Planning a trip right before brumation

[thatrebecca]

I've just gotten an opportunity to take a trip to London for work lasting the better part of a week in late October. If it works out, my husband will be joining me. In the past when we've gone away for a night or two, the 13-year-old kid next door has watched our two juvenile CDTs. But now that it's getting cooler and closer to their brumation I'm concerned about what to do.

Right now the torts go outside around 10am and come in around 6pm. Their activity level seems to slow a tiny bit each day. It's our first winter with them and I'm worried we'll be leaving them at a crucial time.

Should we leave them inside the whole time we're gone? Get someone to keep up their indoor/outdoor routine? The kid next door is very gentle and responsible with them, but he leaves for school at 7am. Their former keeper still lives in the neighborhood and has offered to help, but he's not the most responsible guy and drinks a lot. I could easily see him forgetting to bring them in at night.

I want to take advantage of a rare travel opportunity, but I'm just not sure what to do... Any and all suggestions are welcome.

 

[peasinapod]

Ooof! that's a hard one. I wouldn't keep them inside the whole time. This could mess up their brumation preparations. How cold is it at 7am? Maybe the kid could just put them outside earlier than what you would have done?

 

[nate.mann]

it is suggested by members here that you dont brumate them your first year, i skimmed your post and i take it you arent going to and thats why this is a problem? i would say take the opportunity, we can figure something out for the tortoises. i think having your part-time helping-hand bring them put a few hours earlier for the duration of your trip wont do your tortoises any harm. my sister is stationed at Lakenheath with her husband (whos in the Air Force) and their 3 kids.


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
0.1.0 Sonoran Desert Tortoise
1.0.0 Bluenose Pit/American Bulldog

 

[thatrebecca]

Thanks for the replies, guys. This would be the first time my teenage tort sitter would have to bring them in at night -- the previous times that he watched them the temps were good for outdoor sleeping.

I know that some advise not to brumate the first year, but we've given it a lot of thought and talked to their previous keeper, who let them brumate, and that's our intention. Knock wood they seem healthy and hydrated.

The one thing that concerns me, though, is that a tort sitter inevitably won't do all I do the things we do that keep them that way -- frequent warm soaks, keeping them inside on cool, damp mornings, etc.

Maybe I just need to get over it. Harrumph.

 

[wellington]

If you are going to brumate them, why are you bringing them inside at night? I have never had to do brumation. However, my understanding and (I am asking too, as I don't know), is you let them do their thing as the days get shorter and colder. I would think that bringing them in at night would mess up their brumation routine?

 

[kathyth]

What part of L.A. Are you in?

I understand your concern! I am looking for tortoise help in L.A.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I, too wonder why you bring them at night if they are preparing to brumate. ?
This is my first winter with the Russians. They live outside full time. Day, night, sun, fog, rain, etc. Only my male is still active. 1 of the 3 girls dug down a week ago.

I guess my question is, are you letting them brumate themselves outside or are you putting them in a box or maybe a fridge?

Sent from my TFOapp

 

[TigsMom]

If you are going to let them hibernate, I don't understand why you're bringing them inside (confused me). If you are going to let them hibernate, will they be hibernating outside or in a hibernation box in a cool, dark place? If your Tort Sitter just keeps an eye on them while you're away, they'll be fine. By then end of the month they won't be eating much, if at all. If you've been soaking them every couple of days, just once or twice the week while you're gone should be fine (if they are still awake when you leave). You may get lucky and they'll go to sleep before you leave, which then will make your Tort Sitters job really easy.

 

[thatrebecca]

The plan is to brumate them in boxes in a garage, not outdoors (I don't trust that my flat yard won't flood).

The reason I have been bringing them in at night is that we've had some foggy, damp nights/early mornings recently where I live in Toluca Lake, CA. As they are juvenile CDTs (about to turn 4 and 6), I'm concerned about them getting sick from the damp just before they are ready to go down. When we first adopted them in the spring, I allowed them to stay outside on such nights, and they began yawning a lot. On the advice of folks on the forum, I started bringing them indoors at night and the yawning stopped within a week (thanks, Tom!).

With their previous keeper, they lived indoors 24/7 and still brumated. Now when they come in at night, they go into tubs of orchid bark in the dark laundry room, which gets down to the high 60s.

Do you think I should be letting them stay out at night to prepare for brumation? I'm new at this so I'm open to input. I'm just trying to do what's healthiest and gives them the best shot at a successful winter.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

So, this week in Oct..what will the boy need to do?

Put them out by 7 when he goes to school then bring them in at night?
No feeding, right?

Should be simple enough.

Sent from my TFOapp

 

[TigsMom]

I'm not sure what I would do. Perhaps someone who has DTs in climates more similar to yours will have a better idea of what to do. I'd put an 8'x8' canopy over their burrows to prevent heavy rains from drenching the area, but that may not be a good answer for you. Whenever we have sudden heavy rains here, I just cover the enclosures with a tarp to prevent flooding. Using the walls around the enclosure to hold the tarp off the ground works well. One wall is 4' tall and the other is only 2', so the tarp is at an angle that runs the water off and away from the enclosures themselves. I tend to keep my DT's as close to natural as I can, but we live in the desert so that is easier for me. It is extremely rare to get any fog or dew here. I'm sure others here will have some better workable ideas for you.

 

[nate.mann]

Thanks for the replies, guys. This would be the first time my teenage tort sitter would have to bring them in at night -- the previous times that he watched them the temps were good for outdoor sleeping.

I know that some advise not to brumate the first year, but we've given it a lot of thought and talked to their previous keeper, who let them brumate, and that's our intention. Knock wood they seem healthy and hydrated.

The one thing that concerns me, though, is that a tort sitter inevitably won't do all I do the things we do that keep them that way -- frequent warm soaks, keeping them inside on cool, damp mornings, etc.

Maybe I just need to get over it. Harrumph.

im glad im not the only one, i plan on brumating my girl even though i just got her. shes in perfect health and has been brumating for years now with no problems at all. i live in Glendale, AZ, so the rain isnt all that bad here. however, i did make a slope to put my girls hide on top of to prevent a flood. i guess that would be your best bet..rebuilding the hide. that way they can have an outdoor full-time uninterrupted natural-as-possible brumation.


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
0.1.0 Sonoran Desert Tortoise
1.0.0 Bluenose Pit/American Bulldog

 

[thatrebecca]

So, this week in Oct..what will the boy need to do?

Put them out by 7 when he goes to school then bring them in at night?
No feeding, right?

Should be simple enough.

Sent from my TFOapp

Yeah I guess that's it. And keep the water dishes clean and filled. I feel like continuing to offer food until they stop eating it, which they haven't yet. Perhaps they will have by two weeks from now.

 

[TigsMom]

I looked at the forecast for Toluca Lake for the Month of October on Weather.com, and your cool down starts Tuesday. Couldn't believe your temps right now are hotter than we are here in the desert! I'll keep my toes crossed that you are cooling down for your tortoises sake. http://www.weather.com/weather/monthly/USCA1149

 

[thatrebecca]

I looked at the forecast for Toluca Lake for the Month of October on Weather.com, and your cool down starts Tuesday. Couldn't believe your temps right now are hotter than we are here in the desert! I'll keep my toes crossed that you are cooling down for your tortoises sake. http://www.weather.com/weather/monthly/USCA1149

We've been up and down the last few weeks. Now we're about to get a couple hot, dry days courtesy of the Santa Ana winds. Somewhere along the way I set myself the arbitrary measure that if night temps are below 65 I bring them in, but maybe I'm babying them too much. Can never tell... They're still so small.

 

[kathyth]

PM me if you want to leave them with me.
I live 1 hour away from you, am retired and can offer them 1/2 of my desert tortoise enclosure and bring them in at night.
I worry about my torts when I go away, despite the care I have provided.

 

[TigsMom]

I understand your nervousness about hibernation. I was too! Maybe you should keep them up through 1 more winter, but then do you have a good indoor enclosure for them and do you trust your Tortoise Sitter to care for them properly while you're away? That first hibernation is hard on us, although you'll have them inside where you can check on them easier than if they were in a burrow. You do have some hot mid 90's and lows of 60's in the forecast this weekend, and those Santa Ana winds will keep things dryer than normal for you. If you do decide to hibernate them this winter, try leaving them out at night again and see how they do through next week. As it cools they should cut way back on eating which will help prepare them for their long winter nap, and you'll find them in their hide/burrow more and more as well.

One of my DT's didn't come out of his burrow all day today, it was really windy and a whole lot cooler than it has been (wasn't even 80 Degs at Noon). The other DT came out for a bit and basked, nibbled just a tiny bit and went right back to his burrow. We've still got some 90's in our Forecast our nights are in the low 60's and even 50's for the rest of the month, so they won't be sleeping just yet, but they are definitely preparing now. Not sure if they'll enjoy a pumpkin treat or not, if today was any sign, then they probably won't.

 

[thatrebecca]

PM me if you want to leave them with me.
I live 1 hour away from you, am retired and can offer them 1/2 of my desert tortoise enclosure and bring them in at night.
I worry about my torts when I go away, despite the care I have provided.

That's such a generous offer, thank you! In a pinch, I'd definitely take you up on it, and gladly return the favor. I'd like to keep them in the enclosures they're used to for now, however.

Too bad you don't live right next door. I think it would be ideal to have a nearby tort buddy who could check on them without them having to leave their yard, and I'd do the same. Instead I've been trying to indoctrinate the nice kid next door about the awesomeness of torts.

What DO folks out there do with their torts when they travel?

 

[kathyth]

I completely understand.

We have a great gardener who assists us with our desert and Greek tortoise when we are gone. I don't know tortoise people in my area, unfortunately.
They both have great environments that self water, drain and have a lot of weeds, plants, etc.

My Redfoots are cared for by a friend down the street from our mountain property.
We have them in their closed chamber and the friends takes care of them.

The desert and Greek could not be properly cared for in Running Springs.

The young neighbor would be the ultimate solution if possible,

 

[reticguy76]

I brumate mine inside. However, I have a separate add-on reptile room to my house that I can let the temps drop to 45-55 at night and around 70 during the day. I have a burmation set up for him where he goes into his little tight hide and stays there until he awakens.