Hibernating indoors

[Kristina]

If everything goes well health wise this summer with my Russians and my Box turtle, I want to attempt to hibernate them.

My plan is to hibernate indoors, at about 40*F, in small plastic shoe boxes lined with paper or some other material. Should I hibernate them totally dry, or use a substrate that can be moistened very slightly? I know cold/damp usually equals death, and I am most confused on that point, because the soil wouldn't be TOTALLY dry if they were burrowed....

I am thinking to do this first attempt for a month. I will purchase a dorm sized refrigerator to keep them in.

Now, as to bringing on the actual hibernation - I am thinking to do a 2-4 week fasting period this fall, and let them remain outdoors while temperatures begin to naturally fall towards the 40* mark. Is this the way I should go about it?

I'll be honest, I am scared spitless, but I think in the long run it will be the best for them. Once I am not so scared I can try longer periods. I know it is way early to be worried about hibernation, but I want to know as much as I can and prepare beforehand.

 

[terryo]

Why do you think that hibernating them will be the best for them? I don't know anything about Russians, so can't comment about that. I don't put my boxies out to hibernate until they are 3 or 4 years old. I know lots of people who don't hibernate them at all. I have had some that I never put out to hibernate and they did just fine too. If the temp. dropped to 40 degrees mine would already be buried in the leaf pile.

 

[Yvonne G]

Russians - dry box turtles - moist leaves

 

[Kristina]

I don't want to start a debate based on whether hibernation is needed or not. I have read many conflicting reports, and I have decided that based on what I have read that hibernating would be the best.

I understand that they would be wanting to hibernate at 40*, what I am wondering is how to lower the temperature correctly. I am pretty sure I can't just slam them in the fridge, lol. I don't think it would work to hibernate the Russians outdoors because our winters are VERY cold and VERY wet. At any rate, I don't want to risk it.

I read one article where the tortoise was fasted for 4 weeks, and as she was fasted she was soaked daily and the wattage of her heat lamp was slowly lowered, lowering temp. At it's coolest my house only gets down to 68*, so I didn't think that would be cool enough to make them start thinking about hibernating, which is why I was asking about leaving them outside as it cools off. The pens are elevated for drainage, so they can't dig down where I can't get to them, at any rate.

 

[terryo]

I'm not debating with you, I was just wondering why you thought it was best. I've never done the fridge thing so can't help with that.

 

[Yvonne G]

My Russians and desert tortoises all live outside. When the days start getting obviously shorter, they usually stop eating on their own. I leave them outside until I don't see them coming out of their hides anymore. At that time I gather them up and put them away to hibernate.

I leave the box turtles outside. Once they've all gone under the leaf pile, I will pile up more leaves and garden trash on top of it. Sometimes they'll come out on winter days when the sun is particularly warm, but most of the time they stay in until the night time temps are consistently above 50 degrees in March or so.

 

[Kristina]

How cold does it typically get where you are Yvonne? My winters involve feet and feet of snow and temps down to -20... I don't think I'll see them sitting out on sunny days, lol!!! I know the wild ones here do it, but I would just be worried that they would not dig down far enough and would freeze solid.

 

[terryo]

I'm in NY and we have very severe winters here. In my old boxie pen I had a higher section that I loosen the soil, mixed with peat moss, down to about 2 feet, then on top of that I added about another 2 feet of leaf litter. The sides were built up with bricks and I put a large piece of slate on top that formed a cave. We have plenty of snow here too. In the summer I leave the leaf pile there so if it's too hot they can just dig under. This type of hibernation worked for me for 20 years. My Dad did the same thing with his old boxie who lived for well over 60 years. I know there are some people on another forum, that do the fridge thing with no problem. I hope you have luck with yours too.

 

[James H]

Kristina,

Have you thought about just putting them into a garage or a closet that is aginst a outside wall. I have mountain kingsnakes that I have to get down to the mid 40's to get good eggs and I usually just put them in a closet or out in the garage. I will take the tubs they are in and insulate the bottoms and sides and put a therometer on the so that I can monitor the temps. I have even used heating cables on a therostate set at 45 in the past with sucess. I could see where some rubbermaid tubs half full of soil and half full of leaves with the bottoms and sides insulated would probably be a good setup.

 

[Kristina]

That is a good idea, but I don't have a garage With temperature fluctuations, I think under ground or in a fridge would be more stable and safer.

 

[Yvonne G]

Someone on this forum said that box turtles has a sort of "anti-freeze" that keeps them safe from freezing. I know that someone else on the forum has said that they hibernate their Russians outside and it snows where he lives. However, if your winters are very wet, I wouldn't chance leaving the Russians outside. They seem to not be able to tolerate cold/wet.

 

[Jacqui]

I usually leave all my box turtles outside to hibernate naturally (in Nebraska). My Russians are brought in when they slow/stop eating and are starting to dig down deep. I no longer hibernate the Russians inside during the winter. That said, I did hibernate them in the fridge and it worked well.

My friend Shelly wrote this years ago:
http://russiantortoise.net/hibernation_journey.htm

It might help you. I
f you would like her email addy, I can give that to you also. Interesting note, I think Shelly has now stopped totally (or close to it) hibernating any of her Russians.

Jacqui

 

[Kristina]

That is one of the papers that I read, I think I found it on chelonia.org

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I think I am going to give it a shot, but for just a few weeks, not an extended period of time.