They’ve all woken up

It’s always so exciting for me every year—will all the turtles wake up from hibernation too?



As of yesterday at noon, they’re all awake again. I’m so happy.





And after taking pictures of the turtles, I went for a walk around the rest of the garden.





The first forget-me-nots





The last primroses in the shady corner



And the lungwort and grape hyacinths have spread out beautifully, too.

I think spring is the most beautiful time in the garden.

Have a sunny weekend and stay healthy
 

Oh, Petra, that’s just lovely, and I’m sure you’re delighted to see every little turtle crawling around the garden again

How wonderful that they all made it; I love tortoises, and your garden is a feast for the eyes

Best, Inge

Petra, you have some really beautiful tortoises. I love them too, and I used to have two of them. I always overwintered them in a box in the attic. Each had its own box, filled with a special mixture of soil and leaves. Do you let yours overwinter in the garden?

No, they go in the fridge. It’s too cold in the garden and in the garage—I’d have to turn on the heat. And our basement is too warm. So the fridge stays at 4–6 degrees. 

just like that, in a box in the fridge?

Petra, at first I thought you were joking. Each of my tortoises had its own box. And there wasn’t enough room in the basement, so I used the attic back then. It worked out great.

You must have a big fridge for all those tortoises. They hibernate in soil or something like that, right? How do you do it?

I have an extra refrigerator in the basement. It has a thermostat that maintains the temperature.
The turtles go into fresh molehill soil, covered with collected beech leaves.
Once they’ve burrowed into the garden greenhouse and the temperatures in their sleeping area drop below 4 degrees, I dig them up and place them in the prepared box.

  Check everything regularly, let air into the fridge, and the soil also needs to be kept moist.

Of course, only healthy and hibernating turtles can go in the fridge.

I’ve been lucky for 8 years now—everything has gone well.

Wow, Petra, you really go out of your way for them. That’s great!
Do you take them out of the fridge again in the spring so they can wake up slowly?
And what if we get frosty nights again?

I had to read that twice, too. Turtles in the fridge. *laughs*
There’s so much to keep in mind and know, but it’s great that your turtles are doing well—and they’re such beautiful specimens.
I hope you continue to enjoy your little pets.

I moved them from the fridge to the greenhouse at Easter. They all burrowed right away. Then it got too warm too quickly. I was constantly checking on them—opening the greenhouse, closing the greenhouse. The nights were still pretty cold, after all. But since they also have a sleeping house inside the greenhouse, the temperatures never dropped below 2 degrees. Menta was the first to wake up, just like every year. Then another one came out. Then there were days again when none of them came out at all.

On Wednesday, the last one finally emerged from her shelter. The two little ones (even though one of them is the oldest) are taking their time. It also depends on how deep they burrow back into the greenhouse. It stays cooler longer in the soil.

  Today they were allowed into the outdoor enclosure for the first time. Let’s see what the weather is like—and how it holds up. They just need warmth to feel comfortable. And if it gets cold again—even during the day—they’ll burrow back in.

I’m keeping an eye on the thermometer; it just shouldn’t drop below 2 degrees in the sleeping house. Otherwise, I’ll turn on the heat. 

That really sounds like work.

Josefa, no, it’s not work. I think every animal you’ve taken responsibility for needs attention, respect, and care. And they simply don’t belong in our cold Germany. I’ve been given all of them as gifts over the past 10 years, and now that’s just how it is. There was a turtle in my neighborhood that lived to be about 50 years old. The owner got her when she was a teenager, but after last winter, she sadly didn’t wake up. She did everything just as she had for many years before. It was very sad.

  In the summer, I’m rewarded. When the weather’s nice, I drink my coffee at noon by the turtle enclosure and watch them eat. It’s very soothing and relaxing for me.

Here they’re enjoying a zucchini—a real treat for turtles. The photo is from 2018; they were still a bit smaller back then.

[Image removed]

Of course, every animal needs attention and care, but normally you don’t have to let pets hibernate in the fridge and keep an eye on the temperature. ;-)
You’re doing a great job.
Fifty years is a very long time. That’s a shame.

Wow, Petra, I’m really happy for your tortoises when I read how lovingly you care for them. I used to do that too, just not quite as extensively. I love tortoises, and one of them was even really cuddly. She’d often come to me and rest her head on my foot to sleep there. They also had an enclosure in the garden, and it was a joy to watch them.

When I moved, I gave them to a friend who already had three of her own. My Charlotte and Cassiopeia felt right at home there, too, and they could happily dig around in a huge garden. I missed them a lot back then, but I wouldn’t have wanted to keep them without a garden. They need nature—with sunshine and plenty of space to roam.

It’s so wonderful that five tortoises get to enjoy your attention and care. I wish them all a long life by your side.

Thanks, Monika. 
It’s funny that yours was so cuddly. Mine always try to bite me when I’m in the enclosure without shoes. 

Yes, Petra, that must have been a rare specimen, too. In the spring, before they went outside, they were still inside the apartment and were allowed to roam freely during the day. Whenever I sat in my armchair, she’d come over and rest her head on my slipper. That was so cute.
I’m surprised that your five get along so well when it comes to feeding. Normally, tortoises are solitary animals, except during mating season.

They all agree when it comes to eating. Otherwise, they really do each have their own spot in the enclosure.

Unfortunately, I have a male among them—I’ve had him for about 3 years now—and that’s not always nice. I’ve since doubled the size of my enclosure, but it’s still too small for the ladies to escape. 

Yeah, the males sure are rough with them. Wow, and he even has four ladies to choose from. Who knows, maybe we’ll end up with some little tortoises after all. They’re sooo cute when they’re small. I once had one on my hand.