Help Me Pick my Next Species

[eminart]

So as not to hijack Dan's Chaco thread, I'll start a new one. Sometime in the probably not terribly close future, I'd like to get an outdoor tortoise. I'd like something that I could keep outside that would naturally hibernate in the cold months. I live in Northern Alabama where the temps don't get ridiculously cold. I know there are some species that are capable of this, but I'm not sure what they all are.

I believe russians are one possibility and I know I could always go with a native box turtle, but I'd really like something that gets a little larger - not BIG, but something in the medium range. Anybody have any suggestions or experience with a hardy species that could live naturally in a garden?

 

[gary27]

How about a Marginated Tortoise? That's what I picked for exactly the same reasons. I live in Louisiana and this is my first winter with this tortoise. I got it last May and it was 2 yrs old then. I had a redfoot last winter that I kept in my garage on cold nights, and all of January and February and I didn't want another one that couldn't take the cold.

 

[egyptiandan]

There are 4 species that would fit the bill. Russian, Greek, Hermanns and Marginated. The Greek would have to be a T.g. ibera and the Hermanns a T.h.boettgeri.
All 4 though would need to be covered or protected during the winter from getting wet and cold. Dry and cold is fine.
Russians would usually do a good job of digging in themselves, but the other 3 would need places to hibernate that you made for them.

Danny

 

[eminart]

Ah, choices! I like that. I was leaning toward a Hermanns when I found Poki, so that's definitely something I'd consider. I don't know much about marginated. They're the one's with the flared rear carapace, right?

What kind of place would I need to make for them to hibernate? What about if I dug a hole, filled it with....... mulch, maybe? and put a doghouse over it? Would that work? Or is there some better way?

 

[gary27]

I would be interested to hear how others hibernate their tortoises outside. I gave mine a couple of options, a wooden box with a concrete top and no bottom, a square box in the shape of a pipe with no bottom, a debris bile of leaves, and a short tunnel I dug under one wall and blocked so she couldn't dig out. So far all of them are used. I don't know which one the tort will decide to hibernate in. She seems to like to dig down in the dirt. I guess it's warmer.