Requesting advice for an outdoor tortoise

[Joe Pepper]

Hey everyone, I'm planning on getting a Russian Tortoise before summer hits. I used to have one as a kid in a smaller tank. Looking back I feel bad for forcing him to live in a tank and wanted to do it proper this time (I eventually gave him to a friends mom who had rooms of reptiles and years of experience). I plan on building a pen outside for it but want some advice. I live in long island and my current plan is to make it's pen about 7 x 5 feet, although I can go bigger. I pretty much know how to set up the pen in regards to underground proofing and minimizing the risk of climbing out. My major question here is what should I do about winter? I know russian tortoise's can hibernate but would my climate on long island be suitable for it to survive winter or should i just move him inside when fall starts coming? and yes I'm ready to commit to years and years of caring for a tortoise.

 

[Yvonne G]

It has been my experience that if a russian tortoise is allowed to get wet while he's hibernating (actually called 'brumating') he's likely to die. So the first thing to think about is make sure his brumation area is dry during the winter. I like to bring them in to a cool, dry, quiet place to brumate. I built this on my car port:



It stays dry, and is kept from freezing with the insulation. After I put the tortoises in there, I fill it up with dried leaves and close the lid.

 

[Tom]

Hey everyone, I'm planning on getting a Russian Tortoise before summer hits. I used to have one as a kid in a smaller tank. Looking back I feel bad for forcing him to live in a tank and wanted to do it proper this time (I eventually gave him to a friends mom who had rooms of reptiles and years of experience). I plan on building a pen outside for it but want some advice. I live in long island and my current plan is to make it's pen about 7 x 5 feet, although I can go bigger. I pretty much know how to set up the pen in regards to underground proofing and minimizing the risk of climbing out. My major question here is what should I do about winter? I know russian tortoise's can hibernate but would my climate on long island be suitable for it to survive winter or should i just move him inside when fall starts coming? and yes I'm ready to commit to years and years of caring for a tortoise.

I think the best way to do it is to have both an indoor and an outdoor enclosure. Use the outdoor one when the weather is suitable, and bring the tortoise inside when it isn't. This gives you and the tortoise the best of both worlds. Leaving the tortoise outside in winter, subject to the cruel whims of Mother Nature, often results in death. Indoor, controlled temperature hibernation is the way to go.

I'd go a little bigger with the outside enclosure if possible.