Still having REALLY HARD TIME hibernating DTs...

[armandoarturo]

Hi everyone!
I hope everyone is doing great!
I've been away for a month or so... you know how rushy it gets these days...

The thing is......... ..
Is anyone still having problems with DT hibernation?
I've never had so much trouble like this year.
The weather down here in Sonora Mexico its not cold AT ALL!
Days are still warm and sunny outside....
MY tortoises used to be brumating by novemeber back on time, Now... its december 21st And still active!

What keeps me more worried its that they are awake, and come outside their burrow and hidden boxes but they cant really eat..

Any suggestions, advices?
anyone having the same problem?
hows the weather up there in AZ and CA?
Thanks everyone =)
cheers!! (Y)

 

[Yvonne G]

I really don't think you have to worry about it. They aren't "burning calories" they're just sitting around enjoying the sun.

 

[armandoarturo]

do you think so??
What worries me is that they do walk around...
And like I said, its the first time that has happened to me.
Also, what worries me most, its to think what the weather will be like from now on, and how will this affect in the wild population

 

[Torty Mom]

I was wondering where you have been!

I gave up trying to hibernate my boxie, he would totally go to sleep and then a few days later it was hot, so I gave up.

No one is hibernating at my house this year!!

 

[Tom]

All of my animals went down. The concrete floor in my garage stays pretty cold, even if we have a warm spell. My big girl tegu gets up and walks around a little once in a while, but she's still pretty groggy when she does. Everything else is sleeping peacefully. I wish I could just hibernate the winter away. Just go from summer to summer every year. If I ever get rich, I'm buying some property in the Southern hemisphere and doing just that.

I think yours are probably just fine if they are outside and regulating themselves down in Mexico. How cold is the coldest low?

 

[armandoarturo]

Well.. I cant really make them to skip hibernation, since they are outside
its just that the cold weather its taking too long to arrive!
couple of days ago was 25 - 30 Celsius...
I was checking up on them all day long, and they were all active!!!
I was going crazy because in here... (my house) my garden in this season its full of flowers
and well... I spent all day long keeping the tortoises away from them.. you know how insistent they get to be.
It looks like finally the cold weather its just about to start... this day was a little bit colder.. (crosses fingers)

 

[Madortoise]

My Penelope is sound asleep now. She was in her burrow until all the rains and we dug her out and put her in a little rubbermaid container w/substrate, tucked inside the house near my gecko tanks. She went down around Christmas last year also. It supposed to be sunny tomorrow but low 60s...I feel like I didn't get to play w/her as much this summer I miss her already...Go ahead and enjoy your active tortoises for me!

 

[Jermosh]

The ones at the sanctuary have been awake and moving about as well. Thats in Northern Phoenix.

 

[Tom]

Tortoises really don't "hibernate". They just sort of rest and wait for warmer weather. Down in MX they just aren't going to have as much cold weather to wait through. Since they occur there naturally and you are housing them outdoors with natural burrows in a large enclosure, they are probably just fine.

 

[armandoarturo]

I know they dont hibernate.. actually they brumate...
And like you say, in here we dont get much cold, but still we do get some...
this year, the cold weather took too long to arrive... my tortoises used to be completly inactive by november or middle of november...
now... its december 25 and they finally look to be getting more inactive.
Its not that I dont want them out... this has never happened to me...

Jermosh, I heard that it was cold up there in arizona.... I wonder why those tortoises are still active.
...or is it still warm enough up there?

 

[dustytrailzz]

I'm in Phoenix and my
DT went to sleep early this year! Out by early November.... Its been really chilly here this year--even got a bit of snow!

 

[armandoarturo]

Yes!, some friends told me about that!
Well.... im not worried anymore x)
days are finally getting colder and colder...
The cold weather took too long to arrive.... it arrived around december 22nd...
Tortoises are finally completely inactive and inside the burrow.
some others are inside their hibernation box, and they are inactive too.

dusty, where does your DT hibernates?

 

[armandoarturo]

wow... now its has been really cold down here!
I heard that its because of a cold wave coming down from arizona...
hahaha.. it might sound weird but every time I get really cold... instead of complaining, I think.... yay! this is going to be great for the brumation time. xD
It always worries me that temperatures outside were not cold enough this winter meanwhile my tortoises where brumating.

This specific forum (Noth American genus Gopherus) has been Soooooooooo quiet.
lets see what happens around april.... lots of posts every day!
anyways... hows everyone doing ?
is there anyone awake?

 

[Shelly]

My outdoor torts have been sleeping since November. My turtles bask a little on sunny days, but are mostly inactive as well.