Tortoise Choice

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RTfanatic

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chosen2030 said:

I live in Arizona and would like to get a smaller tortoise that could live outside most of the year, friendly, and is active most of the year (doesn't or minimally hibernates/estivates/brumates). Any suggestions? I have been considering Russian, Hermann's, Greek or Chaco/Argentine.

There are those who have had Russians for years that do not hibernate them. In fact, hibernation can be risky if not done right, and if even if not hibernating them "hurts" them, it doesn't kill them... One of the "pro" hibernating points made is that it helps regulate their schedules (i.e., their mating season starts when they come out of hibernation), but if you don't plan to mate them then that's not a factor. That being said a couple of successful breeders do not hibernate their torts regularly and have had no problems with breeding the torts.

I experimented with hibernation last winter and because of the temperatures down here in Texas could only pull it off for a few weeks. I move further south this past fall and probably couldn't have done it for more than a week at best, so I didn't hibernate any of my three RT's.

I don't know how the other torts deal with not hibernating, but many will tell you it's not required for RT's.
 

Jacqui

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Like RTfanatic, I don't hibernate my Russians either. I almost did one female, because she was wanting to hibernate. I gave her a certain time to either start eating or she would be hibernated and she ate. That being said, I have hibernated tortoises inside, but much rather only let the native's do their own hibernating outside.

For the DT, I just hibernated him in a plastic tote with newspaper in a cool closet. You have to also remember, I am in Nebraska, so a lot of my focus was not on things you in AZ would have to focus on. Such as we don't have fire ants. (knocking on wood) As for getting rid of those kinds of pest problems, folks try to use more natural elimination methods rather then chemicals.

Your house would not have to be that big. Except for hibernating they spend their time outside..and even then some folks hibernate them outside so they never really come into the house. If your dealing with a hatchling, yes they will most likely be spending more time inside, but they are small and won't be house pets for long.

Your lucky tho, because so many have DTs there are an abundance of experienced keepers from your area to give advice. There are experienced folks in here, but you might also consider checking out a site like:

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Gopherus/

Also I would join one of the nearby tortoise groups. Face to face networking is not only informative, but can be so much more fun then online relationships.

Many of the DTs build their own tunnels, but you can build one for him. That's the way they naturally try to keep their heat regulated. There are sheets out there that give instructions on the building of them.

The folks in here can give you some great ideas in how to get your yard set up for one. Yvonne even has offered to help you qualify for one of her's, if I recall correctly, and several others have ones waiting for homes to adopt DTs under their care. Each of these folks would be happy to help you create a DT haven.
 

Yvonne G

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Jacqui said:
Yvonne even has offered to help you qualify for one of her's, if I recall correctly, and several others have ones waiting for homes to adopt DTs under their care. Each of these folks would be happy to help you create a DT haven.

No, I was talking to someone here in Calif. about my rescues. I can't send DT's across the state line. But I would be happy to help with ideas on habitats!

Yvonne
 

Jacqui

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Jacqui said:
Yvonne even has offered to help you qualify for one of her's, if I recall correctly, and several others have ones waiting for homes to adopt DTs under their care. Each of these folks would be happy to help you create a DT haven.

No, I was talking to someone here in Calif. about my rescues. I can't send DT's across the state line. But I would be happy to help with ideas on habitats!

Yvonne

OOpps! My mistake and yes I forgot she is not in CA. *blushes*
 

Miacat

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I have two Hermann's.
They're small, hibernate at roughly 4 years and can live in the garden in the summer though may need to come indoors at night.
Also, Horsefield's are fairly cool too.
 

Crazy1

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chosen2030 said:
I am starting to consider a Desert Tortoise now that I have gotten such good feedback about them from you kind folks. The thing is, although my yard is plenty large, my house is not. I can not dedicate an entire room to a tortoise table/enclosure during the winter on its full size. What supplies/preparations are necessary so a DT can safely hibernate or escape the heat outside? How old would a DT before its safe to be housed outside? Finally, although not recently, we have occasionally had to deal with pests in our yard (fire ants, ticks) and want to know what is the best was to deal with them without making the vegetation inedible for the tortoise, or how long before its safe?

My house is less than 900 sq ft. but my yard is large and I have 3 adult DT at the moment. They are housed outside and start winding down to hibernate about Thanksgiving time. When the nights get into the 40’s I put them in plastic totes with newspapers over and under them and put them in my shed. About the end of Feb. I start to check on them for movement or wet paper, a sure sign they are waking up. Then I just put them back in their pens. I live in CA and we do have some really hot days from 100 to 115, Most are sustained during the summer about 98 to 105 for weeks on end. I have a dog house for them to get out of the sun. An umbrella that shelters the dog house from the sun and a big water bath (shallow) for them. I sometimes set up the sprinklers to cool them if it gets too hot for too long. But these are DT, if available they will find a place in the shade and become inactive if it gets really hot. Even if they have to dig an ‘escape the heat’ area. Depending on your pen depends on the size a DT is safe outside. Remember things like ravens and hawks, skunks, etc. can all be predators to smaller torts. My smallest is DT 8 lbs and he does fine without a roof (so to speak) over his head.

I have heard of different ways to rid your yard of fire ants including the two methods I’ve listed. Plus putting our things like oatmeal which when eaten will explode your ant. There are a lot of places on the net to get ideas to rid your garden organically of pests.

How do I get rid of grubs (ants, fire ants, chiggers, fleas, ticks)?
Beneficial nematodes are parasites for the all the pests listed. They come on a sponge which is wrung out into a bucket of water. The water is then sprayed on the lawn. For more info on beneficial nematodes, look at the University of Connecticut, University of Florida, Washington State University, Oklahoma State University, Cornell University, Texas A&M University, and many other university websites and search for beneficial nematodes. (this is an exerpt from a web site)

http://organicgardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/control_ants_in_the_organic_garden

Some of these questions ie; fire ants, etc, would be good questions for DT breeders or rescues in your area. Here are some sites to get you started. Hopes this helps.
http://www.desertmuseum.org/programs/tap.php
http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/desert_tortoise.shtml
https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/preserve/tortoise.asp
 
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