IS YOUR TORTOISE FIT TO HIBERNATE?
　　你的龟适合冬眠吗？

　　Many people are surprised when we ask this question, not as the first frosts are beginning to make their presence felt, but as early as mid-August, when the days may still be bright and hot! We ask in mid-August because, as far as your tortoise is concerned, this is when it reaches a classic 'go-no-go' situation as far as its biological clock is concerned. Leaving the decision on hibernation until September, October or November is simply too late. If a tortoise is not fit to hibernate by the end of August, then it is not going to be fit in October. In order to survive hibernation in good condition, tortoises need to have built up sufficient reserves of body fat; this in turn stores vitamins and water. Without fat, vitamins and water tortoises die of starvation or dehydration. Adequate reserves of body fat are vital to tortoises in hibernation; they live off these reserves, and if the reserves run out too soon then the animal's body will begin to use up the fat contained within the muscles and internal organs, eventually these too will become exhausted. At this point the tortoise will simply die in hibernation.

　　当我们在每年的八月中旬，而不是第一次的霜降之际问及这个问题的时候，很多人都会感到奇怪，因为天气还很晴热呢！我们之所以在8月中旬问这个问题，是因为你所照顾的龟往往在这个时候会到达“冬眠或不冬眠”的生物钟开始发挥作用的时刻。到底是否冬眠的决心在最晚九月份之前就应该有个结果，因为等到了10月或11月就显然太晚了。如果龟龟在8月底之前还没有做好冬眠的准备，那么即使到了十月份，同样也不会做好相应的准备。为了能够顺利的度过漫长的休眠期，并保持身体处于健康的状况，龟龟必须在体内储存足够的脂肪，然后是维生素和水分。如果体内没有储存足够的脂肪、维生素和水分他们就会饿死或脱水而死。足够的脂肪的储备是龟龟能否顺利冬眠的关键；在冬眠期间，龟龟会消耗这些脂肪储备，当这些储备消耗殆尽时，为了维持生命，会进一步消耗肌肉甚至内脏器官中的脂肪，如果后面这两类脂肪被消耗完结，龟龟必定会在休眠过程中死去。

　　（评：这点，往往被我们忽视了，需要特别注意。）

　　
　　Check:
　　请仔细检查：

　　1 BOTH EYES: for signs of swelling, inflammation or discharge. If there is a problem, consult a veterinary surgeon with extensive experience of treating reptile patients.

　　双眼：如果出现肿胀、发炎、过多的分泌物溢出等任何症状，请立即与有经验的爬行动物兽医取得联系，并尽快解决问题。

　　2 THE NOSE: For signs of discharge; a persistently runny nose requires urgent veterinary investigation. Tortoises with this symptom must also be isolated from contact with others, as some varieties of RNS ('Runny Nose Syndrome') are highly infectious. The presence of excess mucus also encourages bacterial growth, and hence places the tortoise in additional danger from diseases such as necrotic stomatitis.

　　鼻子：鼻流清涕的龟龟必须立即进行兽医治疗。鼻孔分泌物过多的个体也需要马上与其他龟龟隔离，比如RNS（流鼻综合症）具有很强的传染性。过多的分泌物也同时助长了其他有害细菌的滋长，甚至是龟龟面对“坏死性口炎”的威胁。

　　3 THE TAIL: For inflammation or internal infection; tortoises with cloacitis 'leak' from the tail and smell strongly. Any signs of abnormality should be investigated by a veterinary surgeon. It will help if you take a fresh sample of cloacal excretion for a veterinarian to examine under the microscope.

　　尾巴：重点检查是否有炎症或体内寄生虫感染，这种状况往往伴随强烈的异味。任何炎症的出现都需要兽医立即进行医学方面的检查，常规的手段是组织取样或粪便取样，必要的时候需要进行粪样镜检。

　　4 LEGS: Look for any unusual lumps or swellings; abscesses are common in reptiles and if left untreated can result in loss of limb or even death. Report any unusual findings to a competent veterinary surgeon who may want to X-ray the affected part.

　　四肢：仔细检查是否有肿块或炎症的迹象，尽管在爬行动物中四肢的肿块很常见，但如果不进行及时治疗往往会导致截肢甚至性命不保。及时向有经验的兽医报告你所发现的异常情况，根据需要，收益可能会进行X光检查。

　　5 EARS: The membranes covering the inner ear should be either flat or slightly concave; ear abscesses are very common and can have fatal consequences if treatment is not obtained. The ear scales, the tympanic membranes, are the two large 'scales' just behind the jaw-bone.

　　耳鼓：内耳孔上覆盖的耳鼓膜往往是平的或者微微凹陷；耳鼓鼓胀很常见，同时如果不经过及时治疗往往也很致命。龟龟的耳鼓膜通常在下颚骨的后边。

　　6 INSIDE THE MOUTH: Look for any sign of abnormality; necrotic stomatitis or 'mouth-rot' is a highly contagious disease of captive reptiles. It is characterized by the appearance of a yellow 'cheesy' substance in the mouth, or by a deep red-purple tinge, or by the appearance of small blood-spots. Sometimes all three symptoms are present. Expert veterinary treatment is called for as a matter of urgency if the animal is to be saved.

　　HIBERNATION CONDITIONS
　　冬眠的条件：

　　The two biggest killers of captive tortoises are:
　　 a.Attempting to hibernate unfit specimens and
　　b.Failure to provide adequate protection during hibernation.

　　圈养龟的两大杀手是：
　　a.使不符合条件的龟龟冬眠
　　b.在龟龟冬眠期间没有提供足够的保护

　　Hopefully you have taken note of the advice given on fitness for hibernation and so will avoid this problem. Even fit tortoises can die in hibernation if the conditions to which they are subjected are biologically incorrect; essentially this means:
　　a.Keeping the tortoise dry and well insulated in properly prepared accommodation (unless otherwise noted for certain species).
　　b.Making absolutely certain that temperatures are stable, and within safe tolerances, i.e. neither too hot nor too cold.

　　希望你会听取我们的建议并为龟龟创造良好的条件从而避免问题的出现。即使是符合冬眠条件的龟龟，如果提供的条件不符合其生物学需求，也会导致死亡，概括地说：
　　a.保持龟龟体表的干燥，并妥善地包裹在正确设置的冬眠箱中。
（除去针对某种龟龟的特别的说明）
　　b.绝对保证温度的稳定，在一定幅度内浮动，避免过高或过低。

　　In practice the first is more easily accomplished. We will deal with both accommodation and conditions separately, and in some detail.

　　经过实践，第一项很容易做到；我们这里将就冬眠箱和冬眠条件分别说明，会涉及一些细节问题。

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