# Body temperature



## Court562 (Aug 19, 2016)

I have a 10 month old Lepord Tortoise. I was wondering if anyone knows what her body temperature should be. I have a heat gun (infrared thermometer) that I've been using and see her body temp goes from 81, to upwards of 86 at times (90% of the time is 80). What is she supposed to be?


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## mark1 (Aug 19, 2016)

while i'm not sure a heat gun will get you their body temperature , most everything i've ever had or seen preferred body temp was usually around 83 degrees ...... i do understand leopard tortoises can be as high as 90 depending on location .......

https://www.researchgate.net/public...bwe_with_comments_on_the_use_of_living_models


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## Tom (Aug 19, 2016)

There is no definitive answer for this. They thermoregulate by moving in and out of heat sources and their preferred temperature may change by the hour, day, month or season. If its 100 degrees in the shade, then they will be 100 degrees. On a cooler day they can move in and out of the sun at will to maintain their temp where they want it. Mine seem to like to be warmer. I used to temp their carapaces in the high 90's on a sunny day with ambient temps in the 80s. They had the opportunity to move in and out of shady areas that were in the 70's on these days.

Remember that infrared temp guns measure surface heat, not core temps.


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## mark1 (Aug 19, 2016)

i would disagree ,preferred body temps in reptiles has been shown in numerous species, simply by providing a temperature gradient for animals of the same species ..... if they can get to that temp they will , the preferred body temp will be slightly lower if they're not eating .....i've always asked my vet to keep my turtles at 83 degrees ........it's never appeared to me that they use the air to regulate their body temp, they use their environment , you will seldom find a turtle is the same temp as the air , unless the air temp happens to be their preferred body temp .....ground temperature is a big factor , ground temp varies greatly depending on many factors , they're pretty adept at finding warm and cool spots ...... i do remember seeing a paper on either eastern box turtles , blandings or na woods maintaining their body temperatures for extended periods of time ..... 104 degrees for 1/2 hour has been shown to be lethal to turtles or tortoises , many of them come from areas where it is above 104 in the shade everyday for weeks or months at a time ..... your external temp with the heat gun is warmer than the tortoise actually is , i've shot blanding's turtle shells as high as 104 , and they were quite comfortable ....


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## itiswhatitis (Aug 19, 2016)

mark1 said:


> i would disagree ,preferred body temps in reptiles has been shown in numerous species, simply by providing a temperature gradient for animals of the same species ..... if they can get to that temp they will , the preferred body temp will be slightly lower if they're not eating .....i've always asked my vet to keep my turtles at 83 degrees ........it's never appeared to me that they use the air to regulate their body temp, they use their environment , you will seldom find a turtle is the same temp as the air , unless the air temp happens to be their preferred body temp .....ground temperature is a big factor , ground temp varies greatly depending on many factors , they're pretty adept at finding warm and cool spots ...... i do remember seeing a paper on either eastern box turtles , blandings or na woods maintaining their body temperatures for extended periods of time ..... 104 degrees for 1/2 hour has been shown to be lethal to turtles or tortoises , many of them come from areas where it is above 104 in the shade everyday for weeks or months at a time ..... your external temp with the heat gun is warmer than the tortoise actually is , i've shot blanding's turtle shells as high as 104 , and they were quite comfortable ....




I was trying to ask this question in my thread for 3 days !!! My basking area is 100 at Rock slab and 89 and cypress mulch and his shell 103-105. This is all I'm basking light zone Is this ok. (Sulcata hatchling) he will Sleep like that for hours and randomly get up go over to water or food and then go back to wherever. I do seeing him Laying more in the cooler cypress at 89 that 100 Rock. But shell Still reads 104.


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## mark1 (Aug 20, 2016)

the only tortoises i've ever raised were redfoots and elongateds , this was back 30-40yrs , i was told i couldn't keep tortoises like leopards because of our humidity , i now know that was misinformation .... i'm sure there are folks here could tell you more than i about raising leopard tortoises..........personally i'd offer the 100 degrees , but i'd also offer an a high 70-80 degree end and the gradient in between , a healthy turtle will figure it out themselves if given the opportunity ...it's why successful keepers offer a gradient .. constantly being kept at sub-optimal temps ,too hot or to cold , is stressful , kept that way for long periods of time would probably be fatal ....... cold tolerant turtle like mine will overheat themselves sunning , not because their preferred body temp changes , but because heat is a commodity , they will also become too cold , because enough heat is not available in the environment , but it's not their preferred body temp and they will work to raise their temp ..... i think your heat gun is not really telling you much in regard to your tortoises body temp , it is good for identifying your temp gradient ..... you should read the paper i posted the link too , there is some good information to be taken away from it on preferred body temp of leopard tortoises ... if you read it , you'd see the body temps of about 160 wild speke's hingebacks from 2 different areas were all within 6 degrees of 83 degrees , and174 wild leopard tortoises were within within 7 degrees of 84 ......... i'm sure these are all adult tortoises , i'm assuming your is not . i would imagine like any young turtles , young ones are tough to study , because they're tough to find ......


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## itiswhatitis (Aug 20, 2016)

I have a range from 80 and up through the enclosure. Was just curious playing with the temp gun recommended here and hit his shell. Was like awe crap lol. Is he to hot !!!


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## Tom (Aug 20, 2016)

itiswhatitis said:


> I was trying to ask this question in my thread for 3 days !!! My basking area is 100 at Rock slab and 89 and cypress mulch and his shell 103-105. This is all I'm basking light zone Is this ok. (Sulcata hatchling) he will Sleep like that for hours and randomly get up go over to water or food and then go back to wherever. I do seeing him Laying more in the cooler cypress at 89 that 100 Rock. But shell Still reads 104.



Your tortoise's behavior suggests to me that you've got it right. Because he basks, get very warm, and then chooses to move out and go do stuff on the cooler end, then comes back to warm up some more after he cools, this tells me you've got a good balance there for this individual, in this enclosure.

Remember the carapace temp of a basking tortoise is not necessarily the same as their core temp. It like when you cook a big piece of meat and the middle is still raw and purple while the outside is getting crispy. I don't like to see my tortoise basking too much under incandescent bulbs. Incandescent bulbs generate high amounts of IR-A. This wavelength is very desiccating and dries out the carapace, which will contribute to more pyramiding. Now we need a heat source for them to bask, but if the environment is already pretty warm, they will need to bask less to get warm enough.

I would raise your bulb a little bit, or lower the wattage by switching bulbs or using a rheostat, and then watch his behavior. If he begins basking more then go back to the way it was or raise your ambient.

We can make general suggestions for heating and lighting, but each keeper must customize things for their own enclosure.


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## itiswhatitis (Aug 20, 2016)

Tom said:


> Your tortoise's behavior suggests to me that you've got it right. Because he basks, get very warm, and then chooses to move out and go do stuff on the cooler end, then comes back to warm up some more after he cools, this tells me you've got a good balance there for this individual, in this enclosure.
> 
> Remember the carapace temp of a basking tortoise is not necessarily the same as their core temp. It like when you cook a big piece of meat and the middle is still raw and purple while the outside is getting crispy. I don't like to see my tortoise basking too much under incandescent bulbs. Incandescent bulbs generate high amounts of IR-A. This wavelength is very desiccating and dries out the carapace, which will contribute to more pyramiding. Now we need a heat source for them to bask, but if the environment is already pretty warm, they will need to bask less to get warm enough.
> 
> ...



Cool thanks a lot !!! I have a lot bulbs so I changed 75 watt basking to 50 watt basking and see what he does. 
If I need to get an in between area I'll go grab a thermostat today. I will say that ambient from side to side is from 80 - 90 range. The basking zone I just read with the temp gun.


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## CashewtheTortoise (May 22, 2022)

mark1 said:


> the only tortoises i've ever raised were redfoots and elongateds , this was back 30-40yrs , i was told i couldn't keep tortoises like leopards because of our humidity , i now know that was misinformation .... i'm sure there are folks here could tell you more than i about raising leopard tortoises..........personally i'd offer the 100 degrees , but i'd also offer an a high 70-80 degree end and the gradient in between , a healthy turtle will figure it out themselves if given the opportunity ...it's why successful keepers offer a gradient .. constantly being kept at sub-optimal temps ,too hot or to cold , is stressful , kept that way for long periods of time would probably be fatal ....... cold tolerant turtle like mine will overheat themselves sunning , not because their preferred body temp changes , but because heat is a commodity , they will also become too cold , because enough heat is not available in the environment , but it's not their preferred body temp and they will work to raise their temp ..... i think your heat gun is not really telling you much in regard to your tortoises body temp , it is good for identifying your temp gradient ..... you should read the paper i posted the link too , there is some good information to be taken away from it on preferred body temp of leopard tortoises ... if you read it , you'd see the body temps of about 160 wild speke's hingebacks from 2 different areas were all within 6 degrees of 83 degrees , and174 wild leopard tortoises were within within 7 degrees of 84 ......... i'm sure these are all adult tortoises , i'm assuming your is not . i would imagine like any young turtles , young ones are tough to study , because they're tough to find ......


Hi I know this thread is old, but can you help me decide on what the best nighttime temperature is for my 2mo old elongated tortoise? I've been doing plenty of research on them and am trying to keep the little guy as comfortable and healthy as possible during these crucial growth months. I have a 15-gallon clear tank with a border since Cashew was staring at the glass and recently started to get stressed because of it. My other question is what the best humidity is for this species? I've been following this https://reptilerapture.net/elongated-tortoise-caresheet.html which says 60-80% and have been following this other site as well regarding other care https://reptilesmagazine.com/elongated-tortoise-information-and-care/


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## Tom (May 23, 2022)

CashewtheTortoise said:


> Hi I know this thread is old, but can you help me decide on what the best nighttime temperature is for my 2mo old elongated tortoise? I've been doing plenty of research on them and am trying to keep the little guy as comfortable and healthy as possible during these crucial growth months. I have a 15-gallon clear tank with a border since Cashew was staring at the glass and recently started to get stressed because of it. My other question is what the best humidity is for this species? I've been following this https://reptilerapture.net/elongated-tortoise-caresheet.html which says 60-80% and have been following this other site as well regarding other care https://reptilesmagazine.com/elongated-tortoise-information-and-care/


Optimal temp for this species is that same as it is for a red foot. 82-88, day and night. Humidity should be 80+% day and night. They don't need a basking lamp, and don't use any moss as they will eat it and it can cause impaction.

A 15 gallon is way too small. Minimum 40 gallons for a brand new hatchling. Best to use a large closed chamber so that you can easily control heat and humidity. Trying to keep the correct conditions in an open topped enclosure is like trying to heat your house in winter with no roof. It just doesn't work.

Use this care sheet for guidance:





Redfoot Tortoise Care Sheet


NOTE: I do not keep redfoots, and I only have one tortoise in total. With this in mind, remember that I am in no way an expert, and this should not be used as cold hard proof of how to raise a redfoot. I used information from great keepers on this forum to put everything together. This care...




tortoiseforum.org


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## CashewtheTortoise (May 23, 2022)

Thanks, Cashew seems to like it's basking lamp even though the temps inside are 85-93°. Originally I wasn't going to get it but I wanted to because it was about 40-50° outside temp. here. Since it is really small right now I have the 15 but I know I'll need to upgrade as it grows. I'm keeping track of measurements etc. the little guy just weighed in at 46g on Saturday and the shell measurement from May 7 is 5.9cm. Also I've been monitoring the stools daily and they seem normal w no straining; however, I plan to replace the moss with leaf litter. Thanks for your help! Lastly can I put a clear plastic garbage bag over the tank to help retain the humidity? I don't want to eliminate the air flow. 
(Pic is before I attached a border on the outside and I added more eco earth since it was looking thin)


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## Tom (May 23, 2022)

CashewtheTortoise said:


> Thanks, Cashew seems to like it's basking lamp even though the temps inside are 85-93°. Originally I wasn't going to get it but I wanted to because it was about 40-50° outside temp. here. Since it is really small right now I have the 15 but I know I'll need to upgrade as it grows. I'm keeping track of measurements etc. the little guy just weighed in at 46g on Saturday and the shell measurement from May 7 is 5.9cm. Also I've been monitoring the stools daily and they seem normal w no straining; however, I plan to replace the moss with leaf litter. Thanks for your help! Lastly can I put a clear plastic garbage bag over the tank to help retain the humidity? I don't want to eliminate the air flow.
> (Pic is before I attached a border on the outside and I added more eco earth since it was looking thin)


A closed chamber is not air tight. You are reducing airflow in the same way your home's roof reduces airflow and holds the heat in. You can do it with plastic, but aluminum foil might be safer and easier to work with.

I start 30 gram hatchlings in 48x36 inch enclosures. A 46 gram hatchling is way too large for a 12x24 inch tank. Tortoises need very large enclosures. Much larger than other types of reptiles. Minimum size for a tiny new hatchling should be 36x18, but yours already has some size, so bigger than that is necessary.


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## CashewtheTortoise (May 23, 2022)

Thank you so much, I know I'm trying my best right now. Cashew gets daily walks in my bedroom to get more exercise to account for its space and I just brought it outside yesterday to get some UVB from the sun.


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## Tom (May 23, 2022)

CashewtheTortoise said:


> Thank you so much, I know I'm trying my best right now. Cashew gets daily walks in my bedroom to get more exercise to account for its space and I just brought it outside yesterday to get some UVB from the sun.


That is a very bad idea and it usually leads to death injury or impaction. A tortoise should never be loose on the floor of a house.

Likewise, it should never be loose outside. They need to be in dedicated enclosures, indoors or out, that are designed and built to meet all their needs and keep them safe.

I'm not trying to give you a hard time. I'm trying to help you avoid the common mistakes and pitfalls that harm tortoises. I have made many of these mistakes myself and watched others make them too, and so I have a longterm first hand frame of reference for what can and does go wrong. I love your species and want to see you happy, and your tortoise live a long healthy life. That is my only goal here. You should feel free to ask questions, and please don't be discouraged by my comments that are intended to be helpful and prevent problems for you and your awesome tortoise.


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## TammyJ (May 23, 2022)

CashewtheTortoise said:


> Thanks, Cashew seems to like it's basking lamp even though the temps inside are 85-93°. Originally I wasn't going to get it but I wanted to because it was about 40-50° outside temp. here. Since it is really small right now I have the 15 but I know I'll need to upgrade as it grows. I'm keeping track of measurements etc. the little guy just weighed in at 46g on Saturday and the shell measurement from May 7 is 5.9cm. Also I've been monitoring the stools daily and they seem normal w no straining; however, I plan to replace the moss with leaf litter. Thanks for your help! Lastly can I put a clear plastic garbage bag over the tank to help retain the humidity? I don't want to eliminate the air flow.
> (Pic is before I attached a border on the outside and I added more eco earth since it was looking thin)


What an absolutely beautiful little tortoise!


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## CashewtheTortoise (May 24, 2022)

Tom said:


> That is a very bad idea and it usually leads to death injury or impaction. A tortoise should never be loose on the floor of a house.
> 
> Likewise, it should never be loose outside. They need to be in dedicated enclosures, indoors or out, that are designed and built to meet all their needs and keep them safe.
> 
> I'm not trying to give you a hard time. I'm trying to help you avoid the common mistakes and pitfalls that harm tortoises. I have made many of these mistakes myself and watched others make them too, and so I have a longterm first hand frame of reference for what can and does go wrong. I love your species and want to see you happy, and your tortoise live a long healthy life. That is my only goal here. You should feel free to ask questions, and please don't be discouraged by my comments that are intended to be helpful and prevent problems for you and your awesome tortoise.


Thanks for your advice, how does the walking in my room cause impaction? I would just like to know, if Cashew is ever out its enclosure I'm always sitting and watching it carefully to make sure it doesn't start to nibble on things it shouldn't. When I brought Cashew outside I made sure to choose a location with tort safe plants, and checked for ant hills between the grass. My backyard plants dont have any pesticides either. I'm planning on creating a tortoise table for it though, so most of what I have now is temporary.


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## CashewtheTortoise (May 24, 2022)

By the way my room is not hardwood, it is carpet


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## Tom (May 24, 2022)

CashewtheTortoise said:


> how does the walking in my room cause impaction?


Because it always does. Tortoises end up dead or in surgery at the vets office all the time. Every day. Every single one of those tortoise owners thought it was safe, they supervised closely, and they were sure that nothing would happen. If they thought this would happen, they wouldn't have been doing it. We've seen example after example here on the forum over the years. They always eventually find something. Hairs or carpet fibers wrap limbs. They swallow screws, earrings, and anything else they encounter. They get stepped on, kicked, escape out of a door left open, get their heads smashed in doors... the list is endless. Its also too cold down there on the floor.

We had one lady who argued this point, and when she took her tortoise to the vet they found a sewing pin inside her tortoise. A 2 inch sewing pin. She doesn't sew and no one in her family had any sewing supplies. She had no idea where it came from. This is typical of how it goes.

Outdoors, things seem to go fine for a while, and you will relax. One day you'll get a phone call, or remember something to tend to inside for just a second. You will blink and your tortoise will be gone. They have a way of just magically disappearing when "I just looked away for a second..." Again, no one thinks it will happen to them, but it always does eventually. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but it will eventually. Have you ever lost a tortoise? The panic, shock and horror of it is terrible. Nauseating. The moment you realize you can't find your tortoise is sickening. How do you think I know this?

Just don't do it. Don't learn this lesson the hard way.


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