Re: Russian Tortoise Hibernation - in the SF Bay Area

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Posted by Theresa on October 17, 2001 at 20:35:58:

In Reply to: Russian Tortoise Hibernation - in the SF Bay Area posted by andy on October 16, 2001 at 22:38:59:

Hi Andy, Im pasting a link for the Russian Tortoise List. This is a really helpful group and lots of memebers in that area. On lady that im thinking of that lives there uses carefresh in a dog house that her torts winter over in.
Hope that helps.
tcc :)

: Well hibernation season is approaching, and it's time to start thinking about hibernation. I realize I probably should have thought about this earlier but there wasn't much need to, because my 4.5" Russian is healthy, active, with good weight and zero signs of parasites.

: I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (California) and I really want to hibernate Fritz this year. Last winter I overwintered him because I didn't really know what I was doing. Now I have a much more thorough knowledge of tortoises and herps in general and I think I'm ready to tackle the challenge.

: First off, has anyone here successfully hibernated a tortoise in the Bay Area? If so, please reply here or email me at thenerve13@yahoo.com. I would be extremely grateful for any tips experienced people can give me.

: Winters here average around 45 degrees F, but we often have cold spells down into the 30's and warm spells into the 60's, so hibernation outdoors is out of the question. This leaves me with two options: fridge or ice box.

: I have no idea what an ice box might consist of, but the thought entered my brain anyway. I was thinking I could construct a chest of some sort with ice on the bottom, lowering the temperature into the safe zone (this would be in my garage). I wouldn't know how reliable this would be.

: The fridge seems like my most likely option, but putting my tortoise in the fridge just scares me. The logical side of my brain says he should be OK because tortoises don't breathe too much during hibernation. But then a friend will come along and say I'm going to kill my tortoise that way. Are fridges reliable? Has anyone here successfully hibernated a tortoise in a fridge? How do you ensure the tortoise has enough air, or how do you do daily health checks, without risking overheating?

: I just printed out the Safe Guide To Hibernation by the Tortoise Trust, I'll set about reading that within the next couple days.

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: Hi Andy, Im pasting a link for the Russian Tortoise List. This is a really helpful group and lots of memebers in that area. On lady that im thinking of that lives there uses carefresh in a dog house that her torts winter over in. : Hope that helps. : tcc :) : : : Well hibernation season is approaching, and it's time to start thinking about hibernation. I realize I probably should have thought about this earlier but there wasn't much need to, because my 4.5" Russian is healthy, active, with good weight and zero signs of parasites. : : I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (California) and I really want to hibernate Fritz this year. Last winter I overwintered him because I didn't really know what I was doing. Now I have a much more thorough knowledge of tortoises and herps in general and I think I'm ready to tackle the challenge. : : First off, has anyone here successfully hibernated a tortoise in the Bay Area? If so, please reply here or email me at thenerve13@yahoo.com. I would be extremely grateful for any tips experienced people can give me. : : Winters here average around 45 degrees F, but we often have cold spells down into the 30's and warm spells into the 60's, so hibernation outdoors is out of the question. This leaves me with two options: fridge or ice box. : : I have no idea what an ice box might consist of, but the thought entered my brain anyway. I was thinking I could construct a chest of some sort with ice on the bottom, lowering the temperature into the safe zone (this would be in my garage). I wouldn't know how reliable this would be. : : The fridge seems like my most likely option, but putting my tortoise in the fridge just scares me. The logical side of my brain says he should be OK because tortoises don't breathe too much during hibernation. But then a friend will come along and say I'm going to kill my tortoise that way. Are fridges reliable? Has anyone here successfully hibernated a tortoise in a fridge? How do you ensure the tortoise has enough air, or how do you do daily health checks, without risking overheating? : : I just printed out the Safe Guide To Hibernation by the Tortoise Trust, I'll set about reading that within the next couple days.

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