than of the tortoises' native habitats.

The Royal Veterinary College said fridges can be used for hibernation as long as the temperature is kept at about 5C (41F) and the tortoise is kept ventilated.

"It is hard to maintain that temperature between four and eight degrees if they are in a box in the garage, or if they are just hibernating themselves in the garden," Mrs Hanson said.

The tortoises are checked on daily when in the fridges and the doors opened to keep them ventilated

After being put in a fridge in Shifnal, the tortoises are weighed each week and the door opened several times a week to regulate the air flow.

They hibernate for between six and 12 weeks before they are slowly woken up, Mrs Hanson said.

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"It is good that they have that rest period so then next year they thrive more."