120 lb S. moving from CA to SC ...is it possible ?

[sarahduvon]

Hi I am in need of knowing if I can take my 120+ lb Sulcata to South Carolina form California or is it too cold. I had my friend watch my other Sulcata a few years back and he lived where it got low in temp at night and my female died. I am very concerned and don't want to take him if he will not live well or die in the winter. Please any advice?
Thanks
Sarah

 

[wellington]

When it gets cold you have to provide heat. Yes it can be done if you can afford to provide the proper housing and heat for cold weather. It's done here in Chicago with no problem, just more expensive.

 

[Tom]

All sulcatas need night and winter heat anywhere in this country. SC is no exception. Some people in Phoenix leave them outside in burrows with no heat over winter, but I wouldn't do that.

What do you do for night heat here in SoCal? I unplug my heaters for a few summer months, but I've got heated boxes for the other 9 months of the year.

 

[sarahduvon]

I have him in a shed, in a giant dog igloo with a ceramic lamp . The igloo is covered by a bunch of blankets at night and in the winter. And my heater goes year round. And that is in Califironia... But I am aware that my tortoise leaves his igloo and walks around and sometimes if he goes far enough he dosnt make it back in the winter or cold. Then we have to find him when it is dark and pull him in. But in a much colder climate I am not sure that this is wise to take him there as he might die before we can get to him. I of coarse would give him a good set up in the new place in South Carolina but I also don't want to be dumb and lose him. It would be so hard to give him away but I would do it to save him. Is there anyone out there that lives in SC or a cold climate that could tell me how they handle there tortoise? Keep in mind he is not small enough to contain to a small closed in space.
Thanks
Sarah

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Sarah, and welcome to the Forum!

Well, a Dogloo isn't the ideal winter-time shelter for a sulcata tortoise, even in California. It would be much better if you had something a little bigger and better insulated. Your tortoise would do just fine in South Carolina if he had the proper shelter/shed for cold weather. We have quite a few folks here on the Forum who live in SC and keep sulcata tortoises.

Your tortoise doesn't go back into his Dogloo not because he got too cold to make it back, but because it isn't a good shelter for him. Once you get him set up properly, he'll treasure his retreat and will go back on his own every time, no matter how cold it gets.

We have a couple of threads at the top of the Enclosure section put together by one of our moderators showing pictures of many members' habitats/enclosures. Take a look through them and see if something fits for you.

 

[sarahduvon]

Thanks Ill check it out!

 

[Tom]

Here is what I do:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-effective-night-box.86632/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/

It has a door with a latch so I make sure the torts are in their boxes at night and then latch them in. I then walk around and pop the doors open in the morning. We regularly get down in the 20's on cold winter nights here and all of these boxes maintain around 80 degrees for me with no problem.

 

[RosieRedfoot]

I'm in SC and right now it's 98 degrees during the day and 60-70%+ humidity. It's really only below 60 degrees like 3 months of the year. I have a redfoot juvenile who isn't outside fully yet, but she will be in the next year-ish. The zoo here has sulcatas, Galapagos, radiateds, and Burmese mt tortoises that spend most their lives outside in pens with a heated shed for night/winter. Pm me if you want to talk climate or SC more.