elf2hats
New Member
I recently adopted two female Russian tortoises (I know, not ideal to keep together...but I have a very large enclosure, and they don't interact at all). I live in the Colorado Front Range, where winter temperatures often go below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. I've talked to other tortoise owners in the area who hibernate their creatures either outside or inside.
The previous owner, however, tells me that these tortoises have never hibernated (at least not while he had them; he also insists that they had no problem living together). So I'm trying to make it possible for Poppy and Petunia to hibernate if they want to but also give them a good indoor environment if they don't hibernate. They don't seem to recognize the Mazuri Tortoise Diet as food, and eat only greens like romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, grape leaves, and mallow. ALSO, the previous owner has rescued many tortoises, and kept these two females with males. So he mentioned that there's a possibility that they could lay eggs.
The outdoor enclosure is 6' by 8' in area, and goes about 2.5' deep. The top 6-8 inches is coco coir, under which is about 2' of composted soil. They bask in the sun for brief periods, but seem to like burrowing into the corners or sides, or into the submerged clay pots that serve as their hide houses. On weekends, I take them out of the enclosure to wander around the yard and garden, where they seem to enjoy exploring during warm afternoons.
Night-time temps outdoors are currently going to <40 degrees F, and I can see that they are super sluggish in the morning. So I built an indoor tortoise table (see photo), 4' x 4' with individual digging tubs, separated by a divider so that they can co-exist separately during the winter (leaving each with a 2' x 4' section). When night-time temps started getting cold, I started bringing them indoors overnight, but am putting them back outside to wander during the day when temps are 75-85 degrees (when they are pretty curious and exploratory).
Here are the oddities between the two:
A. The more dominant and adventurous one (Poppy) eats voraciously. I'm pretty sure she'd be physically okay to hibernate if she chooses to do so, but I'd still prefer to keep her in the indoor enclosure just in case it gets too cold outside. She is super exploratory and seems more social (or at least more tolerant of interaction).
B. The more shy of the two (Petunia) disappeared underground for a full week in her indoor enclosure (about 3 weeks after I adopted her). She has NOT been eating a lot, so I'm concerned that she might not be ready to hibernate. I poked at her a couple times and was reassured when she jerked in response. Then she re-surfaced today! So I took her outside for a long exploratory venture in the yard for a few hours. She's now basking under the MVB sunlamp. Was this aestivation? Could she be pregnant? How would I know?
Questions:
The previous owner, however, tells me that these tortoises have never hibernated (at least not while he had them; he also insists that they had no problem living together). So I'm trying to make it possible for Poppy and Petunia to hibernate if they want to but also give them a good indoor environment if they don't hibernate. They don't seem to recognize the Mazuri Tortoise Diet as food, and eat only greens like romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, grape leaves, and mallow. ALSO, the previous owner has rescued many tortoises, and kept these two females with males. So he mentioned that there's a possibility that they could lay eggs.
The outdoor enclosure is 6' by 8' in area, and goes about 2.5' deep. The top 6-8 inches is coco coir, under which is about 2' of composted soil. They bask in the sun for brief periods, but seem to like burrowing into the corners or sides, or into the submerged clay pots that serve as their hide houses. On weekends, I take them out of the enclosure to wander around the yard and garden, where they seem to enjoy exploring during warm afternoons.
Night-time temps outdoors are currently going to <40 degrees F, and I can see that they are super sluggish in the morning. So I built an indoor tortoise table (see photo), 4' x 4' with individual digging tubs, separated by a divider so that they can co-exist separately during the winter (leaving each with a 2' x 4' section). When night-time temps started getting cold, I started bringing them indoors overnight, but am putting them back outside to wander during the day when temps are 75-85 degrees (when they are pretty curious and exploratory).
Here are the oddities between the two:
A. The more dominant and adventurous one (Poppy) eats voraciously. I'm pretty sure she'd be physically okay to hibernate if she chooses to do so, but I'd still prefer to keep her in the indoor enclosure just in case it gets too cold outside. She is super exploratory and seems more social (or at least more tolerant of interaction).
B. The more shy of the two (Petunia) disappeared underground for a full week in her indoor enclosure (about 3 weeks after I adopted her). She has NOT been eating a lot, so I'm concerned that she might not be ready to hibernate. I poked at her a couple times and was reassured when she jerked in response. Then she re-surfaced today! So I took her outside for a long exploratory venture in the yard for a few hours. She's now basking under the MVB sunlamp. Was this aestivation? Could she be pregnant? How would I know?
Questions:
- Why would Petunia remain underground for many, many days at a time without coming out for food or water?
- Is it too early to bring them inside if we're not yet getting to freezing temps?