Brumation box: how snug?

[thatrebecca]

My juvenile DTs will be brumating in a non-working chest freezer in the back shed. How snug should their boxes be within the freezer? Should they be able to turn around in them? I plan to fill the boxes with orchid bark and cut air holes in the tops, then fill the freezer around the boxes with newspaper. Here is Morticia modeling a couple of options.

Option A:

Option B:

Would one of these suffice or should I go bigger or smaller?

 

[thatrebecca]

C'mon, I know one of you experienced keepers has an opinion about this!

Today is brumation spot prep day here, and I scrubbed out the freezer, popped the boxes in and wheeled it into its spot on the darkest corner of the shed. I've also put a thermometer in so I can keep track of what the temps are over the next week or without me modifying via water bottles or some other means. All I've yet to do is put in the newspapers and orchid bark, which I'll do once I know the boxes are the right size. Here are some more pix of the setup...

The shed:



The freezer:

The boxes in the freezer:

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I don't have CDT but IMO what you have planned seems great. Box sizes and all.

 

[thatrebecca]

Thanks, Heather! Now if I could just come up with a plan for what to do when I miss them...

 

[Levi the Leopard]

That's easy... get a species that doesn't brumate! LOL

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

It's leopard tortoise time. Just kidding!
OMG thatrebecca, you left right before that big storm hit Britannia, yes?

 

[thatrebecca]

Ha! Yes, the thought has crossed my mind, actually, to get a non-brumater this winter while Gomez and Morticia are down. Hubby is not amused.

And yep, it appears I left the UK in the nick of time. Yikes. I wonder what they do with all those reptiles I visited at the London Zoo during a storm like this.