Need suggestions for preparing 4 desert tort yearlings for hibernation.

[AZTorts]

My tortoises do their own thing prior to hibernation. Talking about desert tortoises now. They live outside. Their burrow is a man made shelter sitting on cement made from cinder blocks with a plywood top. In the fall I cover the top with sheet plastic to water-proof it, then I start raking up the leaves in their pen and packing the leaves inside the shelter. The tortoise come out and sun or eat, then they go back inside. I keep watching them. When they stop eating I know the time is near. They come out and sun then go back in. Once they stop coming out, usually two or three weeks after they've stopped eating, I make sure the interior cavity is filled with leaves and I block the doorway. Then I continue raking up the leaves but now I pile them on top and around the outside of the shelter. I end up with a great big pile of leaves and inside it is waterproof and insulated enough that the tortoises won't freeze.

The russian tortoises are similar except that I don't leave them outside. Once they've gone to ground and aren't coming out anymore I find them, box them up in shredded newspaper and put them into chest-type freezers. The freezers aren't plugged in and they are situated inside an old abandoned house on my property. The temperature fluctuates inside the house, but the freezers are so well insulated that once the interior temperature equalizes between warm day and cold night, it pretty much stays constant at or around 45F degrees.

I don't disturb my hibernating tortoises. When I hear them scratching around in the spring I bring them back outside. Because they are now acclimated to being cold, I don't worry if the outside temp dip down to cold. I leave the tortoises alone outside. The only time I interfere is if it rains. Being cold and wet is not good for tortoises of any species. So if it rains I make sure they're all inside their shelters and I block the doors.

Thank you Yvonne for taking the time to describe what you do. What you do with your desert tortoises is about the same thing I have been doing with my box turtles. I have a den made from cinder blocks with a wood top. I have two little wooden huts under the big one in case they want to go into those or there is room for them on the outside of the small huts. Then I load it up with leaves. When they are inside for the sleep I put a waterproof tarp over the whole thing. I do leave a small opening for them to come out in case they want to come out for a drink of water. Which one of them did a couple of times last winter. Now with the yearling desert tortoises I'm confused. LOL Why do you put the Russians in the fridge instead of leaving them outside in a man made shelter? ~Michele

 

[ascott]

I would not leave Desert Torts out in the cold and wet ....I have one tort that dropped into his burrow that he dug himself, it is well over 6 feet down at a 45 degree angle and then appears to go to the left (looking into the hole, the holes left)....that winter it did not rain much, however it was below freeing more than a few nights in a row as well as snowed...the only thing that "I" believe allowed him to be aok was the depth, the curve of the burrow and the lack of rain.....the snow simply insulated the ground....the tort came out on his own and soon fell right back into stride....now, the entire winter time I was a wreck...lol...because in the past he has been backfilled entirely into his house by gophers...but in the last couple of years some cats have taken up residence here and have completely wiped out the gopher and squirrel population on the property...wooo hooo....I am sure @Tom can appreciate the excitement of none of those little Ba@$!rds wrecking the valuable plants....

I would suggest that you become in tune with your tort....when the middle to the end of October comes around then really pay attention to the weather and the rain forecast...watch the tort....when he has a few days of slow down then swoop em...and have a spot picked out and hibernacle set up and place the tort into that space....then allow the tort to come to a rest....after a week, I would peek in and make sure all ok, give the torts foot a little tickle and listen for the breath he offers...if clear and not wet sounding, then back out quietly and revisit the tort again in a week and do the same...then space out to a couple of weeks and then to a month...then you will find the proper time to peek in and give em a slight tickle...just leave the space dark/dim when tickling, you don't want to wake the tort but only check for clear breath....

 

[AZTorts]

I would not leave Desert Torts out in the cold and wet ....I have one tort that dropped into his burrow that he dug himself, it is well over 6 feet down at a 45 degree angle and then appears to go to the left (looking into the hole, the holes left)....that winter it did not rain much, however it was below freeing more than a few nights in a row as well as snowed...the only thing that "I" believe allowed him to be aok was the depth, the curve of the burrow and the lack of rain.....the snow simply insulated the ground....the tort came out on his own and soon fell right back into stride....now, the entire winter time I was a wreck...lol...because in the past he has been backfilled entirely into his house by gophers...but in the last couple of years some cats have taken up residence here and have completely wiped out the gopher and squirrel population on the property...wooo hooo....I am sure @Tom can appreciate the excitement of none of those little Ba@$!rds wrecking the valuable plants....

I would suggest that you become in tune with your tort....when the middle to the end of October comes around then really pay attention to the weather and the rain forecast...watch the tort....when he has a few days of slow down then swoop em...and have a spot picked out and hibernacle set up and place the tort into that space....then allow the tort to come to a rest....after a week, I would peek in and make sure all ok, give the torts foot a little tickle and listen for the breath he offers...if clear and not wet sounding, then back out quietly and revisit the tort again in a week and do the same...then space out to a couple of weeks and then to a month...then you will find the proper time to peek in and give em a slight tickle...just leave the space dark/dim when tickling, you don't want to wake the tort but only check for clear breath....

Sounds like good advice. I've decided I'm going to box them for the winter. Although they have grown since I got them last May, the biggest one is only 2.75" so they are still very small. I'm still bringing them inside every night. I soak them every morning and leave them out all day where they can get lots of exercise and stay in either the sun or shade. I already bought some little boxes so they will each have their own. As far as hearing their breath, will I be able to in torts that are that small?

 

[ascott]

will I be able to in torts that are that small?

Yes, you will just have to listen very carefully...since you are going to have smaller boxes you may be able to gently raise the box closer to your ear....I am sure you can figure what will work for you and the torts....also, since you are dealing with babies....I would plan to allow them to soak every few weeks....I would imagine allowing this to happen in a quiet, calm and in an area with dim lighting....you don't want to actually wake them up fully if you can avoid that.....