# I’m a terrible tortoise owner I don’t know how to help him



## mary2345 (Dec 6, 2020)

My Desert tortoise is in hibernation right now and I looked it up because I thought it might be too cold and it said it should not be below 50°F and I looked at the weather and it was 37° so I panicked and literally pulled him out of the hole I had him in outside and took him inside to his glass cage and I’m worried I messed him up and I don’t know what to do I put him inside but inside of my house it is like 70 to 80° and that’s too hot I don’t know what to do and I just want to help him should I put him back outside I literally broke his whole trying to get him out because I was so worried I’m literally a young child my parents got the tortoise and I never took out I put him inside but inside of my house it is like 70 to 80° and that’s too hot I don’t know what to do and I just want to help him should I put him back outside I literally broke his whole trying to get him out because I was so worried I’m literally a young child my parents got the tortoise and I never Take care of it what should I do I looked and I was thinking maybe I could put him in the garage cause it’s kind of cold out there but not too cold you know? I moved him a lot do you think he’s going to be hurt or something I don’t know please help


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## mary2345 (Dec 6, 2020)

So I put him outside in the garage tonight in his tank with wood chips and sand and paper towels at the bottom and I noticed his eyes were open. Please help I’m so worried I do not know what to do


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## JoesMum (Dec 6, 2020)

Hi Mary

The perfect temperature for hibernation is around 45F

I’m tagging @Yvonne G because she has lots of experience with this species

While the air temperature may get much colder, your tortoise did the right thing and dug down so he was protected from the extreme cold by a blanket of dirt. If there’s enough dirt around him then he stays a bit warmer and much more stable... warm enough not to freeze, but cool enough to hibernate

Generally we don’t let tortoises just dig their own hibernation burrow in the yard as there’s always a risk of flooding or rodents.

I believe Yvonne has a massive tub of earth under her car port where it’s dry, but still cold and the tortoise is buried in that instead.


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## Yvonne G (Dec 6, 2020)

Hi Mary: You should probably box up your tortoise in shredded newspapers or leaves and place the box in the garage or a shed. You don't want it to be able to get down to freezing, like Linda said, about 45F would be the target temperature. Because I don't live in the natural desert tortoise area, I can't allow my desert tortoises to brumate outside in their yard. I don't know if you live in their natural area or not, but I'm assuming you don't, so you shouldn't allow him to brumate outside either. We get too much rain for that, and they will get sick and die if allowed to get too wet while it's cold.


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## Yvonne G (Dec 6, 2020)

A cardboard box with Sunday's newspaper on the floor of the box, then the tortoise, then fill the box with shredded newspaper and close the box's flaps. Place the box up on a shelf, off the floor.


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## mary2345 (Dec 6, 2020)

Yvonne G said:


> Hi Mary: You should probably box up your tortoise in shredded newspapers or leaves and place the box in the garage or a shed. You don't want it to be able to get down to freezing, like Linda said, about 45F would be the target temperature. Because I don't live in the natural desert tortoise area, I can't allow my desert tortoises to brumate outside in their yard. I don't know if you live in their natural area or not, but I'm assuming you don't, so you shouldn't allow him to brumate outside either. We get too much rain for that, and they will get sick and die if allowed to get too wet while it's cold.


I live in Arizona that’s why I’m confused because it gets to 80° in the day and at night I gets 35°


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## mary2345 (Dec 6, 2020)

Yvonne G said:


> A cardboard box with Sunday's newspaper on the floor of the box, then the tortoise, then fill the box with shredded newspaper and close the box's flaps. Place the box up on a shelf, off the floor.


Also it seems like his eyes are open now will he go back to sleep


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## Yvonne G (Dec 6, 2020)

yes. They sometimes don't actually sleep, but rather just sit there unable to move because they're too cold. Just box him up and leave him alone.


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## mary2345 (Dec 6, 2020)

Yvonne G said:


> yes. They sometimes don't actually sleep, but rather just sit there unable to move because they're too cold. Just box him up and leave him alone.


So I just put the shredded paper right over him? And in what kind of box should a shoe box be good enough? And also I saw somewhere if tortoises wake up you should put them in a shallow bath should I do that?


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## JoesMum (Dec 6, 2020)

I double box my tortoise.
Put the tort in a box a bit bigger than the tort. Then put that box in the middle of a much bigger box that’s packed with straw or shredded paper.

The more indulation you can get round him, the more stable the temperature will be and the better hibernation will go.

Make sure the box is somewhere shady and cool. You don’t want those warm daytime temps to wake him. Ypu are trying to keep the temperature as steady as possible


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## mary2345 (Dec 6, 2020)

JoesMum said:


> I double box my tortoise.
> Put the tort in a box a bit bigger than the tort. Then put that box in the middle of a much bigger box that’s packed with straw or shredded paper.
> 
> The more indulation you can get round him, the more stable the temperature will be and the better hibernation will go.
> ...


Ok thank you so much I’ll go do that


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