Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 2 easterns are in this enclosure I made out of a 5 foot diameter pool. There's about 8 inches of substrate (dirt). It has a hardware wire lid, 1/2 shaded w/ shade cloth & has 2 water dishes (only 1 in the pic)& 4 hides. I live in Northern Utah, where it snows all winter & gets below freezing regularly. Current temps are dropping to the 50's at night.
I want to bring the whole pool into the garage w/ a day/night cycle light & a ceramic heat emitter, for them to over-winter as I don't feel their substrate is deep enough for outdoor hibernation & I'd just worry too much.
When should I move the enclosure? What temp should it be dropping to regularly before I move them?

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Robins Critters
1.0 Corn snake Jack Skellington
1.1 Hog Island Boas Harley & Isaboa
0.1 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snake Jasmine
0.1 Western Hognose Addy the Adder
1.0 Tricolor Hognose Yoshi
0.2 Leopard Gecko Tang & Roxy
1.4 Crested Geckos Fox Mulder, Zoe, Peek, Rosencrestie & Gildensticky
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo
1.1 Eastern Box Turtles Squirtle & Yurtle
1.1 Pacman Frog CamoFrog & Buffy the Cricket Slayer
1.0 Southern Toad L.T.-Little Toad
0.2 Tiger Salamanders Tiger & Sally
1.1 Mossy Frogs Kermit & Kate Mossy
1.1 Firebelly Newts Wayne Newton & Thandie Newton
1.1 Cats Gus & Mena

It is nice to read from you again

My Easterns begin preparing for brumation and their appetites decrease sharply when nightly temperatures regularly drop below 50 degrees F. If you want them to keep their current appetites, you may want to consider bringing them in now.

Did you try to brumate them outdoors last year? I remember a few posts about that, if memory serves.

Hope this helps. Take care.

That's so nice you remember me & my past posts! I just graduated from grad school, which had me very busy for a few years. Now I'm looking for a job. Hopefully I'll be able to get back here regularly again.

Last year I brought them into my house & had them in a 40 gallon in the herp room. They actually managed to GAIN weight in this arrrangement This year I like their outdoor enclosure more. They no longer climb the sides & seem to be happy in it. So, I thought I'd try the arrangement I described.

It's supposed to get down to 40 tonight, but back up to the 60s tomorrow. I'll try & move them in tonight, but if I can't get help moving the enclosure, I'll just bring the turtles in for one night & get the enclosure moved on Tues.

Thanks!
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Robins Critters
1.0 Corn snake Jack Skellington
1.1 Hog Island Boas Harley & Isaboa
0.1 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snake Jasmine
0.1 Western Hognose Addy the Adder
1.0 Tricolor Hognose Yoshi
0.2 Leopard Gecko Tang & Roxy
1.4 Crested Geckos Fox Mulder, Zoe, Peek, Rosencrestie & Gildensticky
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo
1.1 Eastern Box Turtles Squirtle & Yurtle
1.1 Pacman Frog CamoFrog & Buffy the Cricket Slayer
1.0 Southern Toad L.T.-Little Toad
0.2 Tiger Salamanders Tiger & Sally
1.1 Mossy Frogs Kermit & Kate Mossy
1.1 Firebelly Newts Wayne Newton & Thandie Newton
1.1 Cats Gus & Mena

"I just graduated from grad school"

Congratulations!

It sounds like you have a good system going with your turtles. Like you, I would definitely keep them in that nice enclosure as opposed to the 40 gallon.

Hope this helps. Good luck.