Choosing the right brumation method
Where should your tortoises spend their brumation: in a brumation pit or in a refrigerator?
Both methods can be safe if the conditions are right: the pit beneath the cold frame must be frost-free and protected against predators, and the refrigerator needs an emergency cut-off thermostat. In both cases, the temperature must remain stable within the brumation range and be monitored reliably. Which method is right depends on your own circumstances and personal preferences.
To help you decide, you will find two talks on refrigerator brumation and pit brumation below. Always bear in mind that the safer method should take priority.
“The Controlled Refrigerator Brumation of European Tortoises”
Schildkrötenhilfe Nordbayern, October 2022 (slides in German)
“Safe Brumation of European Tortoises in the Refrigerator and the Pit”
Talk for the Internationale Schildkröten Vereinigung (ISV), October 2023 (slides in German):
Frauke Hustinx, social media officer of the DGHT AG Schildkröten (German Chelonia Group) and specialist in European tortoises, shares tips and tricks for the safe brumation of our tortoises.
You will find more information on refrigerator brumation in the Refrigerator Brumation Handbook from the series on modern European tortoise husbandry.
More information on building a brumation pit and on pit brumation can be found in the Technology Handbook from the same series, which also covers refrigerator brumation.
See also: Temperature Reduction Weeks 1–6 · The Brumation Refrigerator and Brumation Boxes · Deciding on Brumation