When to hibernate?

[fgately]

Hello everyone out there in tort land!

Thanks to the expert advice given on this site, I am pretty sure I know what to provide my three Russian torts for hibernation. My question is when do I hibernate them? The soil in my yard is too damp after a big rain to let them dig down and make their own burrow. I plan on hibernating them in a very secure and sturdy wooden box I built for them. I will have to place them in it, or at least place them in it initially. When do I do this? The box has a short maze like entrance so that no predator can get in, but the torts can come and go if they want.

Thanks,

Frank

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Frank:

Is the box outside? If so, they will hibernate on their own.

I usually have to dig my Russians up and box them up, usually towards the end of October. That's when it gets real cold here. We don't get much rain, so I don't have to worry about that.

 

[fgately]

Thanks Yvonne. I am amazed at how well those little torts hide. I know all their hiding places so I'll go dig em up, and then put them in the box. How deep do they usually dig in? If there are a few days of warmer weather, will they come out, and then go back in?

 

[kimmer]

I live in Southern California and my Russian Tortoise lives in an outside pen during the spring and summer. I don't let him hibernate outside either because the ground is hard clay and he can't dig a proper burrow. The winding down process starts in August or Early September when he starts being picky and then eats less and less until he stops completely. Since we have a don't have lot of variation in weather, I just leave him outside in his hide cave/burrow (man-made). I start seeing him move around less and less as the days grow shorter. If it is going to rain, I bring him in to the garage where I have his hibernation place set up. There is usually a few weeks where I take him inside and outside depending on the weather. Around Halloween he stays in til spring. My tortoise has taught me almost everything I know about keeping him, along with the care sheet from russiantortoise.org. Hope this helps even a little bit.

 

[Yvonne G]

Thanks Yvonne. I am amazed at how well those little torts hide. I know all their hiding places so I'll go dig em up, and then put them in the box. How deep do they usually dig in? If there are a few days of warmer weather, will they come out, and then go back in?

Yes, they come out and sun themselves, but they usually won't eat. After a week or so of that, they'll dig in and you won't see them any more.

We had a cold spell here about two weeks ago and I haven't seen my Russians since then, even though this past week every day was at least 100 degrees.

 

[fgately]

I have noticed they are not eating as much as they were a few weeks ago, but they are still eating. They act a little restless, and I don't see them too much, unless I look for them. I will keep a close eye on them.

Thanks for the replies.