Temperature in SoCal

[mctlong]

Is it just me or does it seem hotter than usual in SoCal this year? My Russian "Indy" lives outdoors year round and is still very active. No signs of slowing down for hybernation.

I just checked the outside thermometers to see if it was warm enough to let my hatchling out to graze and the temp read 72F (air temp) and 110F (ground at the sunniest spot).... and its only 9:30am!

Anyone else from SoCal? Are we just going to skip winter this year? I'm sure my torts won't mind.

 

[sammi]

I'm in SoCal..but I'm in Oceanside. Temps dropped slightly in the morning here, so Ernie has been waking up later. Actually hes still asleep right now. I'll probably wake him up in a bit for breakfast and to bask. It hasn't gotten warm enough here in the mornings to take Ernie out, I normally wait until 2 or 3 in the afternoon to take him on his walks.

 

[dmmj]

If you remember from last year SoCal was cold until like march april lat year, so I think it is only natural that our summer/fall would be longer into this year also, but to answer your question yes we are having an extended summer/fall. But just think the rest of the country is getting cold so personally I'm happy to see a little bit of warmth stay a bit longer.

 

[waynee]

My 2 adult Desert tortoises are both hibernating now in their burrow dug inside a toolshed. The female has been down for the last 3-4 wks. The Old Man (40 + yrs) disapeared 1-2 wks ago. I live in Saugus, north of L.A. and it gets a little cooler here at nite because were about 1700 ft elevation.
The female is always the 1st one to hibernate and the last one to emerge in the spring.

 

[Yvonne G]

We had frost on the roof this a.m., so I went and found all my CDT's and boxed them up. One of the girls wasn't ready yet and keeps scratching around in the box. But I'm sure she's gonna' settle right down. Its supposed to get down to 30 tonight.

Yvonne

 

[TheACO731]

Are we just going to skip winter this year? I'm sure my torts won't mind.

I'm in OC, and I hope we do! sulcatas don't hibernate the people I know with russians are saying the same thing, they wont go down for the winter to warm.

 

[dmmj]

Also remember russians come from a colder climate. They usually come from the mountains.

 

[terryo]

The weather here in NY is crazy. This coming week it's going to be in the 60's. I'll be digging up all my gardens and preparing them for Spring....taking bulbs in .....getting rid of the annuals, (that are still going strong)...It's crazy.

 

[Crazy1]

Yeah I'm here in San Bernardino Highland, Redlands area and it is unusually warm. My DT finally dug in about a week and a half ago and now are in the shed. But most of them (so my club member stated) are just going down. Too warm at night. The night time temps need to be in the 40 to get them to sleep. Even if the daytime warms they will stay down if the night temps are low.
I too was waiting for them to go down to re-do the habitat. Guess I'll get started around Thanksgiving, last year I started right after Holloween.

 

[galvinkaos]

I am in the San Gabriel Valley. I moved Doris and Maude inside after I posted about letting them hibernate. I decided no hibernation this year. That night we got a really cold night. I have been putting them in their outdoor pen if it is still warm when I get home, otherwise they are inside. If I got home earlier they probably could go out everyday. Unfortunately I am home after dark most days. We have been 70+ everyday but 45 or less every night. The good thing is they aren't being able to mow down the weeds in their outdoor pen giving it a few day break from them. I planted strawberry, clover, mallow and dandelion in their indoor table and in 2 days they were gone. I started over today but I am not expecting them to last long.

Dawna

 

[Madortoise]

I was just consulting w/Robyn about the warm climate here in South Bay area of So-Cal for hibernation and the monkey wrench it's throwing to my DT. I'm letting her sleep outdoor now but she's up and walking around by mid morning-and by early afternoon foraging on weeds and ficus seeds. She wasn't eating much last 2 days but today with it's warm weather she seemed to have a good appetite. It's really confusing me. I see some signs of her slowing down so I just have to play by ear.

 

[dreadyA]

Yesterdays temps in my city (grand terrace;IE )were in the low 60's in the am. And 70's up until 5pm. Alil Windy but the sun was shining well. I don't think it'll last too ugh longer though!

 

[kimber_lee_314]

I'm east of Los Angeles, and my shelled friends are just going down. Most of my DTs are down, but I have one girl who is still roaming the yard. My Russians are down too. Only a few of my box turtles are roaming still. I hope we have a cool winter. Last winter was too warm!

 

[-EJ]

2012... it's happening.

 

[Madortoise]

It was up in 70s again today but it supposed to cool down in a next few days and rain this Friday. I'll bring her in then.

 

[chelonologist]

One of my desert tortoises came out of their burrow today, so I grabbed her and placed in her hibernation box in the barn. I haven't seen either of my desert tortoises in over a week. I'm going to try and tap my other one out this week while the weather is good, because I don't want him in the burrow when the rains come...