Brumation

[K9KidsLove]

I live in Missssippi where the winter temps vary. One day it is 35 the next it can be 65. It doesn't stay constant and definitely doesn't stay cool enough for 2 or 3 months for brumating. Somebody told me before I knew that I would need to retain the info, that they use a refrigerator for brumating. Does anyone know how this is done?
Patsy

 

[Crazy1]

Patsy, I live in Southern California and the Desert torts Hibernate and it certainly has fluctuating temps here. I think it is the night temps that tend to set hibernation I know my foster DT went to sleep after thanksgiving when the night temps got down to about 40 and they are continuing to sleep even thought the day temps fluctuate from 48-78+ . Here are some sites that explain Refrigeration Hibernation. I see you have a diverse group of Torts and some don’t Hibernate but perhaps this info will help you with those that do.

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Refrigerator.htm
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Refrigerator_2.htm
http://russiantortoise.net/hibernation_journey.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Articles/refrigeratorhibernation.htm

 

[Jentortmom]

My first female went under in October, the next one in December, they are both still under even though our day temps get to almost 70 right now.

 

[Nay]

My Russians went under the bed in Dec and woke up yesterday.

 

[Yvonne G]

Somebody told me before I knew that I would need to retain the info, that they use a refrigerator for brumating. Does anyone know how this is done?
Patsy

Hi Patsy:

Towards the end of October I box up my Gopherus agassizii (desert tortoises) in cardboard boxes filled with shredded newspaper and put them into chest-type freezers.

I have an old vacant house on the back of my property that I use as an over-grown storage shed. There are two un-plugged chest-type freezers in there. I shred newspapers so that I have a layer on the floor of the freezer about 6 inches deep, then place the boxes on the paper. I fold the flaps of the boxes and tuck them in, then fill up the freezers with more shredded paper. I place a small wooden dowell across one corner of the freezer and close the lid. The dowell doesn't allow the lid to close completely, but it is such a small opening that there is only a small amount of air flow. The temp here in Central CA fluctuates between 50's and 60's daytime and 30's and 40's night time, sometimes getting down into the 20's. The old house gets warm and cold, but the freezers are so well insulated that the temp inside maintains steady at around 42 degrees.

Some people actually use plugged in refrigerators. I've never tried that, but you want your temp to be above 40 and below 50.

Yvonne

 

[Laura]

Do you check on them during this time or just wait till it starts to warm up, and let them decide,, or?? and then do they get a good soak when come out?
Im kinda liking the thought of not having to worry so much during winter,, power outages.. etc..
but i do love the slucatas...They were out cruising today. mid 60's nice and warm.. even my russian was busy. Never seen him eat so much! He woke up about a week ago..
He is getting a new enclosure due to a close encounter of the bad kind with a dog. New dog, not sure how he got in the pen.. but put a stop to that real quick. Quick fix of taller pen, and went to work building new one away from main yard.. Im liking it better anyway.. he does too!

 

[K9KidsLove]

Robyn & Yvonne...thanks so much for the info. Appreciate it
Patsy

 

[Yvonne G]

Do you check on them during this time or just wait till it starts to warm up, and let them decide,, or?? and then do they get a good soak when come out?

I have to go into the old house several times a day for one reason or another, so I just take a second or two and stand there and "listen" to the freezers. When I hear scratching I get them out and give them a good soak. I then put them back outside in their habitats. I don't worry about the weather, as they are "used" to being cold. They just go inside their houses and come out in the mornings to sun, then go back inside.

Yvonne

 

[K9KidsLove]

Do you check on them during this time or just wait till it starts to warm up, and let them decide,, or?? and then do they get a good soak when come out?
Im kinda liking the thought of not having to worry so much during winter,, power outages.. etc..
but i do love the slucatas...They were out cruising today. mid 60's nice and warm.. even my russian was busy. Never seen him eat so much! He woke up about a week ago..
He is getting a new enclosure due to a close encounter of the bad kind with a dog. New dog, not sure how he got in the pen.. but put a stop to that real quick. Quick fix of taller pen, and went to work building new one away from main yard.. Im liking it better anyway.. he does too!

You do know that you can't hibernate your Sulcatas, right? If you try to they will probably get respiratory infections. One of the clients at the hospital I worked at had a male & female that weighed 125# & 150#. He decided to hibernate them & they died.
Patsy