Re: russian getting ready for hibernation

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Tortoise Forum ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Marcy on October 08, 2000 at 22:01:11:

In Reply to: russian getting ready for hibernation posted by andy on October 08, 2000 at 21:16:50:

I live in S. Calif, & I just let mine go into it on their own. Mine are starting to slow down now too & not eating much. They go by the light hrs as well as temps. These guys can stand alot of cold (remember where they came from). They will dig down WAY DEEP. Mine go under an old dog house. I used to dig them out & put them IN IT where I have put a bunch of straw for them to burrow into, but they just keep coming back out & going way under it. I thought for sure they would drown last year or the year before that, but nope, come spring......out they come, ready to eat again. However, since you get more rain up there, I would dig them up toward the last of the nice weather & put them in a big rubbermade container or some such thing filled with straw & just hibernate them in your garage or other DRY place.
Note: I would not use a sealed refridgerator. I know people who have lost their tortoises that way. If you are planing to use that method, get expert advise from somone who has SUCCESSFULLY done it for several years.

: my russian tortoise is starting to slow down and is being a little lazier: he lives indoors, but goes outside once or twice a day, so he is noticing the cooler temps and shorter days here in the san francisco bay area.

: he (fritz) is about 4 years old, and i have had him only for four months. my question is, will there be any long term effects if i overwinter him this year? if i do hibernate him, the only option is in a refrigerator, because the temps aren't cold enough here. is it ok if i use a fridge that is opened maybe once or twice a day for less than 5 seconds at a time? do i need to break the seal, or is it safer to keep the fridge completely shut? the tortoise trust said that too much air circulation can kill a tortoise, do you guys agree? and lastly, is 2 months a good hibernation time for my situation?

: fritz is in good condition: he eats his healthly diet ravenously, is pretty active, and more importantly, he is disease and parasite free. the vet found no problems with him, and he is at a good weight.

: any answers, advice, experiences, or links you may give me are greatly appreciated.

Follow Ups:

Re: russian getting ready for hibernation andy 10/08/00 (1)
- Re: russian getting ready for hibernation Marcy 10/09/00 (0)

Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject:

Comments:
: I live in S. Calif, & I just let mine go into it on their own. Mine are starting to slow down now too & not eating much. They go by the light hrs as well as temps. These guys can stand alot of cold (remember where they came from). They will dig down WAY DEEP. Mine go under an old dog house. I used to dig them out & put them IN IT where I have put a bunch of straw for them to burrow into, but they just keep coming back out & going way under it. I thought for sure they would drown last year or the year before that, but nope, come spring......out they come, ready to eat again. However, since you get more rain up there, I would dig them up toward the last of the nice weather & put them in a big rubbermade container or some such thing filled with straw & just hibernate them in your garage or other DRY place. : Note: I would not use a sealed refridgerator. I know people who have lost their tortoises that way. If you are planing to use that method, get expert advise from somone who has SUCCESSFULLY done it for several years. : : : my russian tortoise is starting to slow down and is being a little lazier: he lives indoors, but goes outside once or twice a day, so he is noticing the cooler temps and shorter days here in the san francisco bay area. : : he (fritz) is about 4 years old, and i have had him only for four months. my question is, will there be any long term effects if i overwinter him this year? if i do hibernate him, the only option is in a refrigerator, because the temps aren't cold enough here. is it ok if i use a fridge that is opened maybe once or twice a day for less than 5 seconds at a time? do i need to break the seal, or is it safer to keep the fridge completely shut? the tortoise trust said that too much air circulation can kill a tortoise, do you guys agree? and lastly, is 2 months a good hibernation time for my situation? : : fritz is in good condition: he eats his healthly diet ravenously, is pretty active, and more importantly, he is disease and parasite free. the vet found no problems with him, and he is at a good weight. : : any answers, advice, experiences, or links you may give me are greatly appreciated.

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Tortoise Forum ] [ FAQ ]