hibernating outdoors

KiwiSue

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Mar 19, 2017
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Colorado
I have made my small enclosed back yard which is about 30x20 feet my greek tortoises's enclosure. He tried hibernating last year,but the soil was too shallow. How deep do I need to make my mulch,so he can do this safely? I also bought a tortoise heating pad,but have heard varying opinions on this.
 

Yvonne G

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Clovis, CA
"They" say the tortoise needs to be able to dig down below the frost line, however deep that is.

I don't have Greeks, but I DO have Russians. I don't hibernate them outside because the winter is too wet here. I gather them all up, box them in shredded paper and place the boxes in a cool, dry, quiet area (I have an old, vacant house on the back of my property with chest type , not plugged in, freezers, and I place the boxes in there).

I DO allow my box turtles to hibernate outside. For them, I pile up a bunch of garden trash - a great big pile - and the turtles dig into the pile to hibernate.
 
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