Anyone hibernating their RTs yet?

[fgately]

I am in the Los Angeles area (San Dimas area) and it has been cold and even rainy the last few days. I seem to recall last year that my torts were hibernating by now. I hibernated them last year in my garage, in a nice sturdy plastic storage bin. I tore up bunches of newspaper into long strips and stuck them down in it. They did very well thankfully.

Any torts out there down for the season yet?

 

[Yvonne G]

We've had a cold spell the last couple days, with a little rain, and mine have disappeared. This week-end I'm going to try to find them and box them up.

 

[lynnedit]

I am in the Los Angeles area (San Dimas area) and it has been cold and even rainy the last few days. I seem to recall last year that my torts were hibernating by now. I hibernated them last year in my garage, in a nice sturdy plastic storage bin. I tore up bunches of newspaper into long strips and stuck them down in it. They did very well thankfully.

Any torts out there down for the season yet?

How cold does your garage get? Does the temp stay fairly consistent?

 

[ewam]

Well it is actually going to be in the 90's again next week so I think you can wait a little.(I live 1 hour away from Los Angeles)

 

[ascott]

All four of my CDTs are in their winter boxes and have been since Monday late afternoon....we had a cold spot that should lift tomorrow....I have covered my one guys natural dug burrow entrance and will cover the entrance to the other two guys deep hides...tomorrow the day temps are suppose to bump back up..so will put the guys back out in their yards for the daytime hours and back into their winter boxes for the evenings as it is suppose to be in the 40scool from here on out....

 

[fgately]

The coldest my garage gets is probably down in the low 40s, but that would be pretty unusual. I understand that this is no problem as long as they are kept dry. I checked on them a couple of times and soaked them twice, and they came through with flying colors. They were down for at least four months. I remember that we had several hot days in the fall last year, and they still didn't move around in the box. One of my females completely dissappeared for three months and I ended up finding her after a very serious downpour. I dried her off and put her in the box along with the other two. She slept for another three months!

Amazing animals.

 

[lynnedit]

The coldest my garage gets is probably down in the low 40s, but that would be pretty unusual. I understand that this is no problem as long as they are kept dry. I checked on them a couple of times and soaked them twice, and they came through with flying colors. They were down for at least four months. I remember that we had several hot days in the fall last year, and they still didn't move around in the box. One of my females completely dissappeared for three months and I ended up finding her after a very serious downpour. I dried her off and put her in the box along with the other two. She slept for another three months!

Amazing animals.

They are amazing. This is interesting to me! So the temps range from mid 40's to about what upper range over the winter? As long as it stays mostly in this range, they don't wake up, is what you are saying.
Do they all stay in the same box, and what container do you use? Bedding?

 

[ascott]

It sounds as though you have a method that works for your fortes...awesome

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Meant "torts" not " fortes"but my smart phone is trying to outsmart me....LOL

 

[fgately]

They are all in the same box. The box I used I bought at Home Depot on sale last year. It is similar to the one in the link below, but it is made of much heavier plastic and it is not see through. I bought several of them for our general storage needs, and then thought they would be great for a tort hibernation crate. I drilled several 1/4 inch holes at the very top and then at the very bottom so that fresh air would flow through. I filled the box with lots of newspaper I tore into long thin strips. This seems pretty comfortable for them, it keeps them clean, it provides lots of air but is also insulated, and it helps keep the box dark inside. I just set them down on a bed of it approximately 1 to 2 inches deep and then piled another 4 to 5 inches of it on top of them. It stays very loose and airy for them. Also, I didn't need to change it at all because they don't pee or poop while hibernating. I actually could still use the bedding that is still in the box from last year if I wanted to. It is still very clean. I placed the hibernation box in the darkest and coldest part of my garage. Worked out very well for my three!

http://www.homedepot.com/Storage-Or...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Temperatures here can get down in the 30s (rarely) and then all the way up in to the 70s or 80s during the winter. Even when the weather warmed up the torts never woke up, at least to my knowledge, for the entire winter. Mine actually started to move around inside the box when they were ready to wake up in the spring.

 

[lynnedit]

Thanks for the information!

 

[68merc]

We've had a cold spell the last couple days, with a little rain, and mine have disappeared. This week-end I'm going to try to find them and box them up.

I've been thinking I should ask you if it was time. I bought boxes last week but was thinking its going to be in low 80s again next week.... I guess ill just watch them and let them tell me when its time.

 

[Utah Lynn]

We've had a cold spell the last couple days, with a little rain, and mine have disappeared. This week-end I'm going to try to find them and box them up.

I've been thinking I should ask you if it was time. I bought boxes last week but was thinking its going to be in low 80s again next week.... I guess ill just watch them and let them tell me when its time.

Just curious; Why would you hibernate them?

 

[lynnedit]

Many don't. There are some other threads going along the same lines: no one can really figure out if the torts benefit, lay fertile eggs if in groups, etc. I think it is a matter of preference. Does not seem to be in any way essential for their overall health.

 

[fgately]

I boxed my RTs up yesterday. I noticed that none of them pooped or peed while soaking. They were clearly ready to hibernate. I hibernate them because my enclosure is outside and I actually like that they are doing what they would naturally do in their native habitat. While they sleep I am going to plant the enclosure with lots of edible weeds and greens.

 

[lynnedit]

I think hibernating Med torts is intriguing, even if not essential. Mine are too new this year (adults, but new to me), but it may be something I consider in the future, but certainly not outside around here, too wet.

 

[babylove6635]

We've had a cold spell the last couple days, with a little rain, and mine have disappeared. This week-end I'm going to try to find them and box them up.

I've been thinking I should ask you if it was time. I bought boxes last week but was thinking its going to be in low 80s again next week.... I guess ill just watch them and let them tell me when its time.

Just curious; Why would you hibernate them?

lynn do you or have you ever hybornated your torts?