June 26, 2024, 3:19 am | Read time: 6 minutes
Pet tortoises enter a state of hibernation, which is best spent in a refrigerator. However, when it’s time to wake up and become active again, a cold frame greenhouse is beneficial. Here’s how to set one up and what it should include.
Many tortoises spend the winter in a state of torpor. When kept as pets, this time is best spent in a refrigerator. But what happens when it’s time for them to wake up again? Tortoises can be assisted in their recovery with the aid of a cold frame. PETBOOK explains what this looks like and how to build one yourself at home.
Why tortoises need a cold frame
Tortoises spend a lot of their time in the fresh air. They love to roam the garden and bathe in a shallow garden pond in their outdoor enclosure. But what happens when they have just come out of hibernation and it is still too cold for their normal outdoor activities?
Like all reptiles, tortoises are ectothermic animals that rely on their environment to regulate their body temperature. However, this is rather difficult for tortoises that are kept as pets. This is because humans don’t like their homes to be kept at a temperature that’s cold enough to allow the tortoises to fall into their relaxing torpor. Therefore, these pets should spend the winter in a fridge. However, when it is time to come out of hibernation, some will need help.
To awaken from torpor, tortoises require a warm and humid environment. This is so that they can gradually return to their optimal body temperature. It is therefore worth setting up a cold frame for them so that they can gradually wake up again as temperatures rise. This is because tortoises will be able to wake up from their winter torpor in it, even if a major cold snap is imminent.
How to build a cold frame
How a cold frame looks can vary greatly, but it usually consists of a cozy, warm turtle house, which can also be converted to a greenhouse. Ideally, you should build the tortoise cold frame in the garden yourself. This enables customization of the dimensions to suit individual needs.
Before you start building, it is important to excavate a hole at least 25 to 30 centimeters deep. This should then be lined with rabbit wire or other fencing material on the ground at the bottom and sides. This serves as a barrier to deter predators from burrowing into the cold frame. An underground cable is then laid in an empty pipe in this pit so that the technical components for the bed can be connected later.
At this point, you are ready to build the bed. To do this, you build up a solid wall of earth. However, if you want to create a permanent cold frame, a wooden structure is recommended, which can then be lined with various materials. Insulating Styrofoam panels and a poured concrete base are suitable for this. Tip: If you have tortoises of different sexes, you should install a partition wall in the cold frame.
Important: An entrance for the tortoises should be planned in the earth wall or mound so that they can easily get in and out of the bed. In the earth wall, a sturdy tunnel should be constructed and hollowed out to provide the tortoises with ground-level access. A hole that can be closed with a door at night should be left in a wall.
A tortoise in a greenhouse? Of course
Bricks, cellular concrete or natural stone slabs are particularly suitable for lining the cold frame, regardless of whether it has an earth wall or a solid construction. The turtle house is then placed on top and assembled.
If you want to build it yourself, you will need aluminum rails, screws, acrylic glass and wooden boards to which you can attach the technical components of the cold frame. You will also need hinges to open the lid of the house for cleaning. Acrylic glass is important because it conducts heat and light particularly well and keeps out any cold snaps.
However, you can also purchase suitable houses from specialist pet shops or buy a solidly constructed greenhouse from a DIY store that you can then extend.
The finishing touches for the cold frame
Once the house has been built and the technical components installed, make sure that cables, lamps and accessories are always out of reach for the tortoises. Wooden boards for mounting heat lamps and other equipment are suitable for this purpose. A ready-made cold frame, on the other hand, already has built-in guided assistance for these technical components.
If you want to build the tortoise house yourself, you should also make sure that the tortoise can get out of the house alone. For this purpose, installing a swing flap akin to a cat flap in the structure is recommended. It is best to show the tortoise the exit until it can use it on its own.
What the cold frame should contain
- heating lamps
- a thermal monitor that checks whether the temperature is being maintained
- a large water bowl in which the animal can bathe and drink
- Layers of soil, leaves and bark mulch to act as a suitable substrate
- Firebricks, which are particularly suitable for storing heat during the day, which is later released to the tortoises at night
- a protective cave and hiding places
How tortoises wake up from hibernation in a cold frame
When it is time for tortoises to come out of hibernation, you can place their box in the ready-made cold frame. The temperature should be increased gradually to 35 degrees Celsius over several days. During the first few days, however, the temperature should not exceed room temperature.
The tortoises will only move around a little at first and may not eat much in the first few days after waking up. Nevertheless, you should still provide them with their usual plant food.
If they still have difficulty finding their way out of the cold frame at the beginning, you should occasionally hold the flap in the shelter and the door in the bed structure open for them. Once you have created the cold frame, you can later turn it into a retreat for an outdoor enclosure.
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