- Joined
- Oct 29, 2013
- Messages
- 146
I know a lot of members on this forum are people that have recently gotten their first tortoise, and a lot have had tortoises for years. The weather hitting the east coast right now has inspired me to create this post to help those with new tortoises be prepared for the cold weather and power outages for a lot. All of what I am going to advise if from my personal experiences of dealing with snow storms and power outages.
First of all water and heat are the essentials you need to make sure are provided throughout the cold weather. From personal experiences of having a well, many people with well water should prepare by getting multiple jugs of water, fill all water bowls, and fill all of your misting bottles with water and frequently top these off with water as needed to ensure that you have water to last multiple days if you lose power.
If you are expecting a power outage or not make sure you have a back up method of heating. I have a generator thankfully or else my zoo would surely die, many don't so make sure you have a backup method for heat. Space heaters work well, but make sure they aren't radiating any harmful fumes. Another method that I favor is heating pads, again heating pads won't work unless you have a generator.
Make sure all your food items are well stored and that you have stocked up on these items in case you get snowed in for longer than intended. If you lose power and have no way of storing these items you can place them in an air tight and water tight bag and store them in the snow. Make sure it is an air tight and water tight bag so no bugs or anything from the elements can damage your food items.
I can't stress enough how much water is needed, I repeat make sure all your water bowls, misters, and extra water containers are filled up and frequently topped off. This is one of the essentials in your tortoises life and without it you can have an ill tortoise. Water is just as important as heat so make sure you always have a backup plan in case you lose power at your household.
Always prepare for the worst even if the worst doesn't happen because you never know and it is not worth the risk.
First of all water and heat are the essentials you need to make sure are provided throughout the cold weather. From personal experiences of having a well, many people with well water should prepare by getting multiple jugs of water, fill all water bowls, and fill all of your misting bottles with water and frequently top these off with water as needed to ensure that you have water to last multiple days if you lose power.
If you are expecting a power outage or not make sure you have a back up method of heating. I have a generator thankfully or else my zoo would surely die, many don't so make sure you have a backup method for heat. Space heaters work well, but make sure they aren't radiating any harmful fumes. Another method that I favor is heating pads, again heating pads won't work unless you have a generator.
Make sure all your food items are well stored and that you have stocked up on these items in case you get snowed in for longer than intended. If you lose power and have no way of storing these items you can place them in an air tight and water tight bag and store them in the snow. Make sure it is an air tight and water tight bag so no bugs or anything from the elements can damage your food items.
I can't stress enough how much water is needed, I repeat make sure all your water bowls, misters, and extra water containers are filled up and frequently topped off. This is one of the essentials in your tortoises life and without it you can have an ill tortoise. Water is just as important as heat so make sure you always have a backup plan in case you lose power at your household.
Always prepare for the worst even if the worst doesn't happen because you never know and it is not worth the risk.