weather too warm for hibernation??

[Yvonne G]

I've copied and pasted this thread from the introduction section for Mizsherle so that you desert tortoise folks will see it and talk with her.

"Mizsherle Offline
Newbie
*
Posts: 1
Joined: Nov 2010
Reputation: 0
Warning Level: 0%
RE: Welcome to TortoiseForum.org !
Hi, I've just joined the forum. I live in Los Angeles with a 45 year old mojave desert tortoise. The hot weather is affecting his hibernation. Is anyone else having a similar issue? "

 

[Torty Mom]

RE: weather to warm for hibernation??

Yep, my ornate boxie having a rough go of it. Sleeps for a few days then he is up. So I soak him and put him back to bed. I know nascarmw her tortie Elliott is out like a light. Penny my CDT, her parents and siblings are still up and cruising around. Who knows, it was warm again today! GRRR!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Mizsherle:

We had a pretty good frost last night, so I got all my desert tortoises out of their pens, soaked them and boxed them up for the winter. None of them were sleeping yet, but all out in the sun with legs spread out to absorb as much heat as they could.

I put their boxes inside chest-type freezers (unplugged) with a pencil across one corner for a slight air exchange space, and the freezers are in any old abandoned house on the back of my property. Its pretty cold in there, so they'll soon settle down for their long winter's sleep.

 

[Madortoise]

I live in coast area of LA county and I agree that this weather is so wishy washy it's throwing my CDT off. Nevertheless, she is starting to slow down in the last 2 days, not touching her salad and not up in the morning when I'm off to work. She dug a pretty deep burrow but I see an evidence that she is coming out during the day. I will be able to know more as to what she's up to during the day when I'm home on the next weekend.

 

[lsaldana]

I live in coastal SD and inherited 2 DTs this year. They have finally slowed- time to put in boxes and put indoors? What do people mean about soaking them- is that something they need pre-hibernation? I did that when it was so HOT earlier this fall but not recently.

We've had them for 40+ years, this is my first year managing their care. I'm feeling nervous about this... any suggestions appreciated.
------------------------
Lori

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Isaldana:

My tortoises all have waterers in their pens, and I'm hoping they drink when they need to, but just to be sure they are hydrated well before hibernation, I always put them into a tub of water (water up to the "bridge" - where the top shell meets the bottom shell) and let them sit there for about 15 minutes. Then I let them dry in the sun until they are completely dry then box them up. Some people touch a foot every couple weeks or so during winter to be sure the tortoise is ok, but I don't. I leave them alone until I hear them scratching around in the box, then I get them out.

 

[lsaldana]

thanks for info- we've also always left them alone until it begins to warm up. then we put them on the patio, and listen for them to begin scratching. It's really pretty amazing how they survive this way... we've had them since the 60s so I'd feel very guilty if anything happened now!

this is my first year taking care of them, so I'm probably overthinking this too much... I'll try soaking them this weekend just to reassure myself that they haven't been dehydrated all these years...

Lori

Hi Isaldana:

My tortoises all have waterers in their pens, and I'm hoping they drink when they need to, but just to be sure they are hydrated well before hibernation, I always put them into a tub of water (water up to the "bridge" - where the top shell meets the bottom shell) and let them sit there for about 15 minutes. Then I let them dry in the sun until they are completely dry then box them up. Some people touch a foot every couple weeks or so during winter to be sure the tortoise is ok, but I don't. I leave them alone until I hear them scratching around in the box, then I get them out.

 

[chuckster548]

Hello again,
Haven't been here for a while. Anyway, when I first signed up, I had 5 adopted DT's. Unfortunately, I lost one during the summer (he got turned over, over heated and passed). I have a large enclosure for the 4 remaining but I am so confused with their behaviour.
I live in Phoenix so we don't really have weather, LOL but around 3 or 4 weeks ago, they began to really work on their burrows. I have three areas, one is a dog igloo and two brick enclosures. However, they only seem to use one brick enclosure and the igloo. In the igloo there is one burrow, the brick enclosure has two burrows and the third is totally unused.
I have brought out the box they spent last winter in and put it in the enclosure, it has a couple of hollowed out logs and some bedding. During the summer, they all hung in that area but now that the nighttime temps are dropping, they rarely use it.
However this brings my question to you all, one of them will sometimes go into one of the burrows but generally he stays up and hangs in the logs. Should I be concerned? Yesterday was rainy and chilly (68 for us) and he came out munched on some stuff and then proceeded to go into the log. One of his siblings came out, munched went into a log and then when it got colder moved somewhere but the loner stayed up top. I have placed him in the unused enclosure only to have him return to the log.
I guess I am concerned about the above ground temps. Forecast is for mid 40's at night.
Sorry to ramble so much but I am soo confused.
Thanks in advance for any and all information.

Peace,
The Chuckster

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Chuck:

They've been around for many, many years, and its instinctual for them to hibernate. I'm sure they'll do it right when the time comes. You are lucky to be living where they live naturally. Just before they're ready to "go down" for the winter, they will come out and sun themselves, then go back in. They'll do this every day, but usually won't eat, just sit in the sun, then go back in their house/burrow. When they go in and don't come out, that's usually when I box them up (its too wet here to allow them to hibernate outside).

 

[chuckster548]

Hi Chuck:

They've been around for many, many years, and its instinctual for them to hibernate. I'm sure they'll do it right when the time comes. You are lucky to be living where they live naturally. Just before they're ready to "go down" for the winter, they will come out and sun themselves, then go back in. They'll do this every day, but usually won't eat, just sit in the sun, then go back in their house/burrow. When they go in and don't come out, that's usually when I box them up (its too wet here to allow them to hibernate outside).

Yvonne,
As usual, you are the rock. Thanks for this information and a more relaxed feeling.
I'm like a new daddy, check on them at least three times a day, I always make sure they have water and I do put out some treats for them but lately they may take two or three bites and then spread out in the sun.
Thanks for the reassurance that they are in fact in their environment, have been for thousands of years and will do well in spite of me.
I will try and locate some pictures I took, when I had five and also of my enclosure. Which by the way will be expanding during the winter.
Again my thanks,
Peace,
The Chuckster

 

[Tom]

I live in coastal SD and inherited 2 DTs this year. They have finally slowed- time to put in boxes and put indoors? What do people mean about soaking them- is that something they need pre-hibernation? I did that when it was so HOT earlier this fall but not recently.

We've had them for 40+ years, this is my first year managing their care. I'm feeling nervous about this... any suggestions appreciated.
------------------------
Lori

Hi Lori. Is this your first year of having them near the coast? I don't want to alarm you, but I've seen very bad things when people try to keep them near the coast. Not always, but often enough to be of concern. When I worked in Hermosa Beach we'd get sick ones all the time and we had to send them inland to get them better. Hopefully, your area will be an exception.

For your soaking question; I always soak any animal I'm going to hibernate several times in the days and weeks leading up to nap time. I do this to ensure that they are well hydrated and emptied out of any food. You don't want them to hibernate with food in their belly. I allow two weeks with out food to make sure they are as empty as I can.

---

Hello again,
Haven't been here for a while. Anyway, when I first signed up, I had 5 adopted DT's. Unfortunately, I lost one during the summer (he got turned over, over heated and passed). I have a large enclosure for the 4 remaining but I am so confused with their behaviour.
I live in Phoenix so we don't really have weather, LOL but around 3 or 4 weeks ago, they began to really work on their burrows. I have three areas, one is a dog igloo and two brick enclosures. However, they only seem to use one brick enclosure and the igloo. In the igloo there is one burrow, the brick enclosure has two burrows and the third is totally unused.
I have brought out the box they spent last winter in and put it in the enclosure, it has a couple of hollowed out logs and some bedding. During the summer, they all hung in that area but now that the nighttime temps are dropping, they rarely use it.
However this brings my question to you all, one of them will sometimes go into one of the burrows but generally he stays up and hangs in the logs. Should I be concerned? Yesterday was rainy and chilly (68 for us) and he came out munched on some stuff and then proceeded to go into the log. One of his siblings came out, munched went into a log and then when it got colder moved somewhere but the loner stayed up top. I have placed him in the unused enclosure only to have him return to the log.
I guess I am concerned about the above ground temps. Forecast is for mid 40's at night.
Sorry to ramble so much but I am soo confused.
Thanks in advance for any and all information.

Peace,
The Chuckster

Chuckster, I've been keeping all sorts of reptiles for about three decades now and I've had some bad stuff happen when I assumed the animals would take care of themselves and follow the instincts that have kept them alive for all these eons. I tend to run a little more paranoid than most because of it. I just want to make the point that even though these guys have survived for millions of years in nature, captivity is a totally different story. We cannot mimic what happens "out there" very well, no matter how hard we try.

I'm just sharing my opinion on the matter, so you can make the right choice for YOU. I wish you and your animals the best.