Tortoise Spring

Isaac declares "Hibernation Over!"
Feed me some dandelions.

It is a remarkable phenomena, the animalistic clock.  Those who are owned by dogs know that their Canine-Americans will always pester for their food at the very same time every day - it is the 'dog clock'.  

Yet, I find it all the more remarkable that in the middle of October, 2018, our two backyard Desert Tortoises came to the patio door, wanting to come inside. Of course we let them in per their request, and they proceeded to march down the hallway into the master bath and plunked themselves next to the commode and quickly settled in for a long winter's sleep, i.e. hibernation.  This hibernation for our pair will last until sometime in the middle of March, about 5 months.

In the interlude while our original locals, Chomper and Isaac, were in deep slumbers, two additional Desert Tortoises were acquired from my sister in Fresno, California.  We're now runnin' four head of tortoise on our Texas parcel. [We believe a group of tortoises should be referred to as a 'clatter of tortoises']

Back in October I had removed Isaac from his drop-zone next to the commode into his custom-built hibernation box in the corner of the kitchen dining nook (spice maple wood construction that matches the kitchen cabinets). However, I left Chomper fast asleep next to the commode, with his head tucked into the scrub-brush receptacle behind the toilet.  I thought it was kind of charming to have a Desert Tortoise as part of the WC decor. 

Chomper backs out of his WC
Hibernation Location

Slow Forward...

Early Saturday morning, March 9, Chomper begins to stir from his catatonic state beside our porcelain stool and backs half-way out onto the WC floor.  We welcome him into Spring 2019; but he is too groggy to pay us much mind.  Then, later in the morning, while making breakfast, Isaac emerges out of his box and into the middle of the kitchen.  Isaac seems more awake than his brother in the bathroom, so Isaac gets moved out onto the lawn to enjoy the 75 degree sunshine and green grass.  Soon after Isaac begins to soak up some rays, one of our new arrival, Vortexia, comes charging out of her cardboard box in the kitchen checking out her new environment.  She too is placed outside to enjoy the spring weather and snack on some tasty dandelions after a 45 minute post-hibernation rehydration water soak and sip in the master bath tub.  This makes 3 of 4 tortoises all coming out of hibernation within a few hours of each other after being oblivious to the world for nearly 5 months.  How do they know? -- Morpheus remains in his hiber-box at the back of the kitchen; doesn't there always seem to be the that 'special somebody' that just didn't get the memo?

Vortexia looks dehydrated after emerging from
hibernation, so she gets a re-hydration soak in the bath tub
before going out to play on the green grass

Mercurial March weather cooled off after Saturday, and everybody went back to bed.  But warmer and sunnier days are a commin' my wonderful hard-backed friends.  And I have some nice lettuce stashed in the fridge planned for y'all, it'll be the  best Tortoise Spring Party.






ps: The perennial scourge of Pharaoh ants came boiling onto our kitchen counter tops that Saturday also.  How do they know?  And boy do I have a surprise (it is not a pleasant one) for these uninvited spring visitors.