Moving a tortoise to colder climate

nemo11

New Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2018
Messages
1
Location (City and/or State)
Boulder, CO
I have a russian tortoise that my parents have been caring for in San Diego for 20 years. Moving forward, they will no longer be able to care for her. I live in Colorado, and the only reason I haven't brought her here is because she gets the benefit of great weather year-round in San Diego. Now that they can no longer care for her, I'm debating between moving her out to Colorado with me vs finding a good home for her in San Diego. Can anybody here weigh in on whether moving her to Colorado would be ok for her?

She has never lived anywhere with real winter weather, and I am having a hard time finding information on winter care. If she'd have a much better quality of life if we found her a new home in San Diego, I would do that. However, if she could still have a good quality of life and spend a lot of time outside, I'd move her to Colorado and keep her.

She has always had an outdoor enclosure for during the daytime, and has an indoor enclosure for nighttime or rare cold weather. She has never really hibernated. In Colorado I have room for both an indoor and outdoor enclosure, but can't find much information on what to do for her in the winter. Is it possible to give her a nice comfortable life out here like she has had in San Diego?

Looking forward to any suggestions or advice!

Thanks!
 

Gillian M

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
15,417
Location (City and/or State)
Jordan
Welcome to the forum.

Please post pics of your "future" tort.

I believe that she can settle down, though this will certainly take time, as torts do not like change.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,655
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
She will do fine. You can put her outside during the warm months and house her inside with heats and lights during the cold months. She most likely won't like the move. Whether with you or another home in San Diego. She will get over it though.
 

T Smart

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Messages
461
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, IL
Yes! It's definitely a possibility. You would need to build a 8' x 4' indoor enclosure for your little guy.
 

RosemaryDW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
4,144
Location (City and/or State)
Newport Coast, CA
Welcome!

Since you live in the U.S. chances are she is wild caught; she spent plenty of time in a severe climate with very cold weather. She has hibernated before.

Even if she hasn't, it's what her body has been adapting to for thousands of years.

If she is outdoors in Colorado, chances are she will want to hibernate. You can certainly keep her up through the winter indoors, though.

Given she is built for a very dry climate, I would home her in whichever area is driest. San Diego is quite dry but so is Colorado, so it seems you can't go wrong with either.

We have a fair amount of info here on hibernation, as well as how to build a heated night box for fall and spring, so she can be outside more often. Think about where you'd like to home her. If it's Colorado, we can help you out with housing and hibernation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: orv

New Posts

Top