# Emerging Desert Tortoises, anyone?



## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Feb 20, 2015)

Mojave Maxine came out of her burrow on February 17 according to The Living Desert in Palm Desert where she resides. http://www.livingdesert.org/mojave-maxine/

I know of 4 CDTs that emerged yesterday for Lunar New Year ...
Waz up y'all? And went back to bed later in the day ... see ya, bah-bye.

Just curious to hear what the gopherus hosts are experiencing with their cares?
Early spring, anyone? Or, psyche ... not yet? 
We are blessed with wonderfully weird but happy weather in So Cal.
Apologies to all those with snow, snow, everywhere snow. I bet you are all soooo over it!


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## AZtortMom (Feb 20, 2015)

I've been hearing from friends here that thier torts are doing the same thing. Mind you, it's very warm here


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Feb 20, 2015)

Correction: February 17 was last year. This year Maxine emerged on February 9.

AZtortMom: Thanks! Good to share, good to know, especially for the new CDT caretaker/hosts. : )


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## bouaboua (Feb 20, 2015)

BeeBee*BeeLeaves said:


> Correction: February 17 was last year. This year Maxine emerged on February 9.
> 
> AZtortMom: Thanks! Good to share, good to know, especially for the new CDT caretaker/hosts. : )


I'm new to CDT also.

We adopted this 20 years old male CDT around November last year. Couple weeks after we got him, he went into the hibernation and was waking up about 5 days ago.




He will come out of hide to get into the sun and retreat back when in the afternoon.

We have not yet see him drink or eating. I'm wondering should I soak him? or desert tortoise need to have even higher temperature like in the high 80s to start eating.

We only can get up to low 70's this days.

Any advise will be highly appreciated.


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## Ciri (Feb 21, 2015)

bouaboua said:


> I'm new to CDT also.
> 
> We adopted this 20 years old male CDT around November last year. Couple weeks after we got him, he went into the hibernation and was waking up about 5 days ago.
> 
> ...


A soak is always a good idea when they come out of their hibernaculum. Sometimes they don't get themselves into water, but will drink when put in the water. Of course, they don't have to be soaked every day. I like to leave water out for them, and when awake, if they don't get in, I soak them about once a week. Hope this helps.


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## bouaboua (Feb 21, 2015)

Ciri said:


> A soak is always a good idea when they come out of their hibernaculum. Sometimes they don't get themselves into water, but will drink when put in the water. Of course, they don't have to be soaked every day. I like to leave water out for them, and when awake, if they don't get in, I soak them about once a week. Hope this helps.


Thank you for the advise. We been thinking soaking this big guy. We will give him a soak tomorrow. 

The night still cold now (Low 50s) maybe another few weeks when the over all temp are getting warmer he will start to eat.


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## HLogic (Feb 21, 2015)

The Gopher torts (_G. polyphemus) _here have been wandering around the whole time except for the last couple of days because of the cold snap. Feral torts roaming the neighborhood! What's a guy to do???


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## Kenno (Feb 22, 2015)

Old Duncan came out a week ago and is eating grass and pooping. We estimate his age as 65 or 70 years because his former keeper had him for 50 years and he was already full grown. 
Another is still hibernating, and our third never really hibernated.


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## New Desert Tortoise Mommy (Feb 22, 2015)

I know my 3 CDT hibernated and since this weird California weather the hot days they were so active and naturally woke up from hibernation earlier this month now this past week with it being cooler almost rainy they all want to sleep and not eat haha


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## New Desert Tortoise Mommy (Feb 22, 2015)

Well not eat as much


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## ascott (Feb 22, 2015)

BeeBee*BeeLeaves said:


> Mojave Maxine came out of her burrow on February 17 according to The Living Desert in Palm Desert where she resides. http://www.livingdesert.org/mojave-maxine/
> 
> I know of 4 CDTs that emerged yesterday for Lunar New Year ...
> Waz up y'all? And went back to bed later in the day ... see ya, bah-bye.
> ...



WOW....you are still alive and kicking ...GOOD.....I have two of the men folk in the closet still (they are still in slumber) and then the two hellions that ditched me down into their natural dug burrows outside....neither of them have shown any sign of wanting to be put yet....likely not until middle to end of March...even though the day temps have been mid to high seventies a bit ...the nights are still cold...actually tonight rain and in the thirties...so I would be concerned if they did come out..once the two outdoors pop out I will suspect they will all be ready....


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## Arnold_rules (Feb 23, 2015)

Mine has been up and about since the beginning of Feb. Eatting up a storm and generally enjoying himself. Now, granted, it is quite warm here in Phoenix. So, your results may vary, but as far as the all knowing Arnold the Tort, it be time for waking, plant stomping and causing generalized mayhem.


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## Yvonne G (Feb 23, 2015)

My desert tortoise hibernatorium is in the shade and I covered it with many, many leaves. I also packed leaves inside it. Then I blocked the door and added more leaves. Point being, even though it's been very warm here, inside the hibernatorium it's still quite cold. I opened their door last week, but so far no one has ventured out.


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Feb 28, 2015)

Bouaboua! Wow, what a beauty. So dark, almost black. Is he Sonoran or Mojave? do you know? I love your CDT!
Yvonne, that is very cool. Hmmm, maybe I will do the same for next year. Sounds like your temps stayed stable. Yay!
Angela, yep, I am. Still kicking up dust so I don't eat it! I check in a lot to read my favorite place for torties. So much goodness here.
Life gets busy so it's hard to clock in and contribute like I would like. Love all the info we all share with each other.

CDT peeps, more please. How are your torties doing? Share good and share bad so we can all learn from each other. : )


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## bouaboua (Feb 28, 2015)

That we have to ask Yvonne. I got Mojave from her. I believe MoMo (my wife calls him) is Mojave California Desert Tortoise. 

Before we let him go into hibernation, we put coconut's oil on his shell. He was very dry when we got him. Yvonne said his previous owner kept him under very dry condition. 

This is how he looks like before coco oil spa treatment.


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## Kenno (Feb 28, 2015)

I have decided not to soak old Duncan, since he doesn't like to be lifted. He crawls right into his water dish anyway, as you can see in my icon picture. I have found that he greatly prefers warm water to cool at this time of year and he will drink the bowl dry! Of course I refill it immediately.
The two younger CDTs get soaked in a planting tray where one edge is low and the water depth is only two inches. They enjoy their soaks and don't seem to mind being picked up.
Duncan went in to hibernation about 10/15/14 and came out on 2/15/15.
Alex dug in under some hay about 11/15/14 and is still in deep hibernation.
Young Hercules never really hibernated. He made a showing every day, sometimes only for an hour or two, and ate and pooped scant amounts all winter. Of course, our temratures dipped only to high 40s at night and low 60s in the daytime. Now Hercules has returned to full function, walking faster and eating/pooping a lot more.
At night, Duncan and Hercules return to sleep in the burrow that Alex dug. They all huddle up together in there.


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Feb 28, 2015)

Bouaboua! No way! The difference is amazing. Like two different tortoises. I love coconut oil. And MoMo!

Kenno, your three gentlemen had such different winters. Interesting and good to know. Duncan was quite punctual. Alex is sleeping in and Hercules will have none of that stay sleepy stuff, LOL. One question because they are all males: No fights? If not, that's great! Just wondering.


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## Kenno (Mar 1, 2015)

BeeBee- no fights. The old one woke up and did some head bobbing to remind young Hercules who is the boss. Hercules goes passive as a defense and it works. They stay together most of the day and I give them separate piles of food to avoid conflict. Once they are well fed they don't seem to care who gets the last bites of food, and they also have plenty of grass to eat.


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