Best outdoor tortoise for south Georgia?

Bridgebob

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Arlington, Virginia
My Eastern Box will slow down because it can sense the change in seasons. Even with it's lights.

It eats very little now and sleeps most of the time. Even being indoors. It eats but very little.
 

Noelluene

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If you are set on keeping the tortoise outdoors, spare no expense on predator deterrents. Many wild animals would make a quick and easy meal out of a baby tortoise, and you'd be surprised at how clever thy can be. Also make sure the soil is very well drained so that the enclosure doesn't flood during rainstorms.
 

Bridgebob

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I found my baby Eastern Box Turtle with an amputated front foot and broken back leg. In Virginia, where I live there are dozens of predators that could have eaten her.

I figure she over wintered twice!

Tough animals.
 

Maggie3fan

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Just my personal experience...I keep tortoises and turtles in a place where it snows and ices over etc. But I don't hibernate any of them...you don't HAVE to hibernate anything...just keep the lights and heat on 12 hours a day...it is not necessary to hibernate for health reasons...
 

Noelluene

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Brumation can be dangerous for tortoises, and it is very possible that they don't wake up in spring. Usually people brumate their reptiles for reproduction, as it helps with their annual cycle. However, for a small tortoise that you really just want to keep as a pet, I'd say think twice before brumating.

I have had my Eastern Hermann's for 6 almost 7 years now. I don't brumate him because for one it doesn't get cold enough where I live but also because of the risks that come with brumation that I am not willing to take.
 

Kikki

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Georgia
Brumation can be dangerous for tortoises, and it is very possible that they don't wake up in spring. Usually people brumate their reptiles for reproduction, as it helps with their annual cycle. However, for a small tortoise that you really just want to keep as a pet, I'd say think twice before brumating.

I have had my Eastern Hermann's for 6 almost 7 years now. I don't brumate him because for one it doesn't get cold enough where I live but also because of the risks that come with brumation that I am not willing to take.
Thank you! We'd probably worry if he'd wake up in the spring! I think i'm getting closer to figuring this out! :)
 

Toddrickfl1

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Thank you! We'd probably worry if he'd wake up in the spring! I think i'm getting closer to figuring this out! :)
For what it's worth, I'm in the Atlanta area and I have a Redfoot that lives outside from the end of March till September, then inside the rest of the year. Our climate here is pretty nice for them in the spring/summer. They can not brumate though. So you would need some kind of indoor accommodations.
 

Bridgebob

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I have an Eastern Box (baby) Turtle and I will swear to GOD. That they know the seasons.

During the summer she would pig out on her egg and fruit, and poop her pond!

Now she just picks at her food and goes back to sleep.
 
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