abk
New Member
I live in the city and a few weeks ago I found a Sonoran Desert Tortoise crossing the street in my neighborhood. I posted on Facebook to see if anyone had lost him but no one claimed so I just adopted him.
Since then I’ve tried to learn as much as I can about taking care of him. We’ve been feeding him fresh nopales and dandelion greens and letting him sleep in a box in my room where it’s around 72 F at night. During the day he roams around an enclosed area in the backyard. Temps have been pretty hot around 85 F but lately it’s gotten colder and the highs are 75 lows are high 40s F.
We dug him a burrow and he’s been making use of it. I let him stay in it overnight when it got down to high 40s F at night for a few nights and he didn’t come out at all. Now the weather has warmed up and he’s out roaming around again.
I haven’t been feeding him since it got cold because I read not to give them food before they hibernate, but he’s started roaming around again during the day when it’s in the 70s.
I’m just wondering if I should plan not to hibernate him this winter, or if he can do a short hibernation when it’s consistently cold probably in January, and also how to feed him and what temps to keep him at if it’s cool but not cold enough for hibernation.
He’s a great little tortoise with a charming personality, very curious and on the move.
Any advice to keep him healthy and happy would be appreciated!
Since then I’ve tried to learn as much as I can about taking care of him. We’ve been feeding him fresh nopales and dandelion greens and letting him sleep in a box in my room where it’s around 72 F at night. During the day he roams around an enclosed area in the backyard. Temps have been pretty hot around 85 F but lately it’s gotten colder and the highs are 75 lows are high 40s F.
We dug him a burrow and he’s been making use of it. I let him stay in it overnight when it got down to high 40s F at night for a few nights and he didn’t come out at all. Now the weather has warmed up and he’s out roaming around again.
I haven’t been feeding him since it got cold because I read not to give them food before they hibernate, but he’s started roaming around again during the day when it’s in the 70s.
I’m just wondering if I should plan not to hibernate him this winter, or if he can do a short hibernation when it’s consistently cold probably in January, and also how to feed him and what temps to keep him at if it’s cool but not cold enough for hibernation.
He’s a great little tortoise with a charming personality, very curious and on the move.
Any advice to keep him healthy and happy would be appreciated!