Outdoor Accommodation in a Colder (UK) Climate

Tidgy's Dad

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New owner of a Greek tort found this so useful thanks , don't get the weather so great here in Wales as you do in Kent , so found this extremely helpful
Welcome!
I'm half Welsh and well know the climate, though I now live in a place where Greeks occur in the wild.Other Welsh members about too. :)
 

Kristoff

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@JoesMum, I'm not anywhere near the UK climate but this thread is so helpful. The temps are starting to fall even here in Turkey, so I made a cold frame inspired by your post. (I'm not a hands-on person, unfortunately).

A heartfelt thank you for sharing your knowledge!!

ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1472735666.236163.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1472735739.302070.jpg
 

Lauren Tilbury

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Hi, @JoesMum.
This cold frame, is it used during the winter months? If so, when they are hibernating, do they mind the sun coming in. I'm sorry. I'm really new to this. I live in Southern California. We don't get very cold here. It's been beautiful for the last week. I am trying to come up with a configuration for her den. I see different things on the forum. Do you have two houses? One for winter and one for summer?
 

JoesMum

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Hi, @JoesMum.
This cold frame, is it used during the winter months? If so, when they are hibernating, do they mind the sun coming in. I'm sorry. I'm really new to this. I live in Southern California. We don't get very cold here. It's been beautiful for the last week. I am trying to come up with a configuration for her den. I see different things on the forum. Do you have two houses? One for winter and one for summer?
@Lauren Tilbury In the winter months Joe hibernates so he does absolutely nothing for 3-4 months.

Until this winter we have always had a hibernation box in the garage, but climate change has made temperature stability an issue. As a result, this winter he's hibernating in a fridge we got specially for the purpose.

If you have a tortoise that's not hibernating for the winter and the weather outside is warm enough there's no reason you couldn't use the cold frame all winter.

It does not provide enough insulation against temperature change for hibernating a tortoise in it though. For successful healthy hibernation temperatures must be stable around 5C/40F and never going below freezing or above 10C/50F
 

Lauren Tilbury

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@JoesMum, thank you for the info. I am in Southern California. I am about 15 minutes from Disneyland, but by the beach. It doesn't get too cold here. Right now it's 65 degrees, but warm in the sun. I was wondering about the black slate rocks. I'm having a hard time finding black slate. Can it be any natural rock that is black??
 

JoesMum

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@JoesMum, thank you for the info. I am in Southern California. I am about 15 minutes from Disneyland, but by the beach. It doesn't get too cold here. Right now it's 65 degrees, but warm in the sun. I was wondering about the black slate rocks. I'm having a hard time finding black slate. Can it be any natural rock that is black??
Any dark coloured rocks will do the job. The dark colour absorbs the heat better.

65F is 18C which translates into a pretty nice day in the UK. We'd be more than happy with that! If the sun is out, you should have no problem getting the ground temperature up. :)
 

micki

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This is an excellent read. Many thanks for posting it.
 

beccabobbins

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I have just finished making an outdoor enclosure in Dorset for my Greek tortoise and I found this such a helpful read.
I'm definitely going to invest in some blue slate chippings and have an area for basking.
My tortoise spends a lot of time indoors under his lamp at the moment but my plan is to let him spend most of days outdoors and bring him in overnight.
On cooler days should I let him warm up under his lamp before I put him out or just pop him in his cold frame?
 

JoesMum

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I have just finished making an outdoor enclosure in Dorset for my Greek tortoise and I found this such a helpful read.
I'm definitely going to invest in some blue slate chippings and have an area for basking.
My tortoise spends a lot of time indoors under his lamp at the moment but my plan is to let him spend most of days outdoors and bring him in overnight.
On cooler days should I let him warm up under his lamp before I put him out or just pop him in his cold frame?
I let Joe warm up under a lamp first.

I tend to think of it as putting him on charge like a mobile phone... if he's got a full charge then he's good for a couple of hours even in the colder days. Joe can of course return to the lamp in the kennel at any point.
 

risepark

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Thanks for a terrific post. Unfortunately we have no neighbours able to come in every day, or relatives. In addition we have a large field to the rear, and I know we get the occasional fox. There is a wildlife park who will look after him, in an enclosed space with heating etc. They are very proffesional, and we will probablly take him there. We have used a local specialist reptile shop, and he is kept in a terrarium. It's just that he loves the outdoors. All the other advice is great, and I thank you. Regards risepark
 

Angel K

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Great ideas... so if it is 43 f the blue chips get hotter? I also need safety so I would need to figure out how to do that.
We have Javalina come into our yard and stray cats and was told we have a couple of mountain lions too ... :tort::(
 

katieandiggy

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@JoesMum hi Linda, can you tell me more about your kennel? Did you insulate it with foam or just the reflective material? Also where did you purchase it, ive seen similar on eBay?
Also if there was going to be a prolonged spell of say rain, for a few days or more, what would Joe do? Would he stay in the cold frame or would you put him in the kennel?
Thank you
 
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