# Outdoor winter housing in Arizona??



## badkitty (Sep 16, 2012)

We just moved our 4 sulcatas to their outdoor enclosure, they are about 4 1/2 inches now. I was just wondering what other people in AZ use for their winter homes. It doesn't get too cold and it never snows in Phoenix , I was thinking an insulated dog house with plastic door flap??
Would love to hear what others use.
Thanks in advance 
Grace


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## Maggie Cummings (Sep 16, 2012)

They sound too small to stay out this winter. I would wait another year. You'd need a dogloo, and pig blanket and some heater type or a deck box and make sure they go in every night. Like I said, I think they are too small just yet.


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## ssydney (Sep 16, 2012)

badkitty said:


> We just moved our 4 sulcatas to their outdoor enclosure, they are about 4 1/2 inches now. I was just wondering what other people in AZ use for their winter homes. It doesn't get too cold and it never snows in Phoenix , I was thinking an insulated dog house with plastic door flap??
> Would love to hear what others use.
> Thanks in advance
> Grace



In Phoenix I will be keeping my Redfoot out this winter in her enclosure with some heating lamps and a heating mat.... Your tort might be too small to stay outside this winter but if the dog house is heated then it might be fine


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## badkitty (Sep 17, 2012)

Well not many ideas, guess I'll just keep them outside during the day and inside at night.


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## lynnedit (Sep 17, 2012)

There are a couple of other threads active now about insulating Rubbermaid sheds or deck boxes (I just searched the enclosure thread and you have another active one too with some responses).

here's another one:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Need-Advice-Rubbermaid-Shed#axzz26hTrwFFS

Lots of good ideas there.


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## badkitty (Sep 17, 2012)

lynnedit said:


> There are a couple of other threads active now about insulating Rubbermaid sheds or deck boxes (I just searched the enclosure thread and you have another active one too with some responses).
> 
> here's another one:
> http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Need-Advice-Rubbermaid-Shed#axzz26hTrwFFS
> ...



Thank you Lynne


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## ssydney (Sep 17, 2012)

badkitty said:


> Well not many ideas, guess I'll just keep them outside during the day and inside at night.



Well try your insulated idea for a night or a few, see what happens and make your decision. Just watch the temperatures outside and in the tort home.


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## DesertGrandma (Sep 17, 2012)

Hi Grace. Sounds like we are in the same boat, wondering about the winter weather in Phoenix. btw it has snowed in Phoenix!! but it lasted only a nanosecond, haha. I agree with the others that your tort is probably not big enough to stay outside all winter. My biggest is a leopard just under 6 inches and I don't plan on leaving him out at night until next summer. They really shouldn't be in weather below 70* and preferably higher than that, when they are still little like that. But, if you decide to go ahead anyway, I would put a remote thermometer inside to monitor the temps and make sure the heater is working properly. We have decided to start building a shed to be ready by next summer, with heat of some sort. Still trying to figure out which kind will work best. Good luck!!


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## badkitty (Sep 17, 2012)

DesertGrandma said:


> Hi Grace. Sounds like we are in the same boat, wondering about the winter weather in Phoenix. btw it has snowed in Phoenix!! but it lasted only a nanosecond, haha. I agree with the others that your tort is probably not big enough to stay outside all winter. My biggest is a leopard just under 6 inches and I don't plan on leaving him out at night until next summer. They really shouldn't be in weather below 70* and preferably higher than that, when they are still little like that. But, if you decide to go ahead anyway, I would put a remote thermometer inside to monitor the temps and make sure the heater is working properly. We have decided to start building a shed to be ready by next summer, with heat of some sort. Still trying to figure out which kind will work best. Good luck!!



Haha Yeah we are in the same boat, I remember a snowflake fall to the ground once and then disappear I don't miss it though I'm from NYC the AZ heat is great. I wish I were more handy though. I think once the temps drop I will keep the sulcatas indoors . I'll look for your post and maybe get an idea or two from what you do. Good Luck!


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## Eweezyfosheezy (Sep 17, 2012)

I would keep the sulcatas inside at night. You can keep them outside when we have warm days during the winter, which happens to be pretty much everyday even in Winter .


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## Tom (Sep 17, 2012)

Eweezyfosheezy said:


> I would keep the sulcatas inside at night. You can keep them outside when we have warm days during the winter, which happens to be pretty much everyday even in Winter .



This is what I do over here to the West. I think you guys are generally a little warmer over there, but this plan works well for me. I don't usually move them out side permanently until they are at least 8-10". Prior to that size, mine sleep inside.


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## badkitty (Sep 18, 2012)

ok thank you everyone , I will be keeping them outside on nice warm days and they will be kept indoors at night .
Maybe this year we might even get a winter, last year I never even wore a jacket and my hubbie wore shorts all yer long lol


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## Jacqui (Sep 18, 2012)

badkitty said:


> Maybe this year we might even get a winter, last year I never even wore a jacket and my hubbie wore shorts all yer long lol



 You can always dream!


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## Tom (Sep 18, 2012)

Hey, I wear shorts all year long everywhere. I was in Des Moines Iowa in January a couple of years ago and me and a coworker were walking through the snow to a nearby restaurant. Two times a random car pulled over to tell me to "Put some pants on. It's winter time." I was really quite comfortable during my little stroll... 

I think I own a pair of pants or two, but I would really have to brush the dust off of them if I were ever going to wear them. They might be moth eaten by now.


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## badkitty (Sep 18, 2012)

Tom said:


> Hey, I wear shorts all year long everywhere. I was in Des Moines Iowa in January a couple of years ago and me and a coworker were walking through the snow to a nearby restaurant. Two times a random car pulled over to tell me to "Put some pants on. It's winter time." I was really quite comfortable during my little stroll...
> 
> I think I own a pair of pants or two, but I would really have to brush the dust off of them if I were ever going to wear them. They might be moth eaten by now.



haha! Yeah my hubbie wears shorts even when we go up to Northern AZ where it snows to get our xmas tree. He's done it his whole life ,I think the only time he wore pants was when we got married!!


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