Cold Weather Care
Desert tortoises should be kept outdoors all year in Arizona. As the weather turns cool in the fall, a tortoise will prepare to hibernate in its burrow. Its appetite and activity level will decrease. It will have a fat reserve built up, and it should easily survive winter hibernation if it has eaten well during the warm months. A health check-up with a reptile veterinarian is recommended in the fall to make sure your tortoise is healthy enough to hibernate.
If a tortoise does not hibernate on its own in the fall, hibernation may need to be artificially induced. The tortoise should be placed in a cool, dark area such as a garage. A heavy cardboard box or plastic storage container packed with shredded paper or straw generally provides adequate protection. The box should be covered with several layers of blankets or newspapers, and it should be kept up off the floor away from any holes that could lead to drafts or rodent invasion. The temperature should remain around 55° F with the humidity range between 30-40 percent. These parameters can be monitored using an inexpensive thermometer and humidity meter.
A tortoise will not achieve metabolic hibernation if its hibernaculum is too warm. Dehydration is a significant risk during artificial hibernation, but it can generally be avoided if the humidity is maintained between 30-40 percent. Juveniles should be offered water every 2-3 weeks, and adults need water every 4-6 weeks during hibernation. Quietly check on the tortoise weekly to ensure that no health problems are developing. Otherwise, do not expose the tortoise to light or other disturbances.
A tortoise that does not hibernate naturally may also be sick. A sick tortoise may not survive the winter if it hibernates, so it should be evaluated by a veterinarian if it appears to be sick. If the tortoise cannot hibernate due to a health problem or inadequate weight, it should be kept in an inside enclosure. The inside enclosure should be at least 3 feet by 3 feet with a maintained daytime temperature between 80-85° F. The ideal temperature can be achieved with an artificial light above the enclosure and by installing a thermometer inside. Try different watt lights until the desired temperature is reached. Artificial lights should mimic a normal daily photoperiod, so they should be turned off at sunset to help prevent hyperthyroidism, a glandular disorder. The ideal light cycle is an 11 hour day cycle followed by a 13 hour night cycle.
The tortoise should be fed according to the summer feeding schedule and needs fresh water at least three times a week. Natural sunlight is beneficial to tortoises in rehabilitation as it will usually stimulate their appetite. Tortoises can go outside on sunny days with a temperature above 70° F. They should still be given access to shade.
As spring approaches, a hibernating tortoise will become more active. Once the tortoise emerges, provide shallow puddles of lukewarm drinking water. The tortoise will gradually resume its warm weather routine of eating, basking and exercise. Tortoises maintained in southern Arizona are usually active by April, but in particularly dry years, they may not emerge until the summer rains begin in July or August.
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