I thought SoCal was sufficiently warm for these animals to brumate outdoors, as I've come across numerous people here who keep Russian, Hermann's, and Desert Tortoises outdoors all year long.

In your area the question isn't "is it sufficiently warm" but instead "is it sufficiently cold" enough to allow them to brumate without burning up bodyfat at an alarming rate?

You state you are seven miles from a HUGE heat sink most people call the Pacific Ocean. That ocean keeps you 10-15F degrees warmer than me just 30-40 miles away in Montclair. That is why you can keep tropical plants and they get freeze killed in my area.

The refrigerator idea works, but you should weight your animals bi-weekly to make sure the cooling element isn't dehydrating your torts.

All the best.
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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

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