Setting up for Hibernation

MildredsMommy

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Hello All-we are finishing up the outdoor enclosure for our newly adopted Texas Tort. I know I will need a secure house and some leaf litter-can anyone please advise what all else I would need to stock the enclosure with to make sure she has a safe hibernation? Also, if she has a scute missing from what appears to be a very old injury in which bone shows thru, is she still safe to hibernate? I am super nervous as I have never done this before. Please help-I know everyone is very busy but I dont seem to get more than one reply when I ask-which make me feel as if I am "bugging" everyone with dumb questions, but how else do you learn?? :(
 

Yvonne G

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My desert tortoises and texas tortoises all hibernate outside, however, they are inside their houses, which are dry and safe from freezing. Make sure where you want the tortoise to hibernate is going to be dry in the rain. If the tortoise is allowed to get wet while its cold, it will die. You can either pack the house with shredded newspaper or dry leaves. Either works fine.

The injured part of the shell is an old injury and won't be a cause for concern. Eventually new keratin will grow under that white spot and the white spot will flake off. But this takes a very long time.
 

MildredsMommy

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Yvonne G said:
My desert tortoises and texas tortoises all hibernate outside, however, they are inside their houses, which are dry and safe from freezing. Make sure where you want the tortoise to hibernate is going to be dry in the rain. If the tortoise is allowed to get wet while its cold, it will die. You can either pack the house with shredded newspaper or dry leaves. Either works fine.

The injured part of the shell is an old injury and won't be a cause for concern. Eventually new keratin will grow under that white spot and the white spot will flake off. But this takes a very long time.

Thanks Yvonne-I do have a wooden house made for a stray cat initially-it has held up thru many a storm while staying dry-would that be okay if it is packed with newspaper/leaves and the entrance is covered? Its on little legs that are about an inch and a half off the ground so it will need a slight ramp-although I thought that might be beneficial if it rains.
 

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That sounds fine. And if you can place it under some sort of cover/protection like on the patio or back porch, even better.
 

ascott

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And if you are using it for brumation then I think adding the ramp can wait till spring :p:p

I personally would also make sure that you can get to the tort rather readily incase your concern gets the best of you for the first time round (it has been known to happen)---you may want to be able to check on her by peeking in on her once or twice during that time without disturbing her...just sayin :D
 

MildredsMommy

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ascott said:
And if you are using it for brumation then I think adding the ramp can wait till spring :p:p

I personally would also make sure that you can get to the tort rather readily incase your concern gets the best of you for the first time round (it has been known to happen)---you may want to be able to check on her by peeking in on her once or twice during that time without disturbing her...just sayin :D

Thank you-I did see where some of the posts about hibernation said to block the turtle in-would I actually COVER the door to keep her from getting out/another critter getting in? I also read about letting them hibernate inside? I tell ya when it comes to these little stinkers you learn something new everyday!! lol
 

ascott

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I live in the High Desert of California and during the winter it can go a few ways....freezing temps---freezing temps with torrents of rain---freezing temps with rain followed up by snow----oh wait, or cool and sunny with no rain in sight....

However, some of the men folk here have been out minding their own business brumating when the freezing and freezing with torrents of rain have taken place and had to be rescued...so now here we brumate indoors...they each have their own rubbermaid tote (tall ones) and fluffy cotton towels or my sons old cotton tshirts layered in the bottom to provide a soft buffer and material to dig into...then tortoise applied to said set up...the entire rubbermaid crew is then placed into the dark cool dry quiet closet of an add on to the house (prior life was attached garage) and vents for heating closed off to that room...this is where they rest until the weather warms up consistently and they start a bumping in there letting me know it is time....this is just what works for here and so we do it this way...

Also, have you done or are you doing now the wind down to brumation time?
 

MildredsMommy

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ascott said:
I live in the High Desert of California and during the winter it can go a few ways....freezing temps---freezing temps with torrents of rain---freezing temps with rain followed up by snow----oh wait, or cool and sunny with no rain in sight....

However, some of the men folk here have been out minding their own business brumating when the freezing and freezing with torrents of rain have taken place and had to be rescued...so now here we brumate indoors...they each have their own rubbermaid tote (tall ones) and fluffy cotton towels or my sons old cotton tshirts layered in the bottom to provide a soft buffer and material to dig into...then tortoise applied to said set up...the entire rubbermaid crew is then placed into the dark cool dry quiet closet of an add on to the house (prior life was attached garage) and vents for heating closed off to that room...this is where they rest until the weather warms up consistently and they start a bumping in there letting me know it is time....this is just what works for here and so we do it this way...

Also, have you done or are you doing now the wind down to brumation time?

AScott my friend, until I started reading I didnt even know what Brumation was!! lol. I have had her since last Thursday and have managed to get her outside a few days while sunny (she seems to HATE indoors). She has eaten since I have had her-but not all that was offered, just a bite here and there. I have been soaking her and she is pooping fine-I can keep her indoors-just unsure and confused-:D
 

ascott

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OOOO, I see...well, with the new info (her just moving in with you and all) I would say to try your best to keep her awake for this winter; you see, when a tort is relocated they are generally a bit stressed, stress is silent in the way it can affect the over all health of a tort...and if you have a tort that is working through a stressful time, their immune system can be less than their 100%....and that is not the best time/situation to let a tort brumate....brumation is a time when their immune system and all slows down--so the stress can creep up to become an issue....now, this is not to say that all torts are so stressed they can not survive brumation, lots do survive...but I would rather encourage one to thrive instead....

Also, I personally would not allow a species that brumates to do so within the first year of it arriving in a new home....this is a tortoise, they live slow----they can be sick and hide the symptoms very well under that layer of slow....so this first year is so important, it is the time you will get to know this torts "normal" and the time he will get to be adjusted to not only his new home but to the schedule of the human care giver....I am in no way trying to tell you what to do...I am just sharing my thoughts here....and you know what your set up is and can be there where you are...so you will need to make your routine up as you go, you know what I mean?

How large is she? May we see a pic of her, have you already posted a pic of her and I just missed it?


I just went and looked at your other threads...I stand corrected for any
"she" reference :p I should have said "he"...

I am thrown by the really pronounced spikes on the front legs, yes, a texan can have a bit larger ones that the Californian but they just seem really large--perhaps it is simply that they are lighter in color ? hmmm?

You said this guy was found trucking past a school? are their open fields on either side or behind the school where this guy could have come /going to? I find his shell really smooth and wonder how long, if at all, captive/escaped from someones yard? Although the light color would mean he was not in the sun very often (usually anyways)....hmmm this is cool.

Anyways, I would still suggest keeping him up for this winter, getting to know him (as he can not say where he came from), since he is not too large keeping him indoors on cool days and allowing him out when there is sunny days would be what I would do....again, you will need to do what is appropriate on your end...:D
 

Yvonne G

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This is a very good post. (Insert the "thumbs up" symbol here)
 

MildredsMommy

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Thank you SO much for the information, Angela & Yvonne :D So it appears to be a male? (I was told female initally-back to the drawing board on names!). He seems to HATE being inside, so being in Texas, I will make sure to put him out every day and bring him in at night. (It doesnt start getting "cool" here until mid November). In the meantime I will take the baby pool he is now in and combine it with another so he will have the maximum space. I do think he was someone's pet (I have been searching for lost/founds here) because he is very docile-and LOVES to soak. (quite the pooper-lol). He seems to love spring mix and has the sweetest little face. Alrighty then, my new plan of action is to keep him up all winter to make sure he is ok with day trips outside. My house stays above 70 in the winter-will he need a CHI or do you think he will be okay at night? My RF has a CHE but my ornate does not. The guest room they live in stays VERY toasty in the winter. Sorry for rambling!!! ~Roxanne


Yvonne G said:
This is a very good post. (Insert the "thumbs up" symbol here)

Yvonne-I grabbed a big bag of Cypress Mulch from Home Depot yesterday (Its labeled "no float" and ingredients listed are Cypress & other forest bedding). Is this okay substrate or should I do a repti bark or top soil mixture?
 

ascott

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Awesome.....I have a tort here that was turned over to me as he was one of many a lady had been removing from the desert and while he is by far the fastest of any CDT I have personally encountered...he also will soak and drink and will follow me about like we are old friends....now, watch out if male and male of this pleasant natured species encounters one another--instant vicious gladiators for sure....each of the men folk here have their own yards and this is the first reason why....

They are a very endearing species for their pleasant and what appears to be trusting nature (I know you have a texan and I am referring to a Californian but the core is similar)....:D

How about naming him Big Tex.....lol....:rolleyes:
 

MildredsMommy

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ascott said:
Awesome.....I have a tort here that was turned over to me as he was one of many a lady had been removing from the desert and while he is by far the fastest of any CDT I have personally encountered...he also will soak and drink and will follow me about like we are old friends....now, watch out if male and male of this pleasant natured species encounters one another--instant vicious gladiators for sure....each of the men folk here have their own yards and this is the first reason why....

They are a very endearing species for their pleasant and what appears to be trusting nature (I know you have a texan and I am referring to a Californian but the core is similar)....:D

How about naming him Big Tex.....lol....:rolleyes:

LOL Cute! :) when I come into the room sometimes he is "sitting" up looking over the side of the pool like "Um Hey lady! Over here!" lol. hopefully by extending his space he will be less ancey.
 
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