Many temperate tortoise species must hibernate during winter, and incorrect hibernation management kills thousands of pet tortoises annually through preventable mistakes.
Tortoise hibernation management is a welfare area with high stakes and widespread owner errors. Tortoises that wake prematurely from warm storage, freeze in outdoor gardens, or are kept inside without hibernation face serious health consequences. A tortoise that is not hibernated but kept warm throughout winter will often fail to breed, suffer hormonal dysregulation, and have shortened lifespan. A tortoise that freezes during an unexpected cold snap in an outdoor hibernation site suffers and dies. The knowledge required to hibernate tortoises safely is accessible but not always communicated effectively at point of sale. Owners must actively learn and apply proper hibernation protocols every year.