Started fridge hibernation today!

[RosemaryDW]

After several weeks of decreased activity, regular soakings, and fiddling with equipment, we put our Russian in her new fridge two hours ago.

She is much calmer about it than we are. I can't imagine doing this without the experience and information provided here by members and from the links to safer hibernation at the Tortoise Trust.

Hopefully we'll be more relaxed by the time the weekend is over and we've got to go back to work. Right now we're checking temps every fifteen minutes.

 

[wellington]

Good luck. Hope all goes well.

 

[JoesMum]

Joe is heading for his first fridge hibernation probably the middle of next week going by the temperatures.

It's a big leap for us after 45 years of boxing him up!

He's a good weight. He's down to just soaks with no supplementary heat and has done nothing for the last few days. He's still outdoors 24/7.

The fridge already has his box in it and the thermometer probe has settled nicely between 4 and 6C.

I've got into the habit of flipping the door open briefly when I feed our tropical fish every morning.

 

[JoesMum]

And Joe started just now

It was 5C outside this morning so the obvious time to do it.

The fridge has been stable between 4 and 6 for around a fortnight.

The fridge interior looks like this - the towels and bottles to stabilise the temperature.


The crate and soil has been in the fridge so it's also cold. He's gone in the soil and been covered with shredded paper.


I forgot to take a photo of him in the box, but it fits him well. It's a couple of inches longer than him and maybe an inch wider.

 

[bouaboua]

And Joe started just now

It was 5C outside this morning so the obvious time to do it.

The fridge has been stable between 4 and 6 for around a fortnight.

The fridge interior looks like this - the towels and bottles to stabilise the temperature.
View attachment 191038

The crate and soil has been in the fridge so it's also cold. He's gone in the soil and been covered with shredded paper.
View attachment 191039

I forgot to take a photo of him in the box, but it fits him well. It's a couple of inches longer than him and maybe an inch wider.

Why towels? and bottle water? especially "evian" water?? To keep inside of the fridge moisture?

 

[JoesMum]

Why towels? and bottle water? especially "evian" water?? To keep inside of the fridge moisture?

The Evian bottles are scrounged from a friend and filled with tap water.

They and the towels just occupy space so when the fridge door is opened the fridge doesn't fill up with warm air.

They'll be at the same temperature as the fridge, so when the door is closed it returns to 5C more quickly.

 

[bouaboua]

The Evian bottles are scrounged from a friend and filled with tap water.

They and the towels just occupy space so when the fridge door is opened the fridge doesn't fill up with warm air.

They'll be at the same temperature as the fridge, so when the door is closed it returns to 5C more quickly.

Very clever ! Thanks and learned.

 

[AJK Aquaria]

Interesting stuff...

What were the outdoor temps reaching leading up to the fridge?

Thanks

 

[JoesMum]

Interesting stuff...

What were the outdoor temps reaching leading up to the fridge?

Thanks

We'd had highs of around 14C/57F by day. However, we had a cold front cross the country and the daytime high was 9C/48F the day I put him down. It's been cold ever since.

There was one day at 21C/69F in the previous week, but Joe was too far gone to react. Normally he'd have been out basking on the gorgeous sunshine and zooming round the garden when it was that warm.

 

[AJK Aquaria]

We'd had highs of around 14C/57F by day. However, we had a cold front cross the country and the daytime high was 9C/48F the day I put him down. It's been cold ever since.

There was one day at 21C/69F in the previous week, but Joe was too far gone to react. Normally he'd have been out basking on the gorgeous sunshine and zooming round the garden when it was that warm.

Thanks for the info. May consider this for next year. I found a Russian this summer in the US. He's been indoors for a month now. The nights were getting pretty cold...

 

[JoesMum]

Thanks for the info. May consider this for next year. I found a Russian this summer in the US. He's been indoors for a month now. The nights were getting pretty cold...

For the previous 45 hibernations in a cardboard box in the garage, we would look for temperatures of 10C/50F (or very close) by day before boxing Joe. I have a basking lamp in a dog kennel that is used to keep Joe going as the days shorten and temperatures dip, but aren't low enough for hibernation.

This year Joe made it particularly clear he was ready to go despite the relatively warm daytime temps, so I was glad of the fridge and the obvious nighttime low opportunity to go ahead.

 

[AJK Aquaria]

Rosemary- how is everything going?

Joe's Mum- How's Joe doing?

 

[RosemaryDW]

Addy is (literally) a rock right now! Very little weight loss, thank goodness. With all this California rain, I'd like to keep her inside as long as I can.

The spot she used outside last year is underwater today; we definitely made the right choice with the fridge. Can't wait to see her up and about, hopefully in early March.

Thank you for asking @AJK Aquaria!

 

[JoesMum]

Same here @AJK Aquaria. Joe is doing his best house brick impression. We again had a very warm week in December so I was glad Joe was in the fridge.

We've now had over a week with temperatures of -6C / 21F at night. It's been good not to have the electric radiator in the garage running on its frost-stat to stop Joe freezing.

 

[JoesMum]

We have gradually been warming Joe up over the last few days. So here he is, straight out of the fridge and just peeping out.

Weight loss less than 1% after 4 months at between 4 and 5C