Hello again! Thanks to y’all’s input and advice, we are going to go with a Hermann’s tortoise. I was really hoping we can keep our tortoise outside year round bc we are limited on space indoors. Our winters down here are so fluctuating.. days in the 70s, then days in the 40s. How would this affect the hibernation cycle for an outdoor tortoise? Is there any possible way to keep it outdoors during the winter?
Hibernation in south Georgia
- Thread starter Kikki
- Start date
DoubleD1996!
Well-Known Member
I keep all my turtles, box turtles and tortoises outside year round. I keep Russians which are similar to hermanns, and I plan on getting some next year. I'm prepping an area for them as we speak. The first thing you want to do is build a suitable and secure enclosure. Tall enough to where they can't climb out(you'd be surprised how high those living rocks can climb. Like who are you? Jordan?!), plenty of room to roam around, an available water source and a hide. You always want to make sure you're committed to letting them brumate. Once they're outside leave them be because warming them back up can be fatal. The temps fluctuate here too, but my tortoises stay dormant with the exception of one female who takes advantage of the warm days and basks before returning to her hide and burrow(check out some of my posts). This is no issue. You have to remember these animals are capable of surviving the cold if they naturally can in a while. It's just your job to prep them. They'll naturally slow down on eating, but you want to cut back, give then soaks to hydrate them and clear their guts, and provide them with plenty of shelter, leaves, mulch etc for them to brumate in the winter. Sounds complicated, but you got this. I'm sure others can chime in where I miss stuff.
Thank you!! That helps a lot!! So by “clear their gut” you mean just cut back on food, right?
DoubleD1996!
Well-Known Member
Exactly. As the temperature drops, they naturally decrease their appetite.
Its not safe to let them brumate outside. Many die this way and its the reason people mistakenly think that brumation is so risky and dangerous. It IS risky and dangerous if you leave them outside subject to the whims of a cruel Mother Nature. You need to have a temperature controlled area. Most people use a fridge, but if you have a consistently cold basement or something like that, it can be done without a fridge.
Its best to use a temperature controlled night box to ease them into and out of hibernation. This helps defeat Mother Nature's attempts to kill your tortoise with wildly fluctuating temps in spring and fall.
Here is all the care info for this species, including the night box info:
The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise
I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...
tortoiseforum.org
Most of the care info you find is going to be wrong. Likewise, pet shops and vets too, will likely give you the old wrong info. Questions about any of this are welcome.
Thank you! I actually have printed that article and my daughter has started reading it. I will definitely check it out!!Its not safe to let them brumate outside. Many die this way and its the reason people mistakenly think that brumation is so risky and dangerous. It IS risky and dangerous if you leave them outside subject to the whims of a cruel Mother Nature. You need to have a temperature controlled area. Most people use a fridge, but if you have a consistently cold basement or something like that, it can be done without a fridge.
Its best to use a temperature controlled night box to ease them into and out of hibernation. This helps defeat Mother Nature's attempts to kill your tortoise with wildly fluctuating temps in spring and fall.
Here is all the care info for this species, including the night box info:
The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise
I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...
Most of the care info you find is going to be wrong. Likewise, pet shops and vets too, will likely give you the old wrong info. Questions about any of this are welcome.
