stormy situation

[starpython]

I live in NW Florida and since last night there's been heavy rains and lightening storms. I had a bad scare when the power went out for about an hour. It got me thinking.....what options are out there for emergency situations like this. If the weather was very cold and the power went out for an extended period of time, how would I keep my little tort warm?
I'm wondering if there are any battery operated heating devices or some such thing as that.
Any thoughts?? Has anyone ever been in that situation before?

 

[Tom]

Hot water bottles. I've used 5 gallon jugs for this. They also make those little disposable pocket hand warmers. Those would work for smaller torts. Personally, I keep a generator handy.

 

[Yvonne G]

Some people have generators that kick in when the power is out. If you just have one or two small tortoises, you can pack some hot water bottles in their habitat. Or there's a product called "Hot Hands" that's sold in sporting goods stores (or online). You break the chemical inside the pack and it heats up for a few hours.

 

[Laura]

I have a generator out in the barn.

 

[Shelly]

It won't hurt them to be cold for a day or 2.

 

[Shelli]

Good Question since a lot of people don't necessarily live in N.Florida where it isn't THAT cold,, imagine living in Ontario Canada in winter and you get a power outage...
My husband has a small unit that is basically like a surge protector that he plugs his CPAP machine into because we always have power outages at night..
It has battery backup so even though it is a small little unit it will continue to run low voltage appliances for up to 4 hours!!
Something like this in a cold climate could be very useful because it would just give them/you extra time to figure out a longer solution.

Lets say the power was off for a day or two and it was freezing temps... it would buy you some time, then I guess you could travel in a warm car to someone that does have a generator or still has power...

Good luck in your storm..

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I think that it CAN hurt them to be too cold for a day or two. I don't ever let my small tortoises get too cold. If it's below freezing outside for days at a time it can get pretty cold inside, colder then I want my babies to get. Just recently I didn't notice that a hatchling's black light bulb had burned out and he got too cold and, yep, he got an URTI from it and was pretty sick. I got him over it, but that's just one example of them getting too cold. Yes, I know I was an a** for allowing that to happen, but in my defense I was pretty sick at the time myself. Anyhow, he is just fine now, but I don't ever let my small tortoises get too cold. You can fill mayo jars with really hot water and wrap a towel around the jar so the tort doesn't get burned and that works pretty good. I have also used Hot Hands and swear by them.
If we are talking about bigger torts or adults that's a whole nuther jar of worms. I don't worry about them being too cold. I am specifically talking about hatchlings or small/young tortoises getting too cold.

 

[starpython]

Great suggestions everyone. Thanks for the tips. I'm probably just being an overprotective new tort mom, but you never know when you might need a plan B.

 

[Kristina]

I packed mine up last winter when the power was out and took them to a family member's house that still had power. The snake, however, was not allowed to visit, so I slept with him in my shirt to keep him warm