Box Hibernators, what about warm days?

[burnt toast]

Hi, just thinking how quiet it is, but I'm guilty of never creating a post...
So thought I would ask about something that I have been wondering about!

If you box hibernate, could you let me know your thoughts about warmer winter days please?

Do you take any action to keep temps down? Do you add insulation? Do you check them? ( or not, for fear of disturbing them?)

Reason i ask is. I used to hibernate in a concrete garage, torts double boxed in usual way. With frost guard heater. This was ideal as its always cold, (even in summer!)

But I don't have this facility now. And for the last two year's I have been at the mercy of the weather! (Been using a shed, which I have totally insulated)

Doing thing's differently this year, so I will report back on results.

[Alan1]

I posted pictures somewhere of my setup but not sure what thread it's in. The temperature rose here yesterday to 13c but inside the tub it was still 4.7c because of the insulation. The temperatures are pretty stable in there. It was -4c the other day and was still +3c in the tub. That temperature is measured above the soil so it will be even more stable under the soil. It has been quite mild all night and very mild out there this morning but haven't been in the car yet so don't know the actual temp but certainly as mild as yesterday if not warmer. My monitor is saying 5.6c inside the tub.
Last year there were signs that the torts had moved within the tub, surfaced and then gone down again in a different spot. They are able to get out of the tub and would be able to push the insulation out the way if they wanted to

[Alan1]

this was last year but this year is similar but with a bit more of that lightweight insulation and the tub sits on a bit of that too this time. Duvet cover over the top, doorway left open with a bit of space in front of it but enclosed by the insulation panels which they can push over if they come out. All this is inside a greenhouse obviously http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/for...7&postcount=19

[burnt toast]

Thank you Alan ��

Well the last few days here have been 13-14. My THB's (who seem active at the lowest temperatures, I think they are hardier than Horsfields!) Are in their house, all heat turned off, its very well insulated & I hung 2 thick blankets over the door in case of draughts/light. They woke yesterday!

2 hercs in another house & 4 of my Margie girls who were in a huge wooden box in shed, filled with soil & well insulated, all awake.

Interestingly I also brought 2 Keter cushion type large plastic box's. Insulated & boarded & placed them in a narrow area. Concrete garage on one side, high fence on the other. They get no sun. I have added: extra insulation in the form of cardboard, duvet, blanket on cold/hot days & they have a min/max probe thermometer, with the probe buried in the soil.

No one in these two boxes has woken (4 torts in each box) & the thermometer shows max 7.1, min 3, current 4.9.

[CherryBrandy]

Originally Posted by burnt toast

Thank you Alan ��

Well the last few days here have been 13-14. My THB's (who seem active at the lowest temperatures, I think they are hardier than Horsfields!) Are in their house, all heat turned off, its very well insulated & I hung 2 thick blankets over the door in case of draughts/light. They woke yesterday!

2 hercs in another house & 4 of my Margie girls who were in a huge wooden box in shed, filled with soil & well insulated, all awake.

Interestingly I also brought 2 Keter cushion type large plastic box's. Insulated & boarded & placed them in a narrow area. Concrete garage on one side, high fence on the other. They get no sun. I have added: extra insulation in the form of cardboard, duvet, blanket on cold/hot days & they have a min/max probe thermometer, with the probe buried in the soil.

No one in these two boxes has woken (4 torts in each box) & the thermometer shows max 7.1, min 3, current 4.9.

afternoon Lynne, yes its interesting isn't it. I think it must be a factor of things because one of my spurs I don't see after 31st August and he doesn't wake usually til march time and that's when I get him up , which bucks some of the trend with length of hibernation. others wake much earlier. My benchmark are the girlies in the GH - I find like today its 15 degrees but due to cold morning they don't seem to stir. Rule of thumb for me is consistent 12 - 15 degrees and they are up ! all on same day. very consistent over the years. 6 degrees in the shed and not a wiggle but 0.3 the other day and some sounds but not stiring. Hope you are well , keep posting as interesting ! CB

[Alan1]

the temperatures in my tub fluctuate very little and it takes about a week of high temps for the temp inside the tub to get up and stay up. I believe they emerge then go down again if it gets colder because mine had obviously moved from one spot to another inside the tub last year (and buried down again). I would not like putting them in a fridge knowing that they do this

[Suze65]

I'm probably not a very good example of how to do this properly, but for the last twenty years, mine have been boxed and in a friends attics rooms ( not an attic) where the temp , for some reason stays fairly cool, and constant, although it can soon warm up in March . And this has worked well, I don't even check them very often, but I will check them in the next few days, and I'll let you know what the temps like and if they have moved. I might get the babies up soon, dos im starting to miss them.

[CherryBrandy]

Originally Posted by Alan1

the temperatures in my tub fluctuate very little and it takes about a week of high temps for the temp inside the tub to get up and stay up. I believe they emerge then go down again if it gets colder because mine had obviously moved from one spot to another inside the tub last year (and buried down again). I would not like putting them in a fridge knowing that they do this

I liked the pickies and set up from the other year Alan. Looked ideal but you do need some space for that also from recollection. In the olds days when I was a child we had an old packing (tea?) chest (which i've replicated as they are £7.00 odd and can double for a coffee table in the shed.) and my old tortoise use to be packed in the middle and like yours Alan buried down and then when time to wake up - climbed to the top and bobs your uncle. We didn't bother getting him out if his little head wasn't showing when we took the lid off. I can not even remember checking on him during winter in all the years we had him in London and times we moved house over the years, but the tea chest came with us, and then when I went travelling for a couple of years and was uncontactable for a time in Indonesia mum gave him to the green grocer Still he had masses of food and shop space).