daveyjones1972
New Member
Hello all! My exotics vet has recently suggested that they recommend people do not brumate their captive tortoises.
I have a Mojave Desert Tortoise. He lives on my back porch—which is quite large. We are in Southern California, so it rarely drops below 40 degrees (although last winter I kept his house at 50 degrees minimum using the pig blanket and a ceramic heat emitter.) He has two dog houses. One is a small dog house with some hay in it, the other is a large dog house with a temperature controlled environment. He has a pig blanket, ceramic heat emitter and a basking bulb.
He’s an adult Mojave Desert Tortoise and in good health. His previous owner had him for about eight years and I’ve had him for going on two. The vet thinks he’s about twenty.
Based on the vets suggestion, I was thinking of not brumating him this year. Are there any negatives to going this route? If not, and I choose to not brumate would I simply keep the temperatures inside his house like it’s summer?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks!
I have a Mojave Desert Tortoise. He lives on my back porch—which is quite large. We are in Southern California, so it rarely drops below 40 degrees (although last winter I kept his house at 50 degrees minimum using the pig blanket and a ceramic heat emitter.) He has two dog houses. One is a small dog house with some hay in it, the other is a large dog house with a temperature controlled environment. He has a pig blanket, ceramic heat emitter and a basking bulb.
He’s an adult Mojave Desert Tortoise and in good health. His previous owner had him for about eight years and I’ve had him for going on two. The vet thinks he’s about twenty.
Based on the vets suggestion, I was thinking of not brumating him this year. Are there any negatives to going this route? If not, and I choose to not brumate would I simply keep the temperatures inside his house like it’s summer?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks!
