Keeping my Tortoise Warm During Blackout

[crimson_lotus]

So we're getting hit by a snowstorm tomorrow night and I'm afraid of my Redfoot not having heat for a day or two if there is a blackout

I bought some of those hand warmers I could place in a shoebox to keep her warm...for a while...but I was wondering if anyone else had this problem and would recommend anything?

Thank you in advance!

 

[jaizei]

How cold do you think it will get in the house/where the tortoise is?

 

[wellington]

Many members use the hand warmers. If you start getting really bad weather, where you think your power will go out, I would have something prepared to wrap the enclosure with to try and keep as much heat from escaping as possible and then you could sue the warmers to put into a shoe box and place tort in the box, in the closure. Be sure to put a towel or something between the warmers and tort.

 

[terryo]

When Sandy hit we had no power for 5 days. I filled a lot of empty soda bottles with hot water and put them in the enclosure and covered the top to keep the heat in. As they cooled down I kept filling them with hot water.
We had another storm years ago when I only had one little Cherry head, and I put her inside my pj top (next to my heart) and slept with her there. My family is still talking about that one.

 

[crimson_lotus]

We have the thermostat set to 65 in our house and it comes on pretty frequently in the winter time. I would say my house could get maybe 50 degrees or lower depending on how long the power is out.

I will definitely try that out wellington, thank you. I hope I won't have to, but it sure sounds like it's going to happen with 2 feet of snow.

Terryo, that is so cute! I don't think my Charlotte would ever let that happen...she would probably struggle to get out and pee all over me. I will try the hot water, though! Thank you! (By the way, your box turtle garden is GORGEOUS!)

 

[Tom]

I recommend a generator.

 

[jaizei]

If I had little time to prepare for something like this, I would try to insulate the enclosure as much as possible so that once power is lost the enclosure cools as slow as possible. I don't think 50* is necessarily harmful; it's how fast it gets to 50*. Rapid changes in temperature (along with sub freezing temperatures) is what does the damage. There are people who purposefully hibernate redfoots so it's survivable.

 

[crimson_lotus]

We had a generator a while back but sold it because we never used it. I honestly don't know too much about them. I would have to do my research and see if I could find a small one that would keep my heat lamps running.

Thanks for that information jaizei, I will do what I can to make sure the temperatures don't drop dramatically in a short period of time!