Desert Torts in Cold Climates

[Stitch]

So I live in Albuquerque , NM and the average tems/humidity are http://www.itsatrip.org/trip-planning/weather/default.aspx# and I am not sure about leaving my 2 little guys outside this year for the 1st time or not? If you look at our temps on the link we are below freezing on avarage nov thru march. Even if they borrow wont they freeze? I got these guys as babies about 6 yrs ago.
Last spring and this spring I put them in the yard for the spring and summer, they have been indoors every winter in a tank, but they move a bunch and scratch. So was thinking about hibernation this year... but I AM SCARED to leave them outside.

Any thoughts?
I will get pics of their shelter tomorrow.
Thanks in advance
Shawn

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Found pics (old ones) in my photobucket!....I think these are 3 yrs old...

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Shawn...Your animals are kept too dry and on sand and that's a bad thing. Look at how pyramided they are. Their carapace' should be absolutely smooth, not with those ridges. I know that you think they need to be kept that way because they are desert tortoises, but in the wild they dig long burrows and poop and pee in them creating an ambient humidity that can get to 80%.
I think your's need to be kept in a more moist atmosphere...I know you say those pictures are 3 years old, I would be interested to see what they look like now. I would not hibernate them.

 

[Yvonne G]

Maggie said your tortoises' carapaces should be "flat," but she means "smooth," not "flat." They should be domed, but smooth. Reason for the bumps, like Maggie said, is being kept too dry.

Yvonne

 

[Laura]

What is thier current diet? do they feel heavy or solid when you pick them up or light? I would NOT let them hibernate outside. too cold and wet. do what was suggested and place them in a box in a dark closet. that way is not wet or too cold and you can peek at them. be sure they DO NOT go to 'bed' with a full stomach. they need to be empty and have a good soak before you hibernate them. IF you do this year. if you dont. bring them inside, keep them warm, well fed, with proper lighting and humidity.
Congrats for finding us!!

 

[Stitch]

Well we used to feed them the "Tortoise" pellets the petsmart guy suggested and they love that... Nowadays they eat a lot of veggies, like tomatos, mellon, lettuce, and such, oh and they love the flowers from my hibiscus!
In the last year they have gotten like a solid rock picking them up... bigger and solid is how I'd say they feel. I'm guessing they are hydrated ok, they have been outside in a large walled in tree area with a shelter. They had a shallow burrow but yeaterday I re-built their shelter , I tore apart the shelter and dug a hole 24" deep x 16" wide x 3' long and then re-filled the hole back in with compost mixed with mulch and sand and dirt, (to make it easy to borrow in) Then put a cynder block on each side , covered with flagstone and got it all back together. They loved it! The only way into the shelter is thru the cynder block holes , pics soon. I am also going to bring them in soon I think ans possibly NOT hybernate them because I am very leary of it for this year, maybe next year when I am a expert owner, lol.
It's embarrasing to admit being a bad owner in the past... I am SOOO glad I found this place!

I had NO idea about humidity when they used to be just indoors! Those poor things I am now performing my own tortoise rescue, lol. Although I think the last 2 years I have done better... we wont talk about the 1st year or so I owned them
I am open to any and all training I find here! And can't tell you how nice it is to find people who care about these guys too!

By the way... these guys are VERY friendly and love to be pet... its funny.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Shawn:

I love your new avatar picture!

I'm glad you are taking our criticism of your tortoise-keeping with good humor. We really do have the best interest of the tortoises at heart, and are not picking on you!

Its too bad our tortoises have to live through our learning at their expense, but that's usually the way we all learned. When I first started taking care of tortoises there wasn't a 'net to do research on. I had to learn from experience and from out dated books. We all just do the best we can. And now you're here, getting the best knowledge from good people who care about your tortoises! Good on you!

Yvonne

 

[Stitch]

AHHH man... I spent lunch today getting pics taken and loading them onto my Photobucket and then ran out of time to post them here! So I am at work now and the computer lets me come to this site , but sadly not Photobucket So I guess we will have pics posted tonight.
I also (after spending hours on this site) think maybe one of them might be a pyramided still? Im not sure of all the Tort lingo yet... so baby talk it to me, lol.

 

[Yvonne G]

The pyramiding that happened as the baby was growing will never go away, however the new growth from now on, the spaces between the scutes, will now grow smooth, so the pyramiding won't be as noticeable.

Yvonne

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Please stop feeding them veggies, no tomatoes or anything like that. Most of their diet should be grasses and weeds. Every morning I grab a bag and go out for a walk (I HATE walking), I gather up blossoms weeds leafs and anything else that looks like food. I carry clippers with me and I cut grape vines from my neighbors. Nothing is safe from me. If I can reach it I grab it.
This morning I fed dandelions, Rose of Sharon blooms, rose blossoms, grape leafs, mulberry leafs and some weeds that I don't know the name of. I am 63 years old (I think) and disabled and if I can walk around and collect that stuff so can you. I have 27 turtles and tortoises and most of my feed is free. Stuff I collect, and I talked the produce people in my grocery store to saving their trimmings for me so every other day I get a big box of free tortoise food. I made friends at the local feed store so now I can take a big bag and collect the loose hay in the barn. Last year I fed hay to Bob all winter and I got it free.
I didn't mean to post this much, but stop feeding veggies and start feeding correctly. I know I gave you a care sheet so read it and get your tortoises onto a decent diet for them.