some advise pls. (awoke prematurely from hibernation)

[Subersibo]

so my russian has been brumating the past couple of months. It's been raining hard the past few days and now the backyard is starting to flood. I got him just in time I think. He woke up because it was getting wet in his hide.
I have him in a box now after cleaning and drying him up. Should I just keep him awake and Soak him and provide heat or let him go back to brumating (in a box in the garage)?

Last year I just let him brumate in the garage and he came out sometime in March if I remember correctly.

 

[wellington]

I don't brumate my russian. However, just my opinion, I would keep him up as long as he usually wakes in March anyway. See what others say.

 

[Tom]

Where are you?

 

[Subersibo]

Elk Grove,CA. Says in the weather app it's gonna slowly become nice and sunny and warm after the rains (72-73) so I decided to give him a warm soak. I put him in a terrarium for the meantime with a bright light/basking. When the warm weather comes I plan to let him live outside again in his big, planted enclosure. Just have to make a few mods to make sure it doesn't flood in that area again.
Question: would he resume his brumating when I place him outside? Should I just regularly wake him if he does? Nighttime temps are in the 40's so he might think he wants to brumate again?

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I don't hibernate/brumate however you have it, at all, but I wouldn't put him back out. Think if he woke up, then just have him stay awake.
Maybe @Tom can come back and help you.

 

[Subersibo]

He's been going into his hide and just staying there. I have been continuing to offer him food but he doesn't seem interested yet. Probably still dazed after a long sleep. I gave him another warm soak yesterday. His basking spot is at 95, sometimes 100. Rest of the enclosure stays in the 80's during the day and mid 60's at night.

 

[Subersibo]

Yey! I placed some dandelion flowers and mallows in front of him and he started eating. A little sluggish still.

 

[ascott]

so my russian has been brumating the past couple of months. It's been raining hard the past few days and now the backyard is starting to flood. I got him just in time I think. He woke up because it was getting wet in his hide.
I have him in a box now after cleaning and drying him up. Should I just keep him awake and Soak him and provide heat or let him go back to brumating (in a box in the garage)?

Last year I just let him brumate in the garage and he came out sometime in March if I remember correctly.

I would have just moved him to the box/garage and let him resume his slumber until he came about on his own....but if you are going to wake him and force him to remain in warm/awake set up, then you will need to keep him warm and awake--bothering him will be necessary....again, if you are going to force wake him early.

 

[Millerlite]

He will probably stay up on his own. It's gunna get warm. I would just keep him up at this point. All my guys are up now. It's been spring weather here in so. Ca.

Kyle

 

[Subersibo]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I have been keeping him warm indoors and he's been eating well now. Been giving him warm soaks. I do have to dusturb him to get him out to eat as I'm pretty sure he'll stay in his hide if I dont.
I'll probably let him out for a bit today as its gonna be in the 70's here.

 

[Yvonne G]

Here's my take on the subject:

A tortoise has been in his hibernatorium most of the winter. This means his body is acclimated to being cold. He's cold clear through to the core. So the weather turns warm and the tortoise wakes up, but it was a freak warming trend and now it's cold again. In my opinion, this is quite ok. The tortoise is acclimated to being cold. I leave my tortoises outside. They will come out and sit in the sun, then go back into their shelter. If it rains, I block them in.

Just because a tortoise has awakened a bit early is no reason to panic. Just leave them alone. But make sure they have been able to get back into the shelter at night and protect them from the rain.

Once you bring them inside and warm them up, then you have to wait until for sure spring has arrived before you can put them back outside. It is not harmful for a tortoise to be outside when it's cold if he's been cold all winter.

 

[HLogic]

One note, if it has already eaten, it is probably not a good idea to allow it to return to brumation.

 

[Subersibo]

Ok thanks again, guys! I'll just keep him up but next year allow him to just wake up naturally like last year. I rearranged some in the backyard and didn't anticipate the flooding but fixed it now.
I was also concerned that the temps were in the 60's recently during the day and read that it would speed up his metabolism or something and if he stays brumating it might be dangerous.(something like that).