# Have yours gone down for the winter?



## wildchild6771 (Oct 14, 2013)

I haven't seen my boy for a week now. I know exactly where he is. He made himself a burrow and I'm afraid he's decided to disobey me and stay in there as opposed to the nice little shelter I had set up for him. 

I live in central California and while it has been cool in the nights I feel like it's still too warm in the day for him to not want to come out.

Am I being over protective or should I just let him do his thing?


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## ascott (Oct 14, 2013)

Always the hard question;



> should I just let him do his thing?



I hate this question, cause to me there is no absolute right answer...dang it.

Ok, so if he were out in his native land, if he had been left to his own devices and if he had never been disturbed by humans or the like, then my answer would easily be yes.

We have however placed the tort in a captive situation. The space in which we place the tort is that of choice due to that is the best spot in the spot that we live, it may not be the best spot in comparison to where the tort would have selected in his wild, right? So that yes answer suddenly gets very funny and can sometimes turn to I don't know or no...fun huh?

So, I don't know for you....here in my spot, the CDTs brumate indoors (only because their outdoor attempts were successful only once and other times needed to be rescued from the spot I had for them)..

Last week I had to spend over half an hour knocking on the entrance to the burrow of one of the men folk here..I am sure he was going to go down, but I believe I annoyed him so much he finally came up to see what I wanted and to simply shut me up ...lol....I covered his burrow, which he hates....but if I do not do this he will absolutely go down and if it does not rain alot he would be fine, but if it does rain ad flood into the burrow, he likely would not....so we brumate indoors here...

Some folks brumat them outdoors in prepared boxes, fridges, dog houses packed with paper/newspaper and all kinds of ways that work for them....so you will need to decide what way you will support and get it set up....after all, a burrow can be dug up during the middle of a storm (I have done it, would not recommend it) and a buried tort retrieved...but that is not the desirable way...sometimes letting them do what they do actually would not be what they would have done if given the wild open land free to choose option...so we have to help determine the best answer for that question...just in my opinion anyways....


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## Yvonne G (Oct 14, 2013)

Hi "Wild":

My weather here is just like yours...I'm about 45minutes north of you. My desert tortoises are coming out in the a.m. and sitting in the sun, then after a couple hours they go back into their houses. They are in the process of cleaning out their systems...not eating.

I wouldn't allow your guy to stay in the burrow. Our weather here is too wet during the winter for them to live through it. If it were me and my tortoise, I would get him out of the burrow, fill it up and block the entryway. But in order for him to not try to dig another burrow, you are going to have to provide him with a good alternative. Put him into a dog house or something similar, and fill it full of leaves. If you notice him trying to dig another burrow, but him back into the dog house under the leaves. Just keep at it until he finally realizes its ok to stay in the dog house.

But with our weather lately, he's not ready to stay inside just yet.


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## nancykj (Oct 14, 2013)

hi wildchild!
i am a newbie here, but have had my 2 CDTs (i actually think one might be a texas tort, i am going to post pics if i can figure out how to) for 16 plus years now! just trying to be a better mom now that i have my own house and yard to do what i want. My guys, like yvonne's, are coming out and sunning for a few hours, then going back in their houses. both ate a litle spring mix yeterday, but were not really that into it, so i think i will stop feeding them now. i am soaking them in warm water. twice last week. i live in woodland hills, the hot spot of the san fernando valley. i will brumate (hibernate) them in wooden boxes filled with alfalfa hay in the garage


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## ascott (Oct 14, 2013)

It is awesome for folks to share what works for them and to note what part of the world we are in...this offers up a pallet of tried and trues for folks to aid in tailoring to their own situations....nice.



> i am a newbie here, but have had my 2 CDTs (i actually think one might be a texas tort, i am going to post pics if i can figure out how to) for 16 plus years now! just trying to be a better mom now that i have my own house and yard to do what i want. My guys, like yvonne's, are coming out and sunning for a few hours, then going back in their houses. both ate a litle spring mix yeterday, but were not really that into it, so i think i will stop feeding them now. i am soaking them in warm water. twice last week. i live in woodland hills, the hot spot of the san fernando valley. i will brumate (hibernate) them in wooden boxes filled with alfalfa hay in the garage



While you may be new here, you are not to the care of your torts and you no doubt have some valuable experience collected in your 16 years that will prove beneficial here on the Forum....


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## nancykj (Oct 14, 2013)

ascott said:


> It is awesome for folks to share what works for them and to note what part of the world we are in...this offers up a pallet of tried and trues for folks to aid in tailoring to their own situations....nice.
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thanks angela! i love this forum!


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## thatrebecca (Oct 14, 2013)

Yep. I love these threads. So fun to track where and how the pre-brumating torts are. After a very mopey, food-free week last week, my juvenile CDTs perked up this weekend and ate, much to my surprise.

But maybe they had checked the forecast -- like Nancy I'm in the SF Valley, and we're looking at daytime highs this week in the mid-80s.


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## wildchild6771 (Oct 14, 2013)

It would be very hard for me to get him out. I think nearly impossible. 

It's supposed to get back in the 80s this week so hopefully he will come out again.

If he doesn't end up coming out...what's the best way to protect from the rain? His enclosure does have a big shade cover so rain won't go through as much (still will get wet). I know there's a possibility of high winds with rain so that's what I worry most about. 

Oh, I wish he would just come out!


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## TigsMom (Oct 14, 2013)

My CDT's brumate in their burrows outside here in western Arizona desert. On those rare occassions we get heavy rain, I put a tarp over their enclosures. One side of the enclosures has a high wall, the opposite is a low wall, so the tarp over each drains off and away from their enclosures. During last years freeze, I covered the enclosure with an old bedspread to help insulate it from the frost/freeze, then removed it once the sun came out to warm things up. I also cover their burrow entrances with trashcan lids to help keep out the wind and weather too.


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## nate.mann (Oct 14, 2013)

my girl, the Sonoran, has been sleeping in the den i made for her, only coming out for an hour or two to sun. im in central AZ. just a few moments ago, i come outback to check on her and find her to be hanging out, walking around, and acting as she did before it cooled down. i havent fed her in a week and a half now so she can clean out her system..but she has weeds to graze on for situations like right now, where shes out and about. 


0.1.0 Sonoran Desert Tortoise
0.0.1 Leopard Tortoise
1.0.0 Bluenose Pitbull/American Bulldog


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## reticguy76 (Oct 14, 2013)

Mine is doing the normal, coming out during the day for a couple hours at most, scrounging for a little food, a quick soak and back in. Based on history, around Halloween or very shortly after, I will not see him again until March or so.


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## ascott (Oct 15, 2013)

How deep is his burrow (stick a broom handle down there and see how far it goes) just go slow incase he is moving up and down the tunnel to regulate temp....and if you can not reach bottom with the broom them likely he is deep enough down in there that unless his enclosure is submerged in water he should be fine....however, keep an eye out during the warmest parts of the day....


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## wildchild6771 (Oct 15, 2013)

Last time I checked it was about 6 ft. He's been working on it since so I know it must be more. The top layer of the ground is extremely hard. We had to break it through in order for him to dig (he tried and tried and never could). So I know he isn't coming out from a separate place. 

It's nice and sunny today and still a no show.


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## ascott (Oct 15, 2013)

Last year when Ghamara dropped into his burrow I did not see him not once, even when the weather had warm spells for a few days....consistent warm temps during the day and warmer night temps seem to be what they wait for....

I know here in the days it is in high 70s to low 80s and will be that way for what looks like the next week...the night temps are low to mid 40s...but no rain, so the men folk are still out---they bask all day and truck about for along time and them back to basking and then in their hides to rest....


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## wildchild6771 (Oct 16, 2013)

I really thought he would come out today because it is so warm. Nothing yet. I miss him  I'm not ready for this yet!


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## thatrebecca (Oct 16, 2013)

wildchild6771 said:


> I really thought he would come out today because it is so warm. Nothing yet. I miss him  I'm not ready for this yet!



I don't blame you! It must be nice and cool in his burrow. Above ground it is near 90 here in LA. My two juveniles sunned and even nibbled a little, but they don't have a nice deep burrow like your guy and they sleep inside.


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## nancykj (Oct 16, 2013)

i stopped feeding my CDTs 3 days ago when it had cooled off to under 50 F at night. now, in the valley (los angeles SFV) it has warmed up, as thatrebecca reports, to 90 plus in the day, and my new remote temp sensor tells me that it never got below 55 last night. so, i put some spring mix and cactus fruit out for my guys early this am. when i got home this pm, they had eaten every bite.
just to break from the hibernation on a 2 week empty stomach mantra>>

i have successfully hibernated my guys, at the beach no less, for the past 16-17 plus years.
i never stopped feeding them (always grocery with hibiscus/rose/grass grazing). i put food out every day until they just stopped eating on their own. they always had access to fresh water but i rarely soaked them. once they went into their outdoor houses/dens, and did not emerge for at least a week, always late oct or early nov, i declared them in hibernation and put them into their wooden boxes in the garage
so, this year, i find myself being so worried, and controlling about feeding them, nighttime temp, daytime temp, phases of the moon, etc, that i am leaning back to my successful longtime formula:
offer food til they decline, offer water always, let them decide when to hibernate, and when they do, put them in a protected space for the duration. in my case, the garage.


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## thatrebecca (Oct 18, 2013)

Wow, another 90 degree day underway here in the SF Valley. Torts got sun this morning but showed little interest in food. Except for a couple nibble marks in a red hibiscus blossom in Morticia's enclosure, there's no sign that either tort has eaten today. The piles of greens on each of their food slates appear untouched. They've also both been digging in their enclosures -- extending the mini burrows we built for them. Fortunately both the burrows and the torts are small enough that it's still no trouble to lift them out.


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## nancykj (Oct 19, 2013)

i know, thatrebecca! so hot here in woodland hills. both my guys very active all day. on the advice of folks at the CTTC meeting last night i have stopped all supplemental feeding, leaving them only to eat forage in the yard, pretty much only grass and strawberry plants at this point. only my little guy joxer munched down on grass, the big boy, ares, i think, is still hoping for grocery treats. he looks at me and follows me around the yard.
their outside houses are cinder blocks, with plywood roofs covered with mulch dirt. today, i filled the hollow parts of the cinder blocks with planting mix from home depot, as further insulation. i got this idea, i think from a member of this forum? thank you! my plan being that they now have safe, insulated houses to stay outside and begin brumation in, until i am sure the temps in my garage are reasonably between 40 and 50. then, they go into their wooden hibernation boxes


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## wildchild6771 (Oct 20, 2013)

Got my flashlight out and looked as far as I could into his burrow. Got sight of him so I poked his leg with a very long stake. He's okay [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND SMILING EYES]. He shifted a little but looks like he's staying put.

I feel better having seen him move. I guess I have no choice but to let him do his thing. I will protect the entrance when it rains. All I can do for now!


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## MikeCow1 (Oct 20, 2013)

Mine are still coming out in the morning and pretty much staying out all day. Sometimes still eating, sometimes not. Usually I let them stay outside for the winter. This year I 'm just finishing up a new bunker for them that's more insulated and hopefully will keep them colder on the warm days to keep them asleep. I found this on the state of Utah site for Desert Torts.






















I filled in the cinder blocks with dirt and the entire thing is covered in 6-8 inches of more dirt. The floor is raised a couple inches and I will build a berm inside to help even more at keeping any water out. Doesn't really rain much here in OC


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## wildchild6771 (Oct 20, 2013)

I see his little toosh is out! I guess poking him with a stick woke him up!


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## thatrebecca (Oct 20, 2013)

MikeCow1 said:


> Mine are still coming out in the morning and pretty much staying out all day. Sometimes still eating, sometimes not. Usually I let them stay outside for the winter. This year I 'm just finishing up a new bunker for them that's more insulated and hopefully will keep them colder on the warm days to keep them asleep. I found this on the state of Utah site for Desert Torts.
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Great looking bunker. Thanks for sharing! How are you building the berm?




wildchild6771 said:


> I see his little toosh is out! I guess poking him with a stick woke him up!



OK that picture is hilarious. Brumation Interruptus.


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## Arnold_rules (Oct 24, 2013)

MikeCow1 said:


> Mine are still coming out in the morning and pretty much staying out all day. Sometimes still eating, sometimes not. Usually I let them stay outside for the winter. This year I 'm just finishing up a new bunker for them that's more insulated and hopefully will keep them colder on the warm days to keep them asleep. I found this on the state of Utah site for Desert Torts.
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I did something similiar for my CDT, but he decided to dig under the block to make his own burrow. I am burmating him in the garage and going to redo it this winter to make it more to his liking, hopefully he won't renovate it.


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## MikeCow1 (Oct 24, 2013)

I shouldn't say it. But, mine rarely burrow themselves. They seem happy with the block and plywood "houses" around the edge of my yard


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## nancykj (Oct 24, 2013)

MikeCow1 said:


> Mine are still coming out in the morning and pretty much staying out all day. Sometimes still eating, sometimes not. Usually I let them stay outside for the winter. This year I 'm just finishing up a new bunker for them that's more insulated and hopefully will keep them colder on the warm days to keep them asleep. I found this on the state of Utah site for Desert Torts.
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hi mike cow! i live a bit north of you, in the sfv, but my setup is very similar to yours. cinder blocks, plywood roofs, earth in hollows and on roof. my 2 boys are still out and about in the sunlight hours, but go into their bunkers , and are sleeping by the time i get home at 630pm.
i stopped feeding them a few days ago. once temps drop significantly, and they do not come out of their bunkers, i will put them into their brumation wooden boxes in the garage.
may i ask you how you secure your outside bunkers for the winter from predators like raccoons?


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## MikeCow1 (Oct 25, 2013)

This new one has a hinged door on it. The others I just put a piece of plywood in front of it at night and remove it in the morning


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## Team Gomberg (Oct 25, 2013)

I love this Mike! I might just have to do something similar for the Russian... thanks for showing it.


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