after talkin to some ppl at the reptile show this past weekend .... i decided to hibernate my tortoises!!!!! The mob is now outside...i dug 12 5-6" holes outside (just to get them started) and threw mad amounts of hay over there entire pen! looks like they're ready for there crazy journey!!!! crossing my fingers everything goes fine. the guy said they should be fine in houston climate. so ...................... i guess ill have to wait now. ps. my tortoises really dont seem to drink water but i let them out like that today.
Here We GO!!!!!!!
- Thread starter jasso2
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I don't know what the Houston winter weather is like, but if it gets very wet, its not good for your Russians. Here in Central California we don't get very much rain, but the ground stays wet all winter long, and the Russians would die if they were hibernating in wet ground. Last year I over-planted their pen and by Autumn the grass was so tall I couldn't find the Russians. I was able to gather up a few of them, but I started out with around 15 and now have only about 10 or so. The ones that stayed out all winter because I couldn't find them, probably died. If you get much rain in Houston, I would box them up and put them in a cool place inside.
Yvonne
Yvonne
I'd be surprised if your torts stay down more than a few days at a time in the Houston if they get any sun on the pen. Mine here in College Station may stay only one week at a stretch underground at the longest, maybe a couple of times this winter. Yesterday one of my Russians was sunning having a good old time when it was 54 degrees peak temperature for the day. I'm guessing it was around 51-53 when I saw him first and he was there a while. That's not unusual for a high during the winter, but sunny skies certainly helps pull them out of the ground, so that's a big factor.
Covering it help some, but keep in mind the soil temperature will be unlikely to get low enough to keep them deeply asleep and you want to make sure they can get some sun when they come up on a warm day.
I don't know what your temps are but I'm in AZ and mine go under in november and don't come back up until feb/march. If and when it rains I cover the pens with tarps to keep out the water and so far mine have done well.
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