Cooler weather

[ChiKat]

I've never had a full-time outdoor tortoise until about a month ago, so bear with me while I ask some stupid questions!

It's 72 and cloudy today, and Nelson never came out of his burrow. He hasn't eaten at all this week. He could be moving around during the day while I'm at work, but when I get home he's still in the same spot he was when I left.

I know they slow down when it's cooler out, but I am concerned about him not eating. He feels very light. I put him in front of some butternut squash just now, and he's eating. Should I put him in front of his food? Or just trust that he's a real tortoise who can take care of himself. (I know I'm paranoid.) I was tempted to bring his heat lamp outside today, but I think that's taking it too far...

 

[wellington]

I know Tom still uses heat in Cali so, not sure 72 is too low yet, but I would deff prepare to either bring him in on the cold nights or get some kind of heat source out there.

 

[Tom]

You don't want to encourage eating when temps are low. THis is the dilemma for people in temperate climates like ours. Its really not cold enough for them to want to hibernate, but with the short days and cooler weather, its really not warm enough to remain active and eating either.

Here is another thread on it from today:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/post-553269.html#axzz29TCvQ99F

Also, PM dmmj. He keeps his russians outside and he's not too far from you and has a very similar climate. GB is also very knowledgeable in the Testudo area, but his climate is very different than ours. Still, I'd ask for his thoughts too.

 

[ChiKat]

Thanks. I don't think I want to hibernate him, especially since he has only been living outside for 2 months.
I wonder if I should start bringing him in at night.
I really don't know anything about the weather in SoCal. How cold does it get here?

I have never seen him cold and not eating before, so even though that's "normal", I can't help but worry!

 

[bigred]

Thanks. I don't think I want to hibernate him, especially since he has only been living outside for 2 months.
I wonder if I should start bringing him in at night.
I really don't know anything about the weather in SoCal. How cold does it get here?

I have never seen him cold and not eating before, so even though that's "normal", I can't help but worry!

It can get down to around 45 degrees

 

[dmmj]

If you are not gonna hibernate him, then it is ok to feed them still, at 72 he should slow down a little bit but still eat, also remember light affects them, so while it is still relatively warm, they know by the light cycle getting shorter that it will still b e time to hibernate While it is true mine live outside, I do hibernate them inside a shed, no real insulation but it protects them from the weather. ( rain and such) In orange county it won't get cold enough for most of the winter to really hibernate, I mean come it's california except for like the mountains areas, it does not get that cold. Also you may have noticed that we are not getting areal cold yet and I suspect this may be a warmer winter which should mean a shorter hibernation period for rusians and other tortoises. Ok I think I answered everything, if not feel free to ask more.

 

[Tom]

Thanks. I don't think I want to hibernate him, especially since he has only been living outside for 2 months.
I wonder if I should start bringing him in at night.
I really don't know anything about the weather in SoCal. How cold does it get here?

I have never seen him cold and not eating before, so even though that's "normal", I can't help but worry!

Down in OC it can get into the 30's during winter nights and occasionally just below freezing. Daytime highs will typically be at least in the 60's with the occasional cold spell of a few days only in the 50's. These are the coldest of cold winter temps. Typically it will be warmer than this. Days in the 70's and nights in the 50's are pretty common throughout winter. If you are close to the coast, it can be a little cooler and clammier.

Question for the Cap'n: So if they eat on a 72 degree day and we have a "cold" rainy spell for two or three weeks, this is not a problem for russians here? The food doesn't start to rot in their inactive gut? I'm asking because this is what we always hear. Is this like the whole "sulcatas are desert animals" falsehood?

 

[dmmj]

With russsians you want them to have a empty stomach if they are going into hibernation, if they eat then go inactive for a week or two and then warm up again, there should be no problems, only when it is in their for months does it become a problem, plus like I said before it does not get cold enough for long periods of time for russians anyways. Even our winters for the most part seem like heaven compared to the mountains.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Gosh I hate to hear that about Nelson. If you're not gonna hibernate him keep the lights on for 13 or 14 hours and up his temperatures a bit. It's an adjustment when you move with a tort, it screws them up for a while, but he's healthy and he'll get over it. Just make sure he's warm enough and has a nice place to sleep. He really is the cutest Russian and altho I like hearing about him...but not like this! don't want him to be sick.
I suggest he goes in the house until he's eating good and acting like his normal self. Plus then you can have warm lights on him and you can convince him that he doesn't need to hibernate.

 

[dmmj]

The lightness of his weight does concern me, does he feel like a shell and nothing else?

 

[ChiKat]

He isn't THAT light, he is still heavy, but I've always heard they should feel like a solid rock, and he doesn't. I just weighed him and he is down about 15 grams since August.
Should I put his heat lamp outside? He's right next to an outlet on my patio, so it's not a problem putting the heat lamp out there. I don't want to bring him in because his indoor enclosure is temporary and small. I'll bring him in when it's cold in the winter, but it's only been getting down to like 60 at night lately.
I don't think he's sick, Maggie. Just a little cold! He's used to constant warm temps since he lived inside the first three years of his life.
When I soaked him yesterday and gave him some butternut squash he was very active. I didn't mean to scare you.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

He isn't THAT light, he is still heavy, but I've always heard they should feel like a solid rock, and he doesn't. I just weighed him and he is down about 15 grams since August.
Should I put his heat lamp outside? He's right next to an outlet on my patio, so it's not a problem putting the heat lamp out there. I don't want to bring him in because his indoor enclosure is temporary and small. I'll bring him in when it's cold in the winter, but it's only been getting down to like 60 at night lately.
I don't think he's sick, Maggie. Just a little cold! He's used to constant warm temps since he lived inside the first three years of his life.
When I soaked him yesterday and gave him some butternut squash he was very active. I didn't mean to scare you.

Whew! I'm glad he's not sick. Just adjust to a new house and routine I guess...

 

[ChiKat]

At what temp should I bring him in at night? It's been getting down to 56 lately.

 

[Lancecham]

At what temp should I bring him in at night? It's been getting down to 56 lately.

Winter is going to get colder at night. Either start bringing him in or provide heat at night.
I don't have a Russian, but I have a lot of sulcatas of different sizes. I live in the OC as well and keep my 2 to 3 year olds (8 to 11 inch)outside in the winter time.
Their sleeping enclosure is nice and warm and on a thermostat. And the placement of the grazing area is in an area that gets first sunlight in the morning.
Sulcata eating definitely slows down in the winter time and if you keep yours outside in the winter time, its eating will slow down as well.

 

[dmmj]

At what temp should I bring him in at night? It's been getting down to 56 lately.

When it is in the 50's I would bring him in. I also bring mine in when it rains, they are spoiled, I recently lent one of mine as a stud and the night he arrived for studly duties, it rained, I got a call from the guy and he said my russian was sitting out in the rain waiting to be brought in.

 

[ChiKat]

Ha, that is a funny story. Spoiled tort.
It's supposed to be 80s all weekend but only 50s at night. I've never paid attention to the weather as much as I do now!