You people out west have had some unusual weather this year. It's not covered that great here on the east coast. I've seen a few video clips of the high snow amounts and today a few seconds of some
West Coast Weather
- Thread starter Len B
- Start date
The flooding
Anyway how are you making out?
I cannot remember a colder winter with worse weather than this one. Its only climbed into the 70s a few times since late November. We haven't hit the 80s even one time. We keep getting these rainstorms one after the other, and it simply doesn't get warm and sunny in-between them like it usually does. Its been generally cooler than usual, but we haven't really had any "extreme" or unusual cold spells. Mainly our daytime highs just haven't been getting up, and its been overcast a lot more than normal. Last time I can remember a winter like this was 2005. It rained non-stop.
We haven't had any damage or flooding near me, but its just been miserable. People are getting more grumpy and depressed by the day. I've lost more falconry days to wind and rain than I have ever lost since I started. That alone is depressing! This is just NOT good tortoise weather.
Soon we will be complaining that it is too hot and too dry... I saw a FB post that describes my situation perfectly: "I'm ready to stop complaining that its too cold, and ready to start complaining that its too hot."
I have family in San Luis Obispo Calif, they are flooding...now no f'ing fone. I am worried for them. My family in Santa Cruz have had to leave their homes. In the Willamette Valley in Oregon my box turtle pond has flooded my neighbors' yard...lol...we have snow then rain on it, making ice temps are 30 or so. My tortoises haven't left the shed for over a month. I've lost most of my cactus. That means a trip to Fresno to score some more from my sis. Lost most of the shingles off my carport...well, not exactly lost, most are across the street in my neighbors' yard...lol
Here in Central California a few of the smaller towns have been forced to evacuate due to flooding. The snow pack was unusually high this winter, but now two atmospheric rivers are going through and they're warm, from the tropics. This means that the warm rain is coming down on the snow pack causing melt. A few of the reservoirs have started letting water out the dams to prepare for the excess snow melt. I'm lucky that my lot is elevated, so the rain doesn't impact me, but my poor dog won't go out when it's raining. She never crosses her legs. How do dogs hold it so long?
How are your adult tortoises handling the cooler temps and lack of sunshine? I see less activity here on the east coast when the barometric pressure is low even when the temperature is warm. That could be a factor on your tortoises activity also.
It is fairly mild where I am. We continue to have cold over cast days with intermittent rain every few days. Today was pleasant, partly sunny, and temp reached into the high 60s. Tomorrow will be rain all day and colder temps again. We have had any major rain or wind damage here, so its really just been inconvenient and unpleasant.
The weather is not unbearably bad compared to most places, but it is highly unusual for us to have this sort of weather here at this time of year. We are usually in the high 70s to low 80s by now.
The above is what one of our typical bad cold winter spells looks like. We usually get cold and rain like this two or three times each winter, but this winter has been this way since November. Blechh.... I hate it!!! This is NOT good tortoise weather.
They seem to be fine. They are coming out and eating, and if its cold, overcast, or raining, they just go back into the warm lit boxes. A couple of females seem to have decided to delay egg laying because either the ground is too wet, or because it has been too cold outside. I'm keeping an eye on them.
@Tom I realize you probably haven't seen winter weather like you're experiencing this year. Pay attention to their actions and you may see how resilient and hardy they really are living in cold climate areas. As cold as it gets here I have never had a sulcata get to cold and not be able to return to it's heated house to warm back up. I hope your weather improves soon. We've had a normal winter here at the Beach so far.
I have. Lots of times. Part of the problem here, when compared to some other areas, is that the cold is inconsistent in winter. We have the occasional cols spell, like the weather screenshot I posted, but those cold spells are usually bookended by warm dry sunny weather. I lost count of how many sulcatas have died this way here. So many people are told that they are fine, or that they will figure it out, or that they hibernate like DTs. In all of my tortoise groups, I find an occasional one out in the cold park under a bush or in a corner all tucked in. They do this on cold days, and occasionally at night too. Several of them will park right near the heated shelter, as if they were intending to come back to it, but then didn't for some reason. Those same individuals will put themselves away most of the time, so its not that they can't get into the box or don't know how. They just sometimes close not to for some reason.
I know that in most cases, with some care, they can survive in colder climates. I just don't think it is good for large tortoises to be cooped up in small quarters for months at a time.
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