# My California dessert tort is still in hibernation too



## PumpkinPie (Mar 3, 2013)

We brought Patches out the other day (I say we but it was really my boyfriend) I really didn't want him to because I check on Patch regularly and have soaked him several times and I know that he doesn't want to be woken up.. But whatever... He put him back pretty fast because he could tell that Patches wanted nothing to do with being outside. But my question is would it be a good idea to move his home to a sunnier spot? He is in the garage now, he is by a window.... But I was thinking about bringing him into the guest room where it's a little warmer and sunnier...... Might help the wake up process. He hibernated in that room last year and woke up on his own. I wish I wrote on the calendar when he woke up.... (Grrrrr!!!!) Anyone have any thoughts?

Also, how can I get him sexed and aged? I adopted him almost 2 years ago. I think he's a boy but I'm not positive. And I'd like to know approx how old he is. When I adopted him he was a juvenile, the size of my hand. He has grown quite a bit..... is there a way to find out? i have heard that counting the rings on the shell isn't true. Thanks


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## wellington (Mar 3, 2013)

Can't help with the wake up. However, when he does wake up, post some pics of the tail area and the bottom shell around the tail area. Give a length size with it and someone might be able to give a guesstament on age.


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## kathyth (Mar 3, 2013)

Mine has been sleeping soundly since mid November.
I check her and she is just fine.


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## PumpkinPie (Mar 3, 2013)

I just thought with the spring weather starting, that moving him into a warmer room with more sun might help, but if everyone thinks that what I'm doing is fine, then I'm not worried


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## ascott (Mar 3, 2013)

Hi Helen....I would let him be....the garage may warm up more in line with the outside than a heated interior room....also, there is still an entire month of potentially cold/wet weather---so if he is fine, I would let him get in his beauty rest....all of the guys here are still resting...I peek in on the ones inside and listen for them---no ruckus going on, so letting them be a little longer and the one guy outside here in his burrow is still down there with no sightings yet....


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## PumpkinPie (Mar 4, 2013)

ascott said:


> Hi Helen....I would let him be....the garage may warm up more in line with the outside than a heated interior room....also, there is still an entire month of potentially cold/wet weather---so if he is fine, I would let him get in his beauty rest....all of the guys here are still resting...I peek in on the ones inside and listen for them---no ruckus going on, so letting them be a little longer and the one guy outside here in his burrow is still down there with no sightings yet....



Cool, thanks!!!!! I feel better now.


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## wildchild6771 (Mar 4, 2013)

Hello fellow Visalian.

Since we live in the same city I understand your concern. The weather this last week has been nuts. 

I have two tortoises, you may have seen them already I keep them at work (Luis Nursery). They're currently at home and have been hibernating safely since November. I have my older one in a shed and the baby inside the house. The baby has woken up in the days that were 70+ degrees. My older one has moved a little in his box this week, but isn't fully awake. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 73 degrees then the following days it will be 61 degrees. I want to take them out so bad because it has been pretty warm but these upcoming cold and probably rainy days are making me think it's better to keep them put. 

This is my first year having them, can I ask you around what days did yours wake up last year?


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## azkeyrealtor (Mar 6, 2013)

My TILLY came out today to sun himself for 2.5 hrs in sunny warm Phoenix. The last time we saw him it was October 17th. He didn't want any water and he want back to his burrow.


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## PumpkinPie (Mar 20, 2013)

Hi there, I wanted to apologize for not responding sooner to your post. The funny thing is that I actually replied to this post a couple of weeks ago, right after you sent it and then my iPad went haywire and it just vanished. I got so frustrated and assumed it never got sent, because I also responded to Tilly's post as well and it was gone too..... And to top it all off, during this same time my purse got stolen and it was just a huge avalanche of crap for like a week straight, AND I had strep throat!!! Lol!!!!!! 

But now that things are more on the "normal" side (dare I say) I wanted to ask how your tortoises are doing. Are they awake. we had such lovely weather and now it's all funky!!!! And your tortoises, where did you get them? Are they CA dessert torts? You said you have only had them for about a year and they are different ages, so I can't help but be curious. My Patches is still sleeping, but last year he woke up on his own on April 9. I adopted him from a tortoise rescue a few years back and he was about the size of my hand, he has grown quite a bit since I have had him but he is still small. I would like to get another one, perhaps a larger one. So I can watch Patches grow but still have a bigger tort too. Kind of like the best of both worlds, It's such fun stuff. 
Anyways, I'd love to hear about your guys and how you got them. I haven't been to Lewis nursery since this time last year. I have only lived in Visalia for a couple years almost, but my boyfriend knows some people who work out there. Do you have a enclosure for them there? 

Anyways, sorry again for the delayed response. I look forward to chatting with you 





wildchild6771 said:


> Hello fellow Visalian.
> 
> Since we live in the same city I understand your concern. The weather this last week has been nuts.
> 
> ...




Tilly is very cute!!!! How long have you had him for? 



azkeyrealtor said:


> My TILLY came out today to sun himself for 2.5 hrs in sunny warm Phoenix. The last time we saw him it was October 17th. He didn't want any water and he want back to his burrow.






azkeyrealtor said:


> My TILLY came out today to sun himself for 2.5 hrs in sunny warm Phoenix. The last time we saw him it was October 17th. He didn't want any water and he want back to his burrow.



Tilly is very cute!!!! How long have you had him for?


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## wildchild6771 (Mar 21, 2013)

My tortoises were given to me by costumers. My older one is 15 years old and my baby is 2 years old. Had no idea what to expect when I was told we were going to be getting a "turtle" from a woman that could no longer take care of him. I thought, sure we will just stick him in the fish pond. When she came in with a big box with something moving around in it, I knew this wasn't the "turtle" I was expecting! He has his own enclosure and when I have time I take him for a walk around the nursery. Of course, I watch what he eats but he loves to find different plants he can munch on. My baby was given to me by another costumer, hers had babies. She claims she gave me the "mean" one, but she is the complete opposite. She's very sweet! 

They both have been up since last Monday and fully back to their normal selves. My older one (Ringo) was getting antsy in the shed and wanted out, same with my baby, Lucy. It took maybe a day or two for Ringo to adjust back, he was walking slowly, didn't care to eat much. Now he's eating like a pig and pooing from left to right! The weather has been consistently warm (not so much today) so they're quite happy. 

A lot of people who have tortoises in our area have told me theirs are either up or getting ready to come out of hibernation. I was worried that I took them out too early, but they look very happy and that's all that matters to me. Spring was actually on time this year.


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## PumpkinPie (Mar 21, 2013)

Hi there,
Feeling inspired by your message, I went out and checked on Patches and he has changed corners. He also looked a bit more alert, his head was more out of his shell, but his eyes were closed, and he gave the little "hiss" when I touched his foot. All winter he has slept in the very same corner, even when I have woken him up for a soak he has returned to the same corner and now he is on a different side and a different corner. (He is very stubborn, if he gets loose in the house he always darts for the space between the washing machine as fast as he can, it never, ever fails!) I have him in a wooden box, his little house so to speak that I will transport to his outdoor enclosure as soon as I feel like it's time....you don't think it's going to rain do you ? I'm tempted to do it soon, but I also know he slept a bit longer last year. Still feeling unsure... This weather is so strange. 

Anyways, what type or torts do you have? Are they dessert torts too? What a surprise you got!! I hope you are enjoying it though. It is so much fun I think. I had a neighbor friend who had some when I was just a kid so I always wanted one, so I got on the adoption list a few years ago. I will have to come out and see Ringo and Lucy, they must live in a tortoise paradise!! I'm just guessing, but are you a Beatles fan? Hehe!!
Anyways, my name is Helen. If I come out to meet the tortoises, can I ask for you? My boyfriend and I need to get some things for our garden very soon anyways.... So we can go there like we did last year! 
And BTW.... I am in the market for another tortoise, I would like an older one than Patches, so if you hear of another one that needs a good home, please let me know!


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## Yvonne G (Mar 21, 2013)

I tried something new with my desert tortoises this past winter. Usually I box them up and put them in un-plugged chest-type freezer in an old vacant house on the back of my property. This past winter, I put a lot of leaves on the floor of their house in their outside habitat, then I put the tortoises on the leaves and added more leaves over them up to their ceiling. Then I blocked off the door so they couldn't get out and critters couldn't get in. The roof is secure and I knew they would be dry, and I hoped the cinderblock walls and all the leaves would keep them from freezing. 

So about a month ago I took away the doorway blockage and just left the tortoises along. About a week ago I saw one out in the sun, and now yesterday all of them were out and about. This way was a whole lot easier on me than the freezer way. And it just seems more natural for them to wake up and come out on their own.


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## wildchild6771 (Mar 21, 2013)

Of course! come visit us at the nursery. My name is Violet and I am always there. 

I am a Beatles fan, though I didn't actually name them! Ringo had a different name, it was "Little Dude." Didn't like it so I asked a co-worker if we should give him a different name and he suggested Ringo. I agreed really fast, naturally. 

Lucy was named after "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds." A friend of mine named her, I thought it was perfect. 

The way your tortoise is moving in his box is exactly what Ringo had been doing about 2 weeks before I took him out. He had stayed put in the same corner since November, then when I checked on him earlier this month, he was in a different spot each time. His head was even fully out and eyes were opened a few times. I keep a close eye on the weather and at least in the next 10 days it will be in the 70s. Even today with the overcast, chilly weather, Ringo was out and about. 

The great thing about being at the nursery and having my torts there, I meet people everyday that tell me about their own tortoises. There are A LOT of people in our area that have them. If anyone tells me about giving one away, I'll let you know!


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## PumpkinPie (Mar 22, 2013)

Thats awesome! Thank you, Violet. I keep meaning to put myself back on the adoption list but I am just busy all the time. I really need to do that though because it takes up to a year to get called! But since you talk to so many tortoise people, please do keep me in mind if you hear of anything, because either route I take, I love helping turtles and tortoises that that need homes. Which obviously is an ongoing problem with tortoises especially just because of age. My Patches was rescued from someone who neglected him so badly that he was attacked by a dog. He still has a bite mark on the outer rim of his shell, but it's buffing out more and more. I could have picked another tortoise when I got called, there were 4 tortoises to pick from but he was the one that I wanted. He is a total sweetheart. My turtles are adopted too, I should say rescue, the person I got them from took horrendous care of them, she should never be allowed to own a pet again. But they are great now 

Well I look forward to meeting you, Lucy and Ringo. Last night my boyfriend was saying that he was going to go to Lewis on Saturday to get stuff for our garden but I told him that he couldn't go without me because I have school and I want to go too! LOL!!!! But realistically, he will probably go and I will have to go another time. I have school Tue-Sat so I will have to come another day soon 

I will tell him to look for Lucy and Ringo though  have a great weekend, it's been really nice chatting with you.



wildchild6771 said:


> Of course! come visit us at the nursery. My name is Violet and I am always there.
> 
> I am a Beatles fan, though I didn't actually name them! Ringo had a different name, it was "Little Dude." Didn't like it so I asked a co-worker if we should give him a different name and he suggested Ringo. I agreed really fast, naturally.
> 
> ...


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## PumpkinPie (Mar 26, 2013)

Patches has woken up!!!! My boyfriend decided to move him out to his outdoor enclosure for me today while I was at school because he went out to check on him and could tell that Patch had been moving recently. I guess he ate up a storm, walked around for a while, and by the time I got home, he was burrowed under a bunch of leaves in a corner already.  Stupid school!!! Lol!!! But he looks very happy in his corner, I am so glad he is outside now


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## wildchild6771 (Mar 27, 2013)

Glad to hear it! The weather has been very warm so I think yours woke up at a perfect time. I am keeping an eye on the weather, though. Looks like a 50% chance of rain on Sunday. Do you do anything with Patches when it rains?

Oh, before I told you I'm always at the nursery I should clarify that I'm not there on Thursdays before lunch. Other than that I'm always there. 

The other day some kids (or maybe even an adult) opened Ringo's pin without asking my permission. I had no idea he was out until a lady came and told me, "Excuse me did you know your tortoise is roaming around?" I was so angry that someone let him out! I'm beginning to think that keeping him at work isn't such a great idea anymore. My co-workers thought I was making a big deal of it, but he could have easily gotten lost or eaten a plant he wasn't supposed to. Boy, was I angry.


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