1st year So Ca CDT owner hibernation question

HBLocal

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We are 1st year owners of a 40 year old CDT. We adopted him last December while he was hibernating in doubled up cardboard boxed and we kept him in our garafe. He awoke about mid march and has done great.

His eating has almost crawled to a halt but still walks around a bit eachday and he may take one bite of grass/weeds. WIth this So Ca heat, how does he know when he should hunker down and hibernate?

Any advice?
 

Tom

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They will know when its colder and the days get even shorter than they are now.

How are you going to hibernate? The temps here are far too erratic and extreme to hibernate them outside unless they are in a deep burrow, but then you have flooding and collapse issues to worry about, especially with all the rain we are supposed to get this year.

Are you soaking him every other day or so? Good hydration is important before and after hibernation.
 

HBLocal

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We plan to hibernate like he did last year. Double boxed in garage or uheated/unused bedroom. He does not dig burrows. Throughout the spring and summer he's spent all his time outdoors retreating for shade and sleeping in a covered hutch we built in the backyard.

We have been soaking him but he either justs sits there or climbs out. We've only seen him actually drink about 2 times in the past 8 months that he's been awake. He poops and pees regularly so we figure he has gotten enough water since he's been with us.
 
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gamera154

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i don't have a tortoise just yet but because of el nino its going to get alot colder hear in so cal its about 60 f where i live and it gets hot during the sumer
 

Tom

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We plan to hibernate like he did last year. Double boxed in garage or uheated/unused bedroom. He does not dig burrows. Throughout the spring and summer he's spent all his time outdoors retreating for shade and sleeping in a covered hutch we built in the backyard.

We have been soaking him but he either justs sits there or climbs out. We've only seen him actually drink about 2 times in the past 8 months that he's been awake. He poops and pees regularly so we figure he has gotten enough water since he's been with us.

To "soak" him, you need a tall sided opaque container that he can't climb out of. Putting him in his water dish is not soaking.

To get him to tank up and drink try running the hose and making a puddle on the lawn. This will make almost any DT want to drink. Dehydration related issues are probably the number one killer of DTs. Right up there with pet dogs.

The double box in a cold garage might work. I'm afraid a back bedroom will be too warm. They need a consistently cold temp of around 50 degrees for the duration of hibernation. If we have another warm winter like the last few, it will be tough to keep temps that cold all winter long.
 

Yvonne G

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My desert tortoises still come out every day and sit in the sun. They aren't eating, but they come out. Then they go back in their shelter for the rest of the day. Eventually they will just stay inside the shelter. That's when I block the door so they can't come out anymore. In SoCal, I think you have the right idea to box him up and store him either in the garage or an unused back bedroom. You can leave him outside until he doesn't come out of his shelter anymore. Then box him up.
 

thatrebecca

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My two CDTs have slowed wayyyy down this week. They've stopped eating and basically just get a little morning sun and then go back into their hides. I'm giving them a warm soak every 3-4 days. I figure another 1-2 weeks and I'll box them and put them in their winter home, which is a non-working chest freezer in the shed. It's managed to keep them at around 45-50 degrees the last two winters.
 
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