Brumating a DT

[nate.mann]

i got into keeping just over three months ago, and i have not had to go through hibernating a tortoise. i would simply like someone to review what i have found and see if it needs some patching. when it starts getting cool, they will be more inactive, and will eat less. when they are completely inactive, they are in the state of brumation, and i wont need to feed them unless they come out for some reason, at which point i can offer food, but its likely they will reject and go back to sleep. they will come out when theyre ready, and feeding/watering can be resumed. i really dont think there is anything else..but i guess i'll find out. haha. thanks for any help.

 

[thatrebecca]

Where are you planning on brumating Esmeralda? Indoors or out? This is my first season brumating a DT, too, and we are opting for indoors because of the risks of doing it outside.

 

[ascott]

You have only just acquired her didn't you? I would seriously hold off on brumating this season....

Also, text book guidelines are good but seriously you need to educate yourself.

 

[Yvonne G]

Tortoises that are going to brumate stop eating before winter so that their stomachs and intestinal tracts are empty. Food left in there would rot over the winter. So if a tortoise comes up during brumation, food should not be offered. You can offer water. I have never had a desert tortoise come out during brumation. The temp should be below 50F and above 40F, with somewhere in the middle being ideal. You don't want to allow him to get down to freezing because his eyeballs will freeze.

It is always advocated to keep a new-to-you tortoise awake the first winter with you so you can get acquainted with the animal, make sure he is healthy. A sick animal goes to sleep, but the bugs making him sick don't and he could die during brumation.

 

[nate.mann]

ooooh myyyy looooord. i COMPLETELY spaced that. oh the things we do when were tired. thank you very much. haha.


0.1.0 Russian tortoise
0.1.0 Sonoran Desert Tortoise
1.0.0 Bluenose Pit/American Bulldog

 

[reticguy76]

I came into mine last late spring (probably just coming out of a brumation state I assumed at the time). I let nature and him do their thing. He stopped eating and slowed down activity and eating and then by late October/early November, he was in his winter slumber. Small food amounts were still available, but he never came out from about Halloween or so until about Mid-late March. I estimated him at around a year or so when I acquired/rescued him. I was very nervous about him going into brumation, especially having physical health issues, but he did fantastic. He is starting to slow down just a little bit now, and doesnt stay out as long now, so I assume he is getting ready for his winter rest fest pretty soon.
Now, that being said and done, had I acquired a brand new baby or captive only dt, I am not sure if I would have let nature take its course or not. But, I know my little one came from the wild as they people that found him were in the middle of the desert photographing nature and just happened to see him bloody and inside his shell tight. I figured he had just been through probably his first nature brumation, so I would spend the summer healing him and then let nature and him do his thing.
For us, his first captive brumation went on his own doing and went great. Just my little input

 

[nate.mann]

after a lot of thought and reading, im going to go ahead and let Esmerelda go into brumation. shes been doing it for years now with no problems..and i dont plan on stopping her now when the only things that have changed is who is caring for her, and that she has a bigger and safer enclosure. shes begun to slow down and hasnt eaten in days (might be close to a week now), apart from a little grazing.

 

[thatrebecca]

Morticia hasn't eaten anything since a half hibiscus blossom on Monday, and is mainly interested in her hide right now. She pooped in her soak yesterday and was active for a few minutes after soaking, but that's about it for the week.

Gomez, who is 2 years older, still has an appetite and has been active, prowling the yard for weeds. Funny how they are on different clocks despite being siblings reared in an identical way/climate. Should we stop putting out supplemental food for Gomez? He continues to eat his, whereas Morticia ignored hers for the last 3 days so we're not gonna put any out for her today.

 

[nate.mann]

it could be due to the fact that hes bigger (i would think hes bigger given that hes two years older) and his core temp is more consistent, so it will lower slower than the smaller one. people say it takes weeks for them to get all the waste out of their system, so the sooner you stop the safer they'll be.


0.1.0 Sonoran Desert Tortoise
0.0.1 Leopard Tortoise
1.0.0 Bluenose Pitbull/American Bulldog