Soaking during hibernation

[jhigh81]

My question is...necessary or unnecessary? I live in AZ so the temps are pretty mild. But we had a couple cold night this weekend, and Tortellini has burrowed himself in the ground. Last year when he did this, I unburied him and kept him in a box in the garage and soaked him every once in awhile until about February when I put him back outside.
This year I am contemplating leaving him outside all year, so do I need to unbury him and soak him? Last year he had dug himself quite far down. Thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

If you get very much rain during the winter, it is not advisable to allow your steppe tortoise to hibernate outside. Steppe tortoises that get wet while they're cold usually get sick and sometimes die. The very first winter I had steppe tortoises I let them stay outside for the winter. When they came up in the spring, only half of them came up. I never did find the other half. (I had 20 of them)

Some folks wake their hibernating tortoises up occasionally during the winter for a soak. I never do.

 

[biochemnerd808]

Tortellini is an AWESOME tort name!

Sounds like you already got good advice from an expert tort keeper.

My question is...necessary or unnecessary? I live in AZ so the temps are pretty mild. But we had a couple cold night this weekend, and Tortellini has burrowed himself in the ground. Last year when he did this, I unburied him and kept him in a box in the garage and soaked him every once in awhile until about February when I put him back outside.
This year I am contemplating leaving him outside all year, so do I need to unbury him and soak him? Last year he had dug himself quite far down. Thanks!