Can a Russian hibernate outdoors in Virginia?

[TimR]

Hi All,

Can Russian Tortoises hibernate outdoors in Northern Virginia?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[Jodie]

It is best to hibernate inside where you can control the temperature and environment.

 

[dmmj]

the answer mostly depends on how low does the temperature get there. but I feel pretty confident in saying no right now.

 

[Tom]

Hibernating outside risks exposure to all the weather extremes, rain, flooding, rodents, etc… While it is physically possible for them to survive outdoors over winter in Northern Virginia, you'd be taking a risk that is not worth taking. In other words, if you hibernated 100 tortoises outside near you, some percentage would likely survive and some percentage would not. There are too many variables to even begin to calculate those percentages, but I can tell you that if you properly hibernated those same 100 tortoises indoors, all of them would survive with no problems.

 

[Len B]

I have let some of my russians hibernate outside for a few winters in Westmoreland Co Va.with 100% survival rate. This year with the weird weather we are having there is only four still under ground. The others that I planned on leaving out went down for a while then came back up, so I brought them inside thinking they may not go back in safely.There are still eastern box turtles wandering around their yard and water turtles active in the pond..I know there are risk in keeping tortoises in captivity, but if we don't try we will never be sure. My biggest concern with russians underground in winter here was the moisture not the low temperatures, It seems they do fine in the wet soil when asleep and are covered in mud when they dig out in the spring. All of my russian tortoises are young adult imports so they have already spent several winters underground before I received them.

 

[Tom]

You know @Turtulas-Len … I really do like you. You are a great tortoise keeper and there is no doubt in my mind that YOU know what you are doing.

BUT, not everybody who attempts to do what you do have done is going to have your success rate. A lot of people's tortoises die outside over winter because they didn't do the little things that you do, or they just weren't in the right area, or just some bad luck or extreme weather.

Don't you think its better to offer advice that will offer a much greater chance of success, than to offer that you did it outside and it worked for you? Do you not converse with novice tortoise keepers in your area and hear the horror stories of death and sickness? Do you not have friendships with some of the local reptile vets who ask you for advice and share case histories with you? Don't you have tortoise friends who have lost their tortoises due to extreme weather while they were hibernating outside? I sure do.

Why do you want to encourage people to risk leaving their tortoises in the great outdoors instead of the much safer advice of hibernating them safely indoors?

 

[turtlemanfla88]

Hey I keep Russians and other turtles and tortoises outside most of the year in FL. This year is crazy I have some animals that are dug in and are not coming out I have other animals that are breeding and eating in the same pen. I my experience of keeping and breeding turtles and tortoises I do not think it is always the temps I think it also has to do with daylight. The problem you could have is it get cold then heats up again could really screw your animals up. I am in my forties and been in to turtles and tortoises since I was five years old.

 

[turtlemanfla88]

If we get cold in FL the animals that are active, eating, and breeding I am not going to hurt the animals by cooling them instead I am going to keep them warm and let them think Spring is here . Remember our animals depend on us

 

[Len B]

You know @Turtulas-Len … I really do like you. You are a great tortoise keeper and there is no doubt in my mind that YOU know what you are doing.

BUT, not everybody who attempts to do what you do have done is going to have your success rate. A lot of people's tortoises die outside over winter because they didn't do the little things that you do, or they just weren't in the right area, or just some bad luck or extreme weather.

Don't you think its better to offer advice that will offer a much greater chance of success, than to offer that you did it outside and it worked for you? Do you not converse with novice tortoise keepers in your area and hear the horror stories of death and sickness? Do you not have friendships with some of the local reptile vets who ask you for advice and share case histories with you? Don't you have tortoise friends who have lost their tortoises due to extreme weather while they were hibernating outside? I sure do.

Why do you want to encourage people to risk leaving their tortoises in the great outdoors instead of the much safer advice of hibernating them safely indoors?

I keep russian tortoises in the Northern Neck area of Virginia maybe not what some people would consider Northern Virginia.But if I walk down the hill out front and get my feet wet in the Potomac River I'm in Maryland.I think that being so close to what is considered Northern Virginia might qualify me to answer Tim"s question, and that is all I was trying to do. I thought that adding a little information with the answer was better than than just saying, YES they can. Tim did not ask about hibernation indoors so I had no reason to mention that. The 4 questions you ask me that could have a yes or no answer, all are answered no. As for offering advice,I didn't feel I was encourage him to do it, just that it is possible, Anyway why should I think that Tim or any other forum member would not do some more research before leaving a tortoise out in the cold once they know that it is possible to do ?