TRYING TO OVERWINTER MY BABY RUSSIAN, BUT STILL BRUMATING

[Ddflinn]

HELLO, I'M WONDERING IF ANYONE WITH RUSSIAN'S HAVE TRIED TO OVERWINTER A BABY ,BUT THE RUSSIAN STILL DECIDIED TO BRUMATE. I HAVE THE BABY INSIDE WITH UVB ON AND TWO CERAMIC HEATERS. 92 IN HOT SPOT AND 75-80 IN HIS CAVE. HE HASN'T EATEN OR COME OUT. I KEEP GETTING HIM UP AND TAKE HIM OUTSIDE. HERE IN SOCAL THE DAYS ARE 77 STILL. HE WON'T EAT BUT WILL WALK AROUND AND BURY HIMSELF SOMEWHERE. I KEEP MY EYE ON HIM AND ALWAYS RETRIEVE HIM. WHEN I BRING HIM INSIDE, HE GOES BACK IN CAVE. AFTER I SOAK HIM. I'VE HAD HIM 5 MONTHS HE IS SUPPOSEDLY 1 YEARS OLD. SHOULD I JUST PUT HIM IN BOX IN CLOSET? IT WOULD BE TOO WARM I THINK, 60'S MOST LIKELY. MY OTHER 3 RUSSIANS ARE OUTSIDE IN ABOVE GROUND BOXES. THEY COME OUT FOR AN HOUR MAYBE TO NIBBLE , THEN BACK INSIDE. NIGHT TEMPS AR LOW 40'S AND 70'S DAY. I HAVE A HEATER FOR NIGHT SET TO 45.

 

[FrankIinTheTortoise]

My russian has been brumating/hibernating as well. I'm pretty sure this is that time of year. If you don't want him to hibernate do not keep him in temperatures below 75 degrees. I learned that the hard way when I took my russian into my backyard. Do not let them burrow themselves. He made that burrow because he is cold. You shouldn’t let him dig his own burrow. He is at risk from flood, tunnel collapse if it rains heavily and from the local wildlife, eg rats. He is also at risk from a cold and damp created respiratory infection. If you want him to hibernate then do it properly. Otherwise keep him indoors and warm until the weather improves.

 

[JoesMum]

Get him up, but keep him indoors. It is WAY too cold outside. If you want to keep him awake, he needs a proper indoor enclosure and that’s where he lives until the weather is much warmer.

You need to create summer indoors. Bright lights on for 12-14 hours every day; use a timer. 95-100F directly under the basking lamp.

Do not remove him from his enclosure except to soak him first thing every morning. Do not take him outdoors.

 

[Ddflinn]

He is about 75 degrees at night. I took him out on my lunch hour today. Today was 77 degrees.None of my Russian have made a burrow due to hard packed clay soil. I just picked up a T5 hood light. He doesn’t seem to like the clamp style bulb. It could be that taking him outside alerted him to season change. I will stay indoors from now until March. I know a few people with Russian and they burrowed outside and have been asleep for weeks already. I secure them in this box in a night time area then open it and allow them to their secure yard. My inside set up is a garden table 2x4. I’m worried he won’t like it for 3 months. It will be confined

 

[JoesMum]

It’s a lovely outdoor enclosure, but the weather is too cold. It needs to be warmer day and night before your tort stays out.

2x4 is too small for a Russian. They’re very active.

Clamps for lamps are notorious for failing and are a fire risk - the lamps need to hang. You can buy reptile lamp stands for hanging them.

If you can’t provide proper indoor conditions then wind him down and hibernate him properly.

I had a Greek for 47 years. He lived outdoors having the run of our entire garden and we always hibernated him. The one winter we had to keep him awake indoors (due to health) was hell. He hated it.