Hibernation for Testudo

Status
Not open for further replies.

gopherhockey03

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Messages
248
Location (City and/or State)
East Grand Forks
We might as well keep the breeding talk going! This was getting really interesting then I just ran out of posts to read!!! =) Eveyone lets talk about this some more!!!
 

CactusVinnie

Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Oct 13, 2011
Messages
300
Location (City and/or State)
Bucharest, Romania z6
Tanner, Minnesota/ND are quite like Kazakhstan. If the ground is not too heavy, they could dig deep enough to escape the cold. You also may provide a protected shelter, to raise the frostline, and make their work easier. Not wet, not dusty dry soil for that.

In order to simulate the sudden spring-warm that sparks them into breeding mood, a simple foiltunnel that warms up seriously even in cooler, sunny spring days, with juicy weeds inside (these also will be bigger than those in the fields) will do just fine. Take care to overheating- I think a simple thermostat conected to a fan, starting at 30*C (probe/thermostat in the shade), will solve that also.
You just remove it in May (?), when natural warmth came. At your place, even the idea of a solid greenhouse should not be discarded- it may serve for both brumation and breeding too.
 

mytwotortys

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2011
Messages
28
chase thorn said:
colorado is pretty close :) im going to get a female someday and attempt to bred

WHAT KIND OF TORT IS THAT?????? I really need to know cos it's the exact same breed as mine an I dunno what mine is D':

dmmj said:
Well in case anyone is interested I hibernate mine inside my shed inside a large box. I put down about 6 inches of dirt and then lay down a large layer of leaves. Here in california it does stay warmish (is that a word?) So I keep an eye on them through the winter (HA HA ) I am interested to find out if a proper hibernation is essential to a good breeding season,if so I may artificially hibernate them in the coming years. I have never done this but I know a couple of people who have done so.

What is artificial hibernation?????
 

Floof

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 19, 2009
Messages
1,330
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
mytwotortys: If you post pictures of your tortoises we can tell you what kind it is. Knowing what species your tortoise is is vital to making sure you have proper care. If you post a new thread with pictures of the tort, we can tell you what it is and what the proper care is for that species.

I wish I could go check Chase's post and tell you, as my curiosity is piqued, but my cheap little phone would have a meltdown if I tried.. :(

Also, artificial hibernation is where one duplicates the conditions of a natural hibernation (mainly the temps) and hibernates their tortoises indoors. There's a couple reasons for doing this. In dmmj's case, his climate is too warm for the torts to hibernate naturally outside, so he would have to bring them inside and duplicate ideal conditions if he wants them to go through the kind of "full" hibernation a Russian tort would experience in their native range.
 

mytwotortys

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2011
Messages
28
Ok, now I know one thing, so, is artificial hibernation like where you put your torts in a fridge?


image-3266616065.png

Lol :tort:
 

GeoTerraTestudo

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 7, 2011
Messages
3,311
Location (City and/or State)
Broomfield, Colorado
mytwotortys said:
Ok, now I know one thing, so, is artificial hibernation like where you put your torts in a fridge?


View attachment 14083

Lol :tort:


Yes, give them a cool down period without food for at least two weeks, make sure they have no food and almost no waste left in their gut, and then let them brumate in moist (but not wet!) substrate in a refrigerator at 40*F. Don't use the family food fridge because, although the door does need to be opened periodically to refresh the air, constantly opening and shutting the door day after day would disturb them. Better to use a separate fridge (we use a mini-fridge) and either open it every few days to check on them, or else break the seal with aquarium tubing or a hollowed-out pen to allow some air circulation. This could warm the internal environment a bit, though, so you might have to adjust the thermostat to keep it at 40*F. This is our first winter hibernating turtles indoors, but this is the advice we have gotten here at TFO and we are following it. So far so good.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

New Posts

Top