Still bothered with this, HOWS DOES HIS LOOK

[LadyV]

OK..box inside of a bob, newspaper stuffed in the sides for insulation.....now, am I to shred LOTS of newspaper in the smaller box and put her in there to hibernate? Do they just naturally go into hibernation? I'm worried bout her. Last year she took off and did it on her own.

 

[Torty Mom]

That's how the senior members at my CTTC club do it! That's what I am planning unless I chicken out. One day I am ready for Lou to hibernate and the next day I am too sad and I will miss him too much! It's still in the low 80's high 70's here. He is really starting to slow down. We have not supplemented his diet for about a week now, it was still hot here last week. Are you scared? I am!!

 

[Laura]

you dont have to hibernate them....
my russian already went to bed..
my DT is still thinking about it...

 

[ascott]

No you do not have to brumate your tort.
If you do allow them to do what evolution has timed them to do, then yes, there are things you need to assist with....no supplemental food, offer plenty of water opportunities and a safe, cool, dry, still, secure place for their sleep....IMHO

At present my CDTs are still taking in as much of the remaining warm days as possible. I have not offered them any supplemental food at about 3 weeks ago....while they are in their yards they can snip a piece or two of turf and other minor remaining weeds but yesterday they snubbed nose at pansies and those are some of their favs....yet today they nibble just one each....so they do go through changes in route to their state of sleeping beauties....

Also, a note of comfort....if you are brumating them indoors, you always have access to them readily...which makes peeking in on their progress alot easier than if they were totally flying solo outdoors....a gentle foot touch every so often will allow you to hear their air blowing/hissing to assure it is still clear and not watery....you can peek for over all appearance, etc. then quietly go away and let them sleep.... IMHO that is....

 

[LadyV]

YES, I'm scared, I have had her a few years now, she has indoor hibernated herself since I have had her...last year however, she got out of her enclosure and I though she was gone forever....cried and cried, then spring came and there she was crawling in the back yard!!!! My plan was to put her in our shed outside...but maybe I should put here somewhere here in the house, our home is very small, gigantic back yard though, just hubby and I and I don't know if it would be cool enough inside. I was also thinking about out on front porch in a corner toward the house where I could also blanket around the box if it dipped down like it did last year, I'm in "northern" Arizona. We had a few days below 0 last year.

 

[ascott]

You will want to make certain that you do not allow her to be exposed to freezing temps for any prolonged period of time....they can suffer fatal results and if does survive can have medical issues thereafter...they can also suffer frozen eye and lose their eyesight...

so if you are going to be responsible for her brumation set up you will need to make certain that on the porch she has sufficient insulation surrounding her to make sure that she does not fall into the freezing temps....so cool to cold is aok...freezing not so good.... IMHO

You can also check temps and temp variations in your possible brumation choice spots...take a thermometer and place it where you would place her sleeping container and put a thermometer in the sleeping container and see what your temps are....variable is what you want to know...how much warmer in the box is it than outside of the box at the same time of day, etc. you see? (you will want to check the temps just before sun up as this is the coldest time of the day) and you can do this in the locations you are considering...then you will get a better feel for where may be the most successful... also take into account that if you use the front porch make certain that the spot you put her in is not in the path of rising sun which can add heat in a bad way....just a suggestion

 

[LadyV]

No...were not gonna do the porch.....Winslow winter are very windy and sometime wet.....the box may get wet...I'm gonna do the shed. The shed has two sections and hubby has the back section divided by think plastic, he uses the front part for his Jet and Train simulation PC games, so we can check her regularly. We have an old entertainment center in there and her box will fir in there perfectly! QUESTION.....hubby keeps insisting there should be dirt under all that shredded newspaper??????