First time hibernating

[Tortoise Nana]

My grand desert torts have spent their first spring and summer in their oasis enclosure. They are two years old and are in great condition. Not sure which is a boy or girl, but Rock is more than twice the size of Rock. I’m technologically challenged or I would attach pictures of the torts and their living quarters.

My question is; R&R have slowed down the last couple of days. Our weather has. Oiled down here in Las Vegas , NV. Are the ready for an all winter hibernation? Is there anything I need yo do to help keep the safe? They have a cave, but it’s not underground. It’s covered with wood chips. Should I put them in the cave and enclose it? They will be sheltered from the elements, not sure how warm it would be. Should I add dirt or wood chips? I’ve really gotten attached to the little torts and want them to be safe for the winter. Please send suggestions. Thanks fellow tort lovers

 

[wellington]

I would rethink letting them hibernate unless you are housing them in their own seperate enclosures as tortoises should not be housed in pairs and the one may be getting bullied by the other and that's the cause for the size difference and wouldn't really be healthy to hibernate. At 2 years of age they are to young to sex.
@Tom may be able to help with hibernating if you still want to do it.

 

[Tom]

My grand desert torts have spent their first spring and summer in their oasis enclosure. They are two years old and are in great condition. Not sure which is a boy or girl, but Rock is more than twice the size of Rock. I’m technologically challenged or I would attach pictures of the torts and their living quarters.

My question is; R&R have slowed down the last couple of days. Our weather has. Oiled down here in Las Vegas , NV. Are the ready for an all winter hibernation? Is there anything I need yo do to help keep the safe? They have a cave, but it’s not underground. It’s covered with wood chips. Should I put them in the cave and enclose it? They will be sheltered from the elements, not sure how warm it would be. Should I add dirt or wood chips? I’ve really gotten attached to the little torts and want them to be safe for the winter. Please send suggestions. Thanks fellow tort lovers

Do you want them to brumate, or do you want them to stay up and active all winter? You have to choose one or the other.

It is not safe to leave them outside as you are. They will likely die in an above ground shelter like that. You need to either brumate them correctly, or make a large indoor enclosure with heating and lighting for winter.

They should never live as a pair. That is likely the reason the other one is so small. It is a living hell for that one right now. Get him out of the other ones territory ASAP.

 

[Tortoise Nana]

I would rethink letting them hibernate unless you are housing them in their own seperate enclosures as tortoises should not be housed in pairs and the one may be getting bullied by the other and that's the cause for the size difference and wouldn't really be healthy to hibernate. At 2 years of age they are to young to sex.
@Tom may be able to help with hibernating if you still want to do it.

I would rethink letting them hibernate unless you are housing them in their own seperate enclosures as tortoises should not be housed in pairs and the one may be getting bullied by the other and that's the cause for the size difference and wouldn't really be healthy to hibernate. At 2 years of age they are to young to sex.
@Tom may be able to help with hibernating if you still want to do it.

 

[Tortoise Nana]

Thanks Wellington. Their home outside is quite big. I’m be been outside most of the summer on a daily basis and they are always separate, walking around and exploring, except when they come to their food bowels. There’s been no bulling. They have been together every day since birth.I threw their box away when they moved outside. If they need to come back inside I’ll need to try and set them up again. Here is a partial picture is the enclosure. They always are sleeping in separate areas. They are siblings, but I guess they don’t know that.

 

[Tom]

Thanks Wellington. Their home outside is quite big. I’m be been outside most of the summer on a daily basis and they are always separate, walking around and exploring, except when they come to their food bowels. There’s been no bulling. They have been together every day since birth.I threw their box away when they moved outside. If they need to come back inside I’ll need to try and set them up again. Here is a partial picture is the enclosure. They always are sleeping in separate areas. They are siblings, but I guess they don’t know that.

You have a few problems there. I say this to be helpful, not to hurt your feelings. My goal is to keep your tortoises healthy and happy.

1. Tortoises should never be housed on sand or gravel. This is an impaction waiting to happen.
2. Their fence needs an opaque barrier at tortoise level. See through fences lead to injured or dead tortoises in most cases.
3. You are not seeing overt aggression like biting or ramming, but there is bullying going on. That is why one is half the size of the other. The small one is experiencing serious daily chronic stress. This reduces appetite, growth, and hampers the immune system. Its a living hell, and neither of them can ever relax this way. They need to be separated ASAP.
4. Has every plant in there been verified non-toxic and edible for tortoises?
5. Where are the shallow water dishes sunk into the ground? Tortoises need water. Dogs and dehydration are the top two killers of DTs. Are you soaking them several times a week in the summer heat?

Almost all of the care info you get from vets, websites, "experts" and government wildlife agencies is wrong. If followed, it will likely lead to their death. Here is the correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Read through this a couple of times, and then come back with all your questions.

 

[Tortoise Nana]

Thank you for all of the information. It is quit

You have a few problems there. I say this to be helpful, not to hurt your feelings. My goal is to keep your tortoises healthy and happy.

1. Tortoises should never be housed on sand or gravel. This is an impaction waiting to happen.
2. Their fence needs an opaque barrier at tortoise level. See through fences lead to injured or dead tortoises in most cases.
3. You are not seeing overt aggression like biting or ramming, but there is bullying going on. That is why one is half the size of the other. The small one is experiencing serious daily chronic stress. This reduces appetite, growth, and hampers the immune system. Its a living hell, and neither of them can ever relax this way. They need to be separated ASAP.
4. Has every plant in there been verified non-toxic and edible for tortoises?
5. Where are the shallow water dishes sunk into the ground? Tortoises need water. Dogs and dehydration are the top two killers of DTs. Are you soaking them several times a week in the summer heat?

Almost all of the care info you get from vets, websites, "experts" and government wildlife agencies is wrong. If followed, it will likely lead to their death. Here is the correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Read through this a couple of times, and then come back with all your questions.

 

[janetm]

I have pair of DT's which I inherited from my sister, siblings, now about 20 years old. One was always smaller than the other and I, too, thought nothing of it until I started noticing episodes of bullying--turning the other over, head bobbing, competition for food. I found Tortoise Forum then and learned about needing to separate them. We have done that and I have noticed significant growth in the smaller tortoise--she is now almost as big as her sister. Listen to these guys on Forum--they know what they are talking about.

 

[Tom]

Thank you for all of the information. It is quit

Hi @Tortoise Nana

I just finished finally typing this up last night, and wanted to share it with you:

Tom's Brumation Thread

Every fall we get bombarded here on the forum with all sorts of questions and problems regarding hibernation and tortoises "slowing down" for winter. The purpose of this thread is to talk about all aspects of this subject, to dispel some of the myths and mysteries, and give a "how to" list of...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Tortoise Nana]

I have pair of DT's which I inherited from my sister, siblings, now about 20 years old. One was always smaller than the other and I, too, thought nothing of it until I started noticing episodes of bullying--turning the other over, head bobbing, competition for food. I found Tortoise Forum then and learned about needing to separate them. We have done that and I have noticed significant growth in the smaller tortoise--she is now almost as big as her sister. Listen to these guys on Forum--they know what they are talking about.

I have pair of DT's which I inherited from my sister, siblings, now about 20 years old. One was always smaller than the other and I, too, thought nothing of it until I started noticing episodes of bullying--turning the other over, head bobbing, competition for food. I found Tortoise Forum then and learned about needing to separate them. We have done that and I have noticed significant growth in the smaller tortoise--she is now almost as big as her sister. Listen to these guys on Forum--they know what they are talking about.

Thanks. They will have to wait until next spring to be separated. I’m just the grandmother. My son can figure out how to separate them. There’s plenty of room in their habitat. I have to figure out how to cover the fencing around the habitat so they can’t see out. Ha Ha - One thing after another, just like toddlers. I have to get them secured for the winter. Luckily it doesn’t get too cold here in Las Vegas, Nevada

 

[Beasty_Artemis]

That doesn't seem nice

 

[Tortoise Nana]

That doesn't seem nice

I’m confused. What doesn’t seem nice?

 

[Beasty_Artemis]

Housing the two of them together