Hibernation feedback please

[Lisa Anne]

I have two CDTs, Gordo and Twitch, who really want to hibernate. They are 3-3.5 years old and the former owner told me they have gone down before. This is my first time and boy am I nervous. They stopped eating a few weeks ago and both of them have lost weight. Twitch was at a high of 322 grams on 10/22 and weighed in at 309 today. Gordo was at a high of 396 grams on 10/8 and weighed 371 today. I have been soaking them and putting them in the sun but that is the only time they are at all active.

Their inside enclosure temps range from 105 to 72 in the hides and everywhere in between in the rest of the enclosure. They are next to a window so they see the shorter days even though they are inside. They have a Zoo Med so I am not counting on the sun for the UVB.

I just packed them up with the double-box method and they are in the wine refridgerator. It is set to a constant 50 degrees but it can go cooler.

They are both healthy with none of the bad signs per the Tortise Trust care sheet. I am concerned about the weight they have already lost before I packed them up. Should I try to keep them up?

My other two torts, Davy and Goliath, are just over a year old and have not slowed down at all. They will be staying up.

Lisa

 

[ascott]

Hi....how long have you had the two you have boxed up? If you have not had them for very long I would not brumate this year...IMHO I personally would wait till they are closer to 5....but that is just me If you feel strongly about brumating them regardless....I would say if they have eaten/basked and taken in water the entire tortoise season and you feel confident of their well being...then they should pull through aok...especially if they have successfully brumated before.

I love the torts in the wine fridge...brilliant. I would say your 50 should be fine...I would suggest however that you check in on them periodically to make sure they are doing alright....

 

[Lisa Anne]

I picked them up the end of June so I have had them about four months. It was their idea to sleep not mine. I checked on them today. I had to wake them up and they both looked at me. I am going to tear apart their indoor enclosure and make some changes while they are "away".

Thanks Angela.

 

[ascott]

LOL...they sure can have their own mind for sure....my guys "officially" went into their sleeping boxes Nov 1....and miss em already but I will give em a foot tickle to hear their deep breath to make sure they all sound clear from time to time....and this absolutely would be the choice time to remodel...LOL

 

[Torty Mom]

Lou is almost ready, he is showing all the signs. I don't think I am ready! The babies are not showing any signs, so I think they are staying up! Little piggies love their food too much! It's their choice. We have just had our first 2 days of colder weather. We actually even got a lot of rain today!

Your temp of 50 sounds good. Just keep checking on them!!

 

[ascott]

It is 35 degrees here right now and we had rain and suppose to have more on and off the next week....it is actually a bit less stress free this year since the guys are brumating indoors.....my son said to me today on the way home...."hey Mom you would be freaking out about the tortoise if they were outside with the weather" jeeeez is he right...LOL

 

[Laura]

it never rains in southern calif.....
mine has been slowing down for a while.. but then we would have a spike in temps... i placed him in his box yesterday.. its cold tonight..
rain expected this weekend...

 

[Candy]

Well Fernando is awake and loving the rain. Right now he is actually having a sleep over with the Desert Tortoises from my son Alexander's classroom. Of course that means that tonight Fernando sleeps on his heat pad and the other tortoises get his enclosure and then tomorrow night we'll switch it up. See what your tortoises miss when they hibernate? Just wait until they find out they could have done this too. And yes, later there will be snacks for all.....Spring mix and a little Kale for everyone and if they're really good they just might have some cactus fruit for breakfast.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

One of my girls is already down but the others are still cruising the yard every day. One of them is overwintering so she is inside at night now. The Texas tortoises are almost there though. They came out for the rain, but I haven't seen much of them other than that.

 

[Candy]

One of my girls is already down but the others are still cruising the yard every day. One of them is overwintering so she is inside at night now. The Texas tortoises are almost there though. They came out for the rain, but I haven't seen much of them other than that.

What does "Overwintering mean" Kimber?