ACCOMMODATION
　　冬眠箱

　　Our recommendations are for an outer box or carton made from either wood or substantial cardboard. The inside of this should be lined with blocks or chippings of polystyrene, of the sort used in house insulation or packaging. Alternatively, tightly packed shredded paper can be used.
Select a second, (this time much smaller) box. Ideally this box should accommodate the tortoise fairly tightly, whilst still allowing for a couple of inches of insulating material all around the animal. We are sometimes asked why two individual boxes are necessary. To answer this question one has only to monitor carefully the behavior of a hibernating tortoise. A tortoise in hibernation does not stay in one place, but attempts to move, and it either digs deeper into its box, or climbs to the surface. If it is allowed unrestrained movement, there is a grave danger that it may burrow through the protective insulating layers and come into contact with the walls of the hibernation box. Here it is virtually unprotected, and could very easily freeze to death. Our sanctuary hospital is often full of frozen tortoises in the spring, due to precisely this error on the part of owners. It is all rather sad and unnecessary, as the problem is so easily avoided with a little care.

　　我们的推荐是一种由木板或结实的纸壳制成的放在室外的箱子。箱子的内部由木屑或家庭包装上经常用到的聚苯乙烯小块填充，或者也可以塞满纸片。另选一个小得多的箱子，基本上这个箱子的大小正好能够放下龟龟，仅仅在龟龟的四周保留几英寸的空间用来填充绝热物质就可以了。经常有人问我们为什么要准备两个箱子？回答这个问题之前首先要了解龟龟在冬眠期间的行为特征。在冬眠过程中，龟龟不是保持固定的姿势或保持固定的位置，而是总要尝试着进一步挖掘，可怕的是这种挖掘无异于为自己掘坟—一旦他们移动到冬眠箱的边缘，失去足够的绝热物质的保护，一定会被冻伤。每年春天，在我们救护所的医院里都充满了被冻伤的龟，冻伤的原因就是没有限制龟龟的行动所致，如此致命的错误其实只要仔细的想一下，解决起来易如反掌。

　　CONDITIONS
　　冬眠条件：

　　The critical factor here is TEMPERATURE. Temperature is absolutely critical to a successful and healthy hibernation. Insulation merely slows down the rate of heat exchange, it does not prevent it altogether. Thus, no matter how well you insulate, if you subject your tortoise's hibernation box to sub-zero temperatures for an extended period it will still get too cold. Similarly, if you allow your tortoise's hibernation box to get too warm for too long it will begin to use up valuable fat and energy reserves, and may even wake up early.
These critical temperatures are:
　　a. MAXIMUM = 50 癋 or l0 癈
　　 b. MINIMUM = 32 癋 or 0 癈 (Freezing Point)

　　在这里最关键的因素是温度。温度的影响绝对是决定东面能否成功的关键。绝热层所起到的作用仅仅是延缓热交换的速度，而不是阻止热交换的进行。因此，无论你的绝缘层做得如何好，只要冬眠箱长时间的处于零度以下的温度，龟龟都会被冻死。同样，长时间的处于高温环境，龟龟会加速宝贵的能量储备——脂肪的消耗，结果可能会提前结束冬眠。
　　a.高温不能超过10度
　　b.低温不能低于0度

　　
　　ALWAYS USE A THERMOMETER - IT SAVES LIVES!! –
　　一定要使用温度计——救命的法宝

　　
　　Under no circumstances whatsoever should a hibernating tortoise be subjected to prolonged exposure to temperatures higher or lower than these. Failure to appreciate the importance of this invariably leads to death and injury in hibernation. Blindness due to the eyes quite literally freezing solid is a particularly unpleasant consequence of allowing temperatures to fall too low.

　　The easiest way to check temperatures is to obtain a maximum-minimum reading greenhouse thermometer from any garden or hardware store. Check it at regular intervals, hourly if necessary in very cold spells. If sustained low or high temperatures are noted, temporarily move the tortoises into a more suitable place until temperatures stabilize to a satisfactory level again. Today, some excellent electronic thermometers are available with built-in alarms if the temperature goes outside pre-set points. These are truly excellent, and can make a major contribution to hibernation safety.

　　最简单的办法是到花房或五金店买一个花房使用的高低温度计，使用它来查看温度。在冷的时候如果可能间隔每小时查看温度，如果显示长时间的高温或低温，就将龟暂时移到温度较为合适的地方去，直到温度再次稳定到安全的范围。现在一些电子温度计适用，能够在设定温度外报警，这样很好，使用它们的好处在于能保证龟的冬眠安全。

　　An ideal temperature for hibernation is 5 癈, or 40 癋. At this temperature tortoises remain safely asleep, but are in no danger of freezing. Incidentally, it is important to point out that the advice that a hibernating tortoise should never be disturbed is completely invalid. It has absolutely no basis in biological or veterinary science, and should be ignored. You cannot possibly harm a hibernating tortoise simply by handling it.

　　最好的冬眠的温度为5度，在这个温度下龟可以保持安全的睡眠，而不会有冻僵的危险。顺便说一下，重要的是指出：对于绝对不要打扰冬眠的龟这一说法是不科学的，它显然没有生物学和兽医学基础，而应该是被忽视的。你如果只简单地用手拿着只正在冬眠的龟，你是不会伤害它的。

　　We routinely handle our tortoises during hibernation to conduct checks on weight. Provided the animals are carefully replaced in their protective insulation, this is an excellent method of checking on their general condition. A tortoise which is losing weight to the extent that it is approaching the danger line should be taken out of hibernation and artificially sustained for the remainder of the winter. Most healthy adult tortoises lose about l% of their body weight each month in hibernation. This is very easy to calculate. A l600 g tortoise put into hibernation in October will lose about l6 g every month. After 5 months hibernation it will probably weight l600 minus 5 x l6 = 80, i.e. l520 g.

　　我们在龟冬眠期间定期移动它们以进行体重检查。需要检查的龟在检查完以后被小心地放回它们的冬眠区，这对于检查它们的一般的健康状况是个极好的方法。如果一只龟的体重减轻，正在接近危险范围，那么就应该让它结束冬眠，在余下的冬季里进行人工供养维持。大多数成年龟在冬眠期间每月大约减轻1%的体重，这是很容易计算出来的。一只体重1600克的龟，在十月冬眠，它每月体重减轻16克，在冬眠的5个月以后，体重将大约减轻5 x16=80克，体重变为1520克。

　　While tortoises must not be put into hibernation with a stomach containing food matter, their bladders should contain water. Therefore tortoises should be encouraged to drink before hibernation, even though they are not allowed to feed.

　　当龟的胃里有食物和水份时，它们绝对不能冬眠。它们的膀胱会储存水分。所以虽然在冬眠之前不能吃食但应鼓励龟喝一些水。

　　（评：龟龟冬眠时是有脱水的危险的。这就要求龟龟在冬眠前要做好水的储备。如果冬眠前不喂食物，只给龟龟喝水，肠道会吸收水份，并保持一个“空”的状态，水份会被储存到肾脏中，这是我们希望的龟龟冬眠前的状态。）

　　If, when checking a hibernating tortoise you notice that it has urinated, get it up immediately do not put it back. Recent evidence leads us to believe that should this occur, the animal is in grave danger of death from sudden, acute dehydration. If this action does occur, begin re-hydration immediately, and over-winter for the remaining hibernation period. We are undertaking further research into this phenomena, but early results indicate that the problem is most likely to occur towards the end of the hibernation period, or in spells of unusually mild weather where the temperature rises above 10 癈 or 50 癋. Check the tortoise regularly at such times.

　　如果在检查冬眠的龟时发现它有尿，要马上唤醒它，不能让它再冬眠。最近的发现让我们相信动物将由于急性脱水而导致突然死亡。如果发现有尿，要马上给它补充水分，度过余下的冬季的冬眠期。我们正进行有关这一现象的更深入的研究，但初步结果显示，这一问题常出现在冬眠快要结束的时候，或经常在气候温暖，气温升到10度以上的时期。你需要在这时定期检查你的龟。

　　（评：当冬眠龟龟受到外界温度，湿度，等等因素影响的时候，他们本能的会去决定何时终止冬眠。一般身体的反映就是排尿，因为他们觉得既然要醒了就不需要再保存这些水分了。野生的龟龟随后，就会从洞穴中爬出来寻找食物和水份。但是在人工条件下冬眠的龟，是不可能从冬眠箱中爬出来寻找食物和水的。如果他们决定停止冬眠而饲养他们的人却不知道，这意味着他们要在冬眠箱里饿上渴上相当长的一段时间。所以定期对冬眠的龟龟作检查是很必要的。冬眠的龟龟排尿很可能在你观察的时候已经蒸发干了。这需要你细心的观察，有时候可以发现水印，和尿酸，这说明龟龟已经尿过了。）

　　口腔内部：寻找任何的异常。坏死性口炎在爬行动物中是具有极强的传染性的。这种传染病的典型症状是在口腔内出现“奶酪样”物质，或者呈现深红至紫色的口腔颜色；或者是出现出血点，又是这三种症状会同时出现。在这种情况下，只有马上请有经验的兽医进行紧急处理才有可能保住龟龟小命。

　　（评：以上检查其实还是很容易的，所以想让龟龟冬眠的龟友，请按照上面说的，检查自己的龟龟。）

　　These basic checks form your essential pre-hibernation examination. Provided your tortoise is up to weight and no other abnormalities can be detected, then you may begin preparation for hibernation. The golden rule, however, at all times is IF IN DOUBT SEEK EXPERT ADVICE. Our experience is that owners who fail to act promptly when problems occur usually end up, sooner or later, with a dead tortoise. One final, and critically important point before we actually deal with how to hibernate your tortoise. Very many tortoises die each year because owners attempt to hibernate them while they still contain undigested food matter within their gastro-intestinal system. It is natural for tortoises to gradually reduce their food intake as fall approaches (this is one reason why, if they are underweight in August, they will certainly not have put on any extra weight by October). A tortoise's digestive system is governed to a great extent by temperature, but generally speaking, when the animal's biological processes are slowing down it takes between 4-6 weeks for the food last consumed to pass completely through the gastro-intestinal tract. In other words, do not attempt to hibernate any tortoise if it has eaten within the last month to six weeks. Delay hibernation rather than allow a tortoise to hibernate while the possibility of undigested food matter within the intestine remains.

　　上述这些基本检查必须要在冬眠之前进行。如果你的龟的体重也达到标准，而且没有任何的异常情况，你就可以为冬眠做准备了。在这里有一条金科玉律：任何疑问都要请教行家！根据我们以往的经验，任何不能及时解决疑惑的龟龟的持有者，等待他们的结果无论快还是慢，但都会是龟龟的死亡。另外还有一点尤为重要：在我们正式开展冬眠准备之前必须注意。每年大批的龟龟的致死原因都一样：主人们在龟龟的消化道没有完全排空之前就令它们冬眠了。在秋天来临之际，龟龟会很自然的减少进食量（这也是一支体重不能达标的龟从8月中旬之后直到10月份龟龟的体重基本不会增加的原因之一），龟龟的消化系统的功效受温度的影响极大，一般地说，当龟龟的消化机能减退的时候，往往食物从摄入到完全排出需要4-6周的时间。也就是说，千万不要试图冬眠一只在过去的一个月至6周之内有过进食的龟龟！宁可推迟冬眠的时间也不能使龟龟进入冬眠时消化道内还有未排出的食物。

　　（评：食物短缺，或者禁食，可以有效刺激龟龟身体选择冬眠。）

　　Tortoises which are hibernated with food still remaining inside are unlikely to survive in good health. The food decays, produces large quantities of gas and causing tympanic colic which brings about asphyxiation due to internal pressure on the lungs. This error of husbandry is also responsible for a number of serious, and usually fatal, bacterial infections inside the tortoise.

　　消化道中还有未排空的食物的龟龟几乎没有从冬眠中健康的醒来的可能。这些未排出的食物会在消化道内产生大量的有害气体引起疝气。由于龟壳的固定容积，产生的气体不能排除使肺受到极大的压迫。这种严重的错误，也是使龟龟受到其他很多致命病菌感染的原因。

　　（评：好可怕！）

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