I guess as a follow-up thought, I appreciate the refrigerator issue allows for more constant conditions... I don't know why I have something in me that doesn't want to go that route. Will continue to think about that.

The outdoor house concerns me because there will be spurts of time in winter here where things will heat up a bit and I am concerned they would come out of hibernation prematurely only to be hit with a cold spurt while in a somewhat less healthy / more vulnerable condition. Thats where I was thinking that the natural approach with a burrow would moderate some of those temperature fluctuations.

Thanks again.

Mike