Tortoise talk about my habitats, Russian tortoise breeding, subspecies etc.

[biochemnerd808]

I had the honor of being the guest for last month's Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group's 'Meet the Member' Live talk.

I got to show off my outdoor tortoise habitats, we talked about feeding and breeding Russian tortoises, and we about genetic testing, too.
TTPG Meet the Member with Katie Bradley

Here is also a short video where I talk about how I keep my tortoises safe from predators and from extreme heat here in rural central Arkansas:
Outdoor Russian tortoise habitats in Central AR

Thought you might enjoy watching those. I hope it's OK to post - it's specifically about Russian tortoises, so I put it here, but if admins want to move it, that's alright too.

 

[wellington]

Nicely done.
Threw me for a loop. Didn't realize you were a female.
Really like your enclosures.

 

[S2G]

I enjoyed your vids. Finally someone in a similar environment as me. I wish i thought about that cooler hide. Id like to hear more about your brumating process though. Do you have any threads anywhere?

 

[biochemnerd808]

Nicely done.
Threw me for a loop. Didn't realize you were a female.
Really like your enclosures.

That's funny! Yep, last time I checked, I was female.
To be fair, the tortoise world seems to be dominated by guys... but we lady nerds do exist!

 

[biochemnerd808]

I enjoyed your vids. Finally someone in a similar environment as me. I wish i thought about that cooler hide. Id like to hear more about your brumating process though. Do you have any threads anywhere?

Heyyyy, AL is pretty close!

Here is an OLD blog post I wrote back when we still lived in WA. There, it was too wet to brumate outside, so I brumated my RTs in a fridge. https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/blog-post-about-our-fridge-brumation-hibernation.83334/ I have since changed my method somewhat, but this gives you an idea.

Here in AR, we not only have too much rain during the winter, but the temps can fluctuate from 60 degrees F to -2 degrees F within a week. Which means if I brumated outside, the tortoises could come up to the surface on a sunny day and then freeze to death.

Since it stays above freezing here until usually mid November, the wind-down to brumation just happens in their outdoor habitats (no longer in the garage like it did in WA). I keep an eye on the weather, so if temps are going to drop below freezing, I bring them in sooner. But the past years it didn't, so I just moved them from outside to their fridge bins on Nov 15.

I have changed the following:
- After running the fridge (no freezer!) and adjusting the temp until it consistently stays around 4 degrees C (39 degrees F), I use an Inkbird ITC hot/cold thermostat to MAKE SURE the fridge doesn't freeze. It cuts off electricity if temps go below 3 degrees and alarms if it goes below 2.
- I use plastic bins with air holes drilled around the upper edge. I put nearly dry (very slightly moist) coconut coir in them. I run the fridge with the full bins (no tortoises yet) for about a week. If a lot of moisture beads up under the lid, you wipe it off. RTs need it a little dryer (but not bone dry!) than Hermanni or Greek
- Be sure the bins don't touch any of the walls or the back of the fridge, to avoid contact freeze.
- I weigh the tortoises before putting them in the bins and write down the weight. I take pics, too, from all angles.
- Once they are in the bins (1 or 2 per bin), I put some dry oak leaves on them and then the lid. The oak leaves help regulate the moisture. Oak leaves don't get moldy (usually).
- Once a week I reach into the coir and touch each tortoise's foreleg. This tests their reflexes - they should pull the leg away slowly. As long as they do this, I let them be.
- I brumate from Nov 15 until Mar 15. I check everyone visually and weigh them on Jan 15 and Feb 15. As of yet, I have never lost a tortoise to brumation.
- Waking up: I aim for Mar 15, but if there is sun before or after that day, I adjust. I get the tortoise out of the fridge in the evening before and place them in the habitat. This way, they warm up slowly and they don't experience shock. Then, the next morning, I make sure they are either under the lamp basking, or in the sun basking. I let them do their thing. The habitat is overgrown with weeds by this time, so they can help themselves to food. I make sure they are basking again in the afternoon. Most are eating by then, some wait another day. On day 2 and 3 I soak them each in lukewarm water for 30 mins. This kickstarts their digestion, and after that, it's been business as usual.

 

[SinLA]

That's funny! Yep, last time I checked, I was female.
To be fair, the tortoise world seems to be dominated by guys... but we lady nerds do exist!

LOL, I assume people on here are female unless presented as otherwise. Just like tortoises, I guess!

 

[jaizei]

'keeps the big stuff out'

Really underselling it. Have you encountered/been made aware of bears in your immediate area, or is it just precautionary?

 

[biochemnerd808]

'keeps the big stuff out'

Really underselling it. Have you encountered/been made aware of bears in your immediate area, or is it just precautionary?

There are definitely bears in our area, and grey foxes (which can climb trees!) and bobcats, and coyotes. And raccoon and skunks and possums. And the rats here are the size of rabbits, they're huge. We have personally seen all but the bobcats live, but saw a roadkill bobcat within a mile of our house. The previous owners of our place had their bee boxes raided by bears several times (caught on trail cam), and we saw a bear cross the road in front of our car just downhill from our house. We are in the BOONIES. National forest on 2 sides, 30 min drive from town through a whole lot of forest and nature. Gorgeous... we love it... but there are SO MANY critters.

And unfortunately, sometimes packs of escaped or abandoned dogs that run around the forest looking for food.

 

[Tom]

There are definitely bears in our area, and grey foxes (which can climb trees!) and bobcats, and coyotes. And raccoon and skunks and possums. And the rats here are the size of rabbits, they're huge. We have personally seen all but the bobcats live, but saw a roadkill bobcat within a mile of our house. The previous owners of our place had their bee boxes raided by bears several times (caught on trail cam), and we saw a bear cross the road in front of our car just downhill from our house. We are in the BOONIES. National forest on 2 sides, 30 min drive from town through a whole lot of forest and nature. Gorgeous... we love it... but there are SO MANY critters.

And unfortunately, sometimes packs of escaped or abandoned dogs that run around the forest looking for food.

Sounds like my neighborhood!

Do you have bees too, or did those leave with the previous owner? I bet that honey is amazing! The best honey I've ever tasted was from Georgia. I'll bet honey from the wild woods of Arkansas is just as good or better.

 

[biochemnerd808]

Sounds like my neighborhood!

Do you have bees too, or did those leave with the previous owner? I bet that honey is amazing! The best honey I've ever tasted was from Georgia. I'll bet honey from the wild woods of Arkansas is just as good or better.

We have a bee box set up, but as of right now, don't have bees in it. We were hoping some might move in spontaneously... but alas, we likely need to go GET some.
Arkansas honey is amazing. We get some from friends who live a few miles from us (to be fair, everyone lives a few miles from us... because... boonies). Bees seem to do well here because nobody sprays out here where there's nothing but forest and a few cow fields. Further north, there are almost no bees, because the rice crops are treated with a lot of pesticides.

 

[Tom]

We have a bee box set up, but as of right now, don't have bees in it. We were hoping some might move in spontaneously... but alas, we likely need to go GET some.
Arkansas honey is amazing. We get some from friends who live a few miles from us (to be fair, everyone lives a few miles from us... because... boonies). Bees seem to do well here because nobody sprays out here where there's nothing but forest and a few cow fields. Further north, there are almost no bees, because the rice crops are treated with a lot of pesticides.

I love "free bees"! Most of my colonies were removals and a couple of swarms. I'm out in the country too. No agriculture or farming near here either. My honey is all from wildflowers, cactus flowers, CA pepper trees, eucalyptus trees and that sort of stuff.

The swarms here have chosen to ignore my "swarm traps" but I did have a huge swarm move into some of my empty hive boxes that were left sitting outside for a time. I went down to the bottom of my ranch where the empties were all sitting and the entrance was facing away from me through a fence. I started grabbing boxes to put into the back of my truck, no PPE on mind you, and quickly realized squatters had moved into my spare hive boxes! That banana smell is even more pungent when its not through a veil! I set them up with frames and a feeder with some sugar water, and that is now one of my strongest hives. I did my first Demaree split on them this year and just pulled a bunch of their early season honey frames for extraction.

 

[biochemnerd808]

I love "free bees"! Most of my colonies were removals and a couple of swarms. I'm out in the country too. No agriculture or farming near here either. My honey is all from wildflowers, cactus flowers, CA pepper trees, eucalyptus trees and that sort of stuff.

The swarms here have chosen to ignore my "swarm traps" but I did have a huge swarm move into some of my empty hive boxes that were left sitting outside for a time. I went down to the bottom of my ranch where the empties were all sitting and the entrance was facing away from me through a fence. I started grabbing boxes to put into the back of my truck, no PPE on mind you, and quickly realized squatters had moved into my spare hive boxes! That banana smell is even more pungent when its not through a veil! I set them up with frames and a feeder with some sugar water, and that is now one of my strongest hives. I did my first Demaree split on them this year and just pulled a bunch of their early season honey frames for extraction.

That sounds amazing!

 

[Tom]

That sounds amazing!

I didn't mean to hijack you thread with bee talk!

Do you go to the TTPG conference?

 

[biochemnerd808]

I didn't mean to hijack you thread with bee talk!

Do you go to the TTPG conference?

I didn't feel hijacked. Tortoises take detours, too. Sometimes they find unexpected dandelions.

I haven't been able to go so far. I'm primary driver for my kids, who go to school in the city (30 mins drive). So disappearing for 3 weekdays hasn't been feasible. BUT, it might be possible in 2025.
Do you go?

 

[Tom]

Do you go?

Every year. Lunch is on me if you can make it. But I'm going to warn you ahead of time... We are all going to talk about tortoises. A lot.

 

[biochemnerd808]

Every year. Lunch is on me if you can make it. But I'm going to warn you ahead of time... We are all going to talk about tortoises. A lot.

Great. Because I plan to talk about tortoises, a lot, too!

 

[iliketurtlez]

wow, your outdoor habitats look amazing!

 

[S2G]

Heyyyy, AL is pretty close!

Here is an OLD blog post I wrote back when we still lived in WA. There, it was too wet to brumate outside, so I brumated my RTs in a fridge. https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/blog-post-about-our-fridge-brumation-hibernation.83334/ I have since changed my method somewhat, but this gives you an idea.

Here in AR, we not only have too much rain during the winter, but the temps can fluctuate from 60 degrees F to -2 degrees F within a week. Which means if I brumated outside, the tortoises could come up to the surface on a sunny day and then freeze to death.

Since it stays above freezing here until usually mid November, the wind-down to brumation just happens in their outdoor habitats (no longer in the garage like it did in WA). I keep an eye on the weather, so if temps are going to drop below freezing, I bring them in sooner. But the past years it didn't, so I just moved them from outside to their fridge bins on Nov 15.

I have changed the following:
- After running the fridge (no freezer!) and adjusting the temp until it consistently stays around 4 degrees C (39 degrees F), I use an Inkbird ITC hot/cold thermostat to MAKE SURE the fridge doesn't freeze. It cuts off electricity if temps go below 3 degrees and alarms if it goes below 2.
- I use plastic bins with air holes drilled around the upper edge. I put nearly dry (very slightly moist) coconut coir in them. I run the fridge with the full bins (no tortoises yet) for about a week. If a lot of moisture beads up under the lid, you wipe it off. RTs need it a little dryer (but not bone dry!) than Hermanni or Greek
- Be sure the bins don't touch any of the walls or the back of the fridge, to avoid contact freeze.
- I weigh the tortoises before putting them in the bins and write down the weight. I take pics, too, from all angles.
- Once they are in the bins (1 or 2 per bin), I put some dry oak leaves on them and then the lid. The oak leaves help regulate the moisture. Oak leaves don't get moldy (usually).
- Once a week I reach into the coir and touch each tortoise's foreleg. This tests their reflexes - they should pull the leg away slowly. As long as they do this, I let them be.
- I brumate from Nov 15 until Mar 15. I check everyone visually and weigh them on Jan 15 and Feb 15. As of yet, I have never lost a tortoise to brumation.
- Waking up: I aim for Mar 15, but if there is sun before or after that day, I adjust. I get the tortoise out of the fridge in the evening before and place them in the habitat. This way, they warm up slowly and they don't experience shock. Then, the next morning, I make sure they are either under the lamp basking, or in the sun basking. I let them do their thing. The habitat is overgrown with weeds by this time, so they can help themselves to food. I make sure they are basking again in the afternoon. Most are eating by then, some wait another day. On day 2 and 3 I soak them each in lukewarm water for 30 mins. This kickstarts their digestion, and after that, it's been business as usual.

This is perfect. Thank you so much for taking the time. Ive been trying to do it all outside, but this is a much more consistent method. We have those same fluctuations with exception of the extreme highs & lows.

Does the humidity there ever cause any issues? Im assuming its pretty close also.

 

[biochemnerd808]

Do you mean the humidity outside? I just make sure their outdoor habitats have some areas with shale on the ground rather than plants and dirt. Gives them some dry zones to seek out. The sun bakes out the habitat pretty good during these hot summer months. I hose down the habitats a couple times a day, but I leave about 1/3 of the habitat dry.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Heyyyy, AL is pretty close!

Here is an OLD blog post I wrote back when we still lived in WA. There, it was too wet to brumate outside, so I brumated my RTs in a fridge. https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/blog-post-about-our-fridge-brumation-hibernation.83334/ I have since changed my method somewhat, but this gives you an idea.

Here in AR, we not only have too much rain during the winter, but the temps can fluctuate from 60 degrees F to -2 degrees F within a week. Which means if I brumated outside, the tortoises could come up to the surface on a sunny day and then freeze to death.

Since it stays above freezing here until usually mid November, the wind-down to brumation just happens in their outdoor habitats (no longer in the garage like it did in WA). I keep an eye on the weather, so if temps are going to drop below freezing, I bring them in sooner. But the past years it didn't, so I just moved them from outside to their fridge bins on Nov 15.

I have changed the following:
- After running the fridge (no freezer!) and adjusting the temp until it consistently stays around 4 degrees C (39 degrees F), I use an Inkbird ITC hot/cold thermostat to MAKE SURE the fridge doesn't freeze. It cuts off electricity if temps go below 3 degrees and alarms if it goes below 2.
- I use plastic bins with air holes drilled around the upper edge. I put nearly dry (very slightly moist) coconut coir in them. I run the fridge with the full bins (no tortoises yet) for about a week. If a lot of moisture beads up under the lid, you wipe it off. RTs need it a little dryer (but not bone dry!) than Hermanni or Greek
- Be sure the bins don't touch any of the walls or the back of the fridge, to avoid contact freeze.
- I weigh the tortoises before putting them in the bins and write down the weight. I take pics, too, from all angles.
- Once they are in the bins (1 or 2 per bin), I put some dry oak leaves on them and then the lid. The oak leaves help regulate the moisture. Oak leaves don't get moldy (usually).
- Once a week I reach into the coir and touch each tortoise's foreleg. This tests their reflexes - they should pull the leg away slowly. As long as they do this, I let them be.
- I brumate from Nov 15 until Mar 15. I check everyone visually and weigh them on Jan 15 and Feb 15. As of yet, I have never lost a tortoise to brumation.
- Waking up: I aim for Mar 15, but if there is sun before or after that day, I adjust. I get the tortoise out of the fridge in the evening before and place them in the habitat. This way, they warm up slowly and they don't experience shock. Then, the next morning, I make sure they are either under the lamp basking, or in the sun basking. I let them do their thing. The habitat is overgrown with weeds by this time, so they can help themselves to food. I make sure they are basking again in the afternoon. Most are eating by then, some wait another day. On day 2 and 3 I soak them each in lukewarm water for 30 mins. This kickstarts their digestion, and after that, it's been business as usual.

I found your blog post really helpful when I was researching before getting my Russian tortoise. I didn't know that it was written by a tfo member!

I probably won't brumate my tortoise next winter, but when I will, I will definitely go with the fridge method. Your blog cleared up many of my concerns.