I hate to admit it on a gorgeous, 85-degree July day when Gomez is stretched out napping under his plywood sun shade and Morticia is dozing under her favorite corner hibiscus plant, but I am starting to think about winter.
This will be our first winter with our juvenile CDTs, who are about 6" (Gomez) and 5" (Morticia). Prior to our adopting them in April, they lived indoors 24/7. Since the last week in June, they have been living outdoors 24/7. Knock on wood they seem healthy and happy, but since this is our first winter together, I'd prefer not to let them brumate.
My tentative plan is to over-winter them, with nights and the rare cold/rainy days spent in Rubbermaids in our backyard shed and warm days spent outside. I have a few questions:
1) What kind of heat source should I get -- a space heater for the shed, CHEs for each Rubbermaid, both, something else? The shed is electrified but not well insulated. The Rubbermaids will be up off the ground -- on metal shelves. This being Southern California, I don't expect it to be too hard to keep it warm and cozy in there.
2) What kinds of temperatures should I be maintaining for them? (Bearing in mind we have lots of of 80-plus-degree winter days here in the San Fernando Valley).
3) How should the frequency of soaks and feeding change? Right now they get 2-3 soaks a week and as much food as they want (weeds, grass, spring mix, flowers, hibiscus leaves, etc.). They also get calcium twice a week.
3) I understand that they may start to brumate regardless of our efforts to keep them up. My experience with torts so far has been that when they want to sleep, not much is stopping them. Is there anything we can or should do in that circumstance?
Thanks in advance for any help and advice. I know many of you out there have been through many successful winters with your CDTs and I'd love to hear about it.
Oh and here are a few pix of the shed:
This will be our first winter with our juvenile CDTs, who are about 6" (Gomez) and 5" (Morticia). Prior to our adopting them in April, they lived indoors 24/7. Since the last week in June, they have been living outdoors 24/7. Knock on wood they seem healthy and happy, but since this is our first winter together, I'd prefer not to let them brumate.
My tentative plan is to over-winter them, with nights and the rare cold/rainy days spent in Rubbermaids in our backyard shed and warm days spent outside. I have a few questions:
1) What kind of heat source should I get -- a space heater for the shed, CHEs for each Rubbermaid, both, something else? The shed is electrified but not well insulated. The Rubbermaids will be up off the ground -- on metal shelves. This being Southern California, I don't expect it to be too hard to keep it warm and cozy in there.
2) What kinds of temperatures should I be maintaining for them? (Bearing in mind we have lots of of 80-plus-degree winter days here in the San Fernando Valley).
3) How should the frequency of soaks and feeding change? Right now they get 2-3 soaks a week and as much food as they want (weeds, grass, spring mix, flowers, hibiscus leaves, etc.). They also get calcium twice a week.
3) I understand that they may start to brumate regardless of our efforts to keep them up. My experience with torts so far has been that when they want to sleep, not much is stopping them. Is there anything we can or should do in that circumstance?
Thanks in advance for any help and advice. I know many of you out there have been through many successful winters with your CDTs and I'd love to hear about it.
Oh and here are a few pix of the shed:
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