# Desert tortoise living indoors to outdoors...help



## Harobed (Oct 21, 2016)

Hi
We have had a sweet little tortoise named Houdini for about a year. My husband brought him home from the firehouse he works at. A fellow fireman's tortoise had just had babies and was looking to find homes for them. Houdini was brought home at about 6 weeks to two months old I would say. He has been living in a large aquarium tank up until about 2 weeks ago. He had a pretty comfy life with a heat lamp and a large day light. He's now 5 inches and we think he would be happier having more freedom. However, living outside is very different. I need lots of good advice as to caring for him in an outdoor environment as far as how to regulate his temperature. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you so much for this wonderful website.


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (Oct 21, 2016)

Hello


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## Gillian M (Oct 21, 2016)

Harobed said:


> Hi
> We have had a sweet little tortoise named Houdini for about a year. My husband brought him home from the firehouse he works at. A fellow fireman's tortoise had just had babies and was looking to find homes for them. Houdini was brought home at about 6 weeks to two months old I would say. He has been living in a large aquarium tank up until about 2 weeks ago. He had a pretty comfy life with a heat lamp and a large day light. He's now 5 inches and we think he would be happier having more freedom. However, living outside is very different. I need lots of good advice as to caring for him in an outdoor environment as far as how to regulate his temperature. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
> Thank you so much for this wonderful website.


Hi @Harobed and a very warm welcome to the forum!

What species is your tort? 

Please post pics of your tort so as to enable us to help you more easily.

Where do you live and what is the climate like back there?


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## Harobed (Oct 21, 2016)

I posted pics. They're kind of huge, sorry. I'm not very computer savvy. I live in Northern San Diego, Ca. The days are nice this time of year but become a little more chilly at night. He is a desert tortoise. Thanks for asking


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## Gillian M (Oct 21, 2016)

Harobed said:


> View attachment 190030
> View attachment 190031
> Hi
> We have had a sweet little tortoise named Houdini for about a year. My husband brought him home from the firehouse he works at. A fellow fireman's tortoise had just had babies and was looking to find homes for them. Houdini was brought home at about 6 weeks to two months old I would say. He has been living in a large aquarium tank up until about 2 weeks ago. He had a pretty comfy life with a heat lamp and a large day light. He's now 5 inches and we think he would be happier having more freedom. However, living outside is very different. I need lots of good advice as to caring for him in an outdoor environment as far as how to regulate his temperature. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
> Thank you so much for this wonderful website.




Got the pics now. A cute tort! GOD bless.

Love that outdoor enclosure, *BUT* do you think it's safe enough? Couldn't Houdini climb, flip on his back GOD forbid? And I've a feeling he could even get out, and again; GOD forbid, get lost/stolen.

Please do not misunderstand me: I do not mean to demoralize you with my post, I am trying to help. OK?


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## Yvonne G (Oct 21, 2016)

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

This is the wrong time of year to be thinking of changing an indoor tortoise to living outside. Wait until Spring. He'll be ok in his current living space until Spring. Then, when the night time temps are staying above 60F you can move him outside. But if it gets too cool at night I'd bring him indoors into a box of shredded paper to spend the night, then back outside in the a.m.


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## Harobed (Oct 23, 2016)

Yvonne G said:


> Hi, and welcome to the Forum!
> 
> This is the wrong time of year to be thinking of changing an indoor tortoise to living outside. Wait until Spring. He'll be ok in his current living space until Spring. Then, when the night time temps are staying above 60F you can move him outside. But if it gets too cool at night I'd bring him indoors into a box of shredded paper to spend the night, then back outside in the a.m.




Thank you so much!!!


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## Momof4 (Oct 24, 2016)

Are you inland or coastal? 
I'm in SD too! I'm inland and my little guy who's just a year goes outside almost everyday in winter since it's so warm here. I bring him inside in the late afternoon until it warms back up in the morning. 
If I was you I would take down the white fence and use your block or cinders in its place. 
You may want to add a cover to keep him safe from predators. 
Congrats on your tort!! CDT are not shy and have great personalities.

Oh, add terra-cotta plant saucers for his water/food dish and soak him every day in a dish pan or plastic bin in warm water. I usually do it while making breakfast as he soaks on the counter.


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## Lemonade (Nov 11, 2016)

When you do move outside, you will want an enclosure Houdini can NOT see out of. You can use blocks as mentioned, or I've used planks held in place with stakes. This is a good time to find the link that shows pictures of what others have done. Most desert tortoises want to dig a burrow, so you will want to watch for that. You will want to devise something like a burrow to keep him from digging too far.

When you do move him out, it's a good idea to observe and see what kinds of things he does--where he prefers to hang out. I was always tweaking based on my observations. Also, desert tortoises are very good at regulating their own temperature as long as they have sun and shade to choose from throughout the day.

He's adorable, by the way.


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