HIBERNATION

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HIBERNATION AS I HAVE HAD ALOT OF QUESTIONS RECENTLY ABOUT HOW TO HIBERNATE. YEARS AGO WHEN THESE LOVELY CREATURES FIRST ARRIVED HERE PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT OR HOW TO LOOK AFTER THEM AND ALOT PERISHED BUT ALOT ALSO HARDENED THEMSELVES OFF TO OUR CHANGING CLIMATE AND ADAPTED THEMSELVES TO THE WINTER MONTHS BY HIBERNATING IN THE GARDEN SHED, COMPOST HEAP, UNDER THE HEDGE, IN THE OUTSIDE TOILET! AND SIMPLY  BY BURROWING DOWN IN THE VEGGY PATCH TO NAME BUT A FEW PLACES. OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE COME TO APPRECIATE THEM MORE AND REALISE WE CAN HELP KEEP THEM SAFE DURING THE HIBERNATION PERIOD. OVER THE YEARS MY GIRLS AND BOYS HAVE SHOWN ME WHEN THEY GO TO SLEEP AND HOW AND WHERE THEY WANT TO BE.I HAVE ONE BOY "GRUMPY"  WHO CHOSE TO DIG VERTICALLY !! AND A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE WE MOVED HERE A FEW YEARS AGO HE GOT OUT OF THE TORTOISE HOUSE AND BURROWED 3 FEET !! YES 3 FEET  VERTICALLY DOWN.. WELL, YOU CANNOT DIG WITH A SPADE OR FORK FOR OBVIOUS REASONS AND SO THERE WAS I ON MY HANDS AND KNEES IN THE SNOW  USING A LITTLE FORK TRYING TO FIND WHERE HE HAD DUG DOWN (THEY DON'T LEAVE ANY SOIL TO SHOW WHERE THEY HAVE DUG). ANYWAY, EVENTUALLY WITH DIVINE HELP!  I FOUND HIM...NOW HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN OK BUT WITH FROZEN GROUND THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO GO BLIND AND ALSO SHELL ROT DOES HAPPEN.SO... OVER TIME I HAVE REALISED IT IS BEST TO LEAVE THEM TO DO IT ALL THEMSELVES  AND WITH THEIR HOUSES FILLED WITH HAY THEY ARE HAPPY TO BED DOWN AND EVENTUALLY SETTLE THERE. I MAKE SURE THERE IS ALOT OF HAY UNDERNEATH THEM AND LOTS ON TOP THEN CLOSE THE DOOR FOR THE WINTER..NOW, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THEM OUTSIDE ONCE THEY HAVE BEDDED DOWN IN THEIR HOUSE YOU CAN LIFT THE WHOLE THING AND PUT IT IN A SHED OR GARAGE. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO LIFT THEIR HOUSE OUT OF THEIR AREA YOU CAN ALSO LIFT THEM OUT  AND PUT THEM IN  A HAY FILLED BOX  BUT IT IS NICER NOT TO DISTURB THEM  AS THEY WILL BE AWARE OF BEING MOVED AND THIS CAN BE DISTRESSING AS THEY WILL THINK YOU ARE A PREDATOR! I DO LEAVE MINE OUTSIDE IF THE WEATHER DOES NOT GET TOO BAD AND HAVE DONE SO FOR OVER 35 YEARS NOW. THIS YEAR ,I AM GOING TO PUT SOME OF THE NEW DONATIONS WHO HAVE  ONLY BEEN HERE A FEW MONTHS INTO THE SHED ONCE THEY ARE ASLEEP. I WILL LET THEM STAY IN THEIR HOUSES SO AS NOT TO DISTURB THEM; BUT  BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW ALL THEIR HISTORY AND SOME HAVE ALSO COME FROM VIVIARIUMS AND HAVE BEEN HARDENED OFF OVER THE SUMMER  I WANT TO BE SURE THEY HAVE A GOOD SAFE HIBERNATION. HUBBY IS GOING TO INSULATE MY SHED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS AND IS PUTTING UP SHELVES ETC SO IT WILL BE A REALLY LOVELY HIBERNATION SHED WITH LIGHT AND STORAGE AREAS. I AM SO LUCKY! ONCE ALL TORTIES ARE ASLEEP THIS IS THE TIME TO CLEAN OUT THEIR PENS ETC AND ADD NEW THINGS FOR WHEN THEY WAKE UP.  CLEAN AND DISINFECT THE WHOLE AREA. I WILL BE ADDING MORE STONES AND SLATE AND HAVE BEEN REALLY BUSY PLANT CUTTINGS OF ICE PLANT IT IS EVERY WHERE ! WHAT I WILL SAY IS I DON'T RECOMMEND SHREDDED NEWSPAPER OR SIMILAR, I THINK GOOD SOFT HAY WORKS REALLY WELL AND KEEPS THE HIBERNATING AREA DRY.SO I HOPE THIS HELPS BUT PLEASE EMAIL ME IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION.......