Anyone in Central TX have a 100% outdoor tort?

[FoldintheCheese]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to the forum and learning a lot. I rescued a sulcata that is between 6 and 12mo old. They will be indoors with us this winter, but I have hopes for a winterized setup when they are old enough. I just want to be clear that no one is getting tossed in the backyard this holiday season. I want to start planning now, though, b/c I know the design and build will take time to get right. I'm curious what people have done and what's worked well especially in central TX. I've attached average temperatures by month for anyone who is experienced but just not with central Texas specifically. Bear in mind, it was 111 the day before yesterday, so these averages are skewed a bit cooler imho. We hardly ever hit a low temp and if we do, it'll be at night, not during the day.

 

[EppsDynasty]

You will need a heated house that is insulated. There is a great design on here by @Tom called a night box. I'm not the tech savvy person who can copy and paste the actual thread here but someone will come along that can do that i'm sure. Sulcata torts need to have a heated area above 80 degrees all day and night during the winters, they naturally do not experience temps below that. I live in between Death Valley and the Mojave Desert so might have similar temps to you and we house multiple Sulcatas this way. The actual size of your tot will dictate what you need, smaller torts need to be inside. Sounds like if you keep him inside this year he will be ready next winter. If you post some pictures of your setup and ideas you have about the indoor enclosure you will receive expert advice on what can be done better.

 

[jaizei]

You can make do with the night box method since it only really gets and stays cold for brief periods Dec-Feb.

How much room do you have to work with?

 

[FoldintheCheese]

You will need a heated house that is insulated. There is a great design on here by @Tom called a night box. I'm not the tech savvy person who can copy and paste the actual thread here but someone will come along that can do that i'm sure. Sulcata torts need to have a heated area above 80 degrees all day and night during the winters, they naturally do not experience temps below that. I live in between Death Valley and the Mojave Desert so might have similar temps to you and we house multiple Sulcatas this way. The actual size of your tot will dictate what you need, smaller torts need to be inside. Sounds like if you keep him inside this year he will be ready next winter. If you post some pictures of your setup and ideas you have about the indoor enclosure you will receive expert advice on what can be done better.

I found it! Thanks! I'll do some drawings-- still seeing what is out there. My dad built a shed several years back that allowed for it to collapse/ expand. (Retired engineer) My thought was to do walls that are two pieces of plywood with spray foam in between that will hook together in a similar way-- maybe an RV window built in next to the door(?) I want to integrate solar power, a heater on the inside with a built in thermostat built for animals to touch and not get burned, and fans for the high heat parts of summer. My thought is I might just have a wall/part of a wall I can swap out depending on the time of year. I see a lot of people using heating pads, which I didn't think were safe. I've been thinking about doing a tile floor which got me thinking about heated tile. All together, it should be safe, warm, and easy to clean with tile on the floor.

 

[EppsDynasty]

PIG BLANKETS or KANE MATS
https://osbornelivestockequipment.com/products/heat-mats/ ..... check this out. It is the bestest heat pad in my opinion. The Kane Mats are about 3/4" thick and the Stanfield are thinner which in my opinion are easier to use for a Sulcata. Make sure to get the 500 wat controller for an added layer of security against burn threat.

 

[FoldintheCheese]

You can make do with the night box method since it only really gets and stays cold for brief periods Dec-Feb.

How much room do you have to work with?

I'm building out the future habitat on the side of the house (9x24'), so I have some flexibility.

 

[EppsDynasty]

We do not have the winter insulation yet but have found that a simple old comforter over the plywood house in the summer works great to keep it cooler. Keeps the sun from beating down on the plywood.

 

[Cantudallas]

I found it! Thanks! I'll do some drawings-- still seeing what is out there. My dad built a shed several years back that allowed for it to collapse/ expand. (Retired engineer) My thought was to do walls that are two pieces of plywood with spray foam in between that will hook together in a similar way-- maybe an RV window built in next to the door(?) I want to integrate solar power, a heater on the inside with a built in thermostat built for animals to touch and not get burned, and fans for the high heat parts of summer. My thought is I might just have a wall/part of a wall I can swap out depending on the time of year. I see a lot of people using heating pads, which I didn't think were safe. I've been thinking about doing a tile floor which got me thinking about heated tile. All together, it should be safe, warm, and easy to clean with tile on the floor.

Hi where did you find the plan? I’m in Dallas and trying to figure out a winter house for my girl

 

[zovick]

Hi where did you find the plan? I’m in Dallas and trying to figure out a winter house for my girl

@Tom can provide you with the plans. His heated houses are exceptional.