Are most tortoises sensitive to weather changes in different regions?

[willee638]

I wasn't able to find something as specific as tortoises raised by owners living in different parts & regions of the world affects them more when weather changes, because I live in an area where it isn't the same as my red footed tortoise are native to is because where I'm at has noticeable mildly cold & hot seasons. I installed UVA+UVB ultra violet full spectrum sun lamp but my tortoise still doesn't feed much at all & very inactive during the cooler months of between 18-24 degrees celcius & warm as 28-38 celcius , is it a mistake not to keep solar lamps on overnight instead of just daytime in cooler weather? Like in the wild should they also be kept in cooler night temperatures & hotter daytime temperatures? Are baby red footed tortoises more sensitive to weather changes than adults? I heard tortoises of all spices should as much as possible be exposed to natural sunlight, can baby or young tors get stressed out if taken out in a container for short trips of an hour or so to & away from home to outdoor parks & environs? Thanks for any advice!

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I keep my Redfoots at 84-86F day and night which I believe is around 28-30C. Your tortoise needs darkness at nighttime so I use a ceramic heat emitter.

 

[Yvonne G]

If your tortoise lives indoors, and you have the correct lighting and heat, then the weather should not be a consideration.

 

[DJ Kirk]

Due to where I live I can only get my RF outside in July/August. He lives inside for 9 months straight. CRE's heat to 90F+ daytime and his enclosure falls to 70-75F at night. Ambient daytime is 85F. During the day he has many temperature options from 75F in the real cool end to almost 100F under one of the CRE's. I have two 18" UVB strips but he gets most of his calcium and vitamins from basic food and repti-supplements. Sunlight is not really necessary for RF's as in the wild they live under jungle canopy and do not really need direct sunlight. The biggest mistake I think RF's owners make is using a mercury vapor bulb or basking lamp. This can harm RF's as they are not genetically disposed to needing it. The #1 thing RF's need is humidity not sunlight!

 

[willee638]

Due to where I live I can only get my RF outside in July/August. He lives inside for 9 months straight. CRE's heat to 90F+ daytime and his enclosure falls to 70-75F at night. Ambient daytime is 85F. During the day he has many temperature options from 75F in the real cool end to almost 100F under one of the CRE's. I have two 18" UVB strips but he gets most of his calcium and vitamins from basic food and repti-supplements. Sunlight is not really necessary for RF's as in the wild they live under jungle canopy and do not really need direct sunlight. The biggest mistake I think RF's owners make is using a mercury vapor bulb or basking lamp. This can harm RF's as they are not genetically disposed to needing it. The #1 thing RF's need is humidity not sunlight!

 

[willee638]

Thank you all so much for the invaluable advice, I don't live in extremely winter climates like North America or Northern Europe, I do know RFs need moistures & humidity like the tropics. I've seen experienced tortoise keepers install elaborate steam pipes to create mist but I can only use a ceramic container with small holes on lid filled with hot water to let out vapour of cause out of the tortoise's reach for safety, it was able to give a little moisture temporarily. I especially thankful to be informed that "mercury vapour sun lamps are inappropriate for Red foots as I recently inadvertently purchased this type after my previous full spectrum solar lamp burned out, I suspect this maybe the reason why my RF stop feeding to avoid the apparently stronger ray possibly affecting her eye sight & subsequent appetite. I'm a first time novice tortoise pet owner & has much to learn despite doing reading & searching on related topics, I own gold fishes & they demand much less attention. Pet shop sales people don't always possess all the proper knowledge of the animals they sell & recommend the most suitable accessories to care for them because they're only involved in the very early stages of the animal's life. Kudos to all for the info...

 

[DJ Kirk]

Thank you all so much for the invaluable advice, I don't live in extremely winter climates like North America or Northern Europe, I do know RFs need moistures & humidity like the tropics. I've seen experienced tortoise keepers install elaborate steam pipes to create mist but I can only use a ceramic container with small holes on lid filled with hot water to let out vapour of cause out of the tortoise's reach for safety, it was able to give a little moisture temporarily. I especially thankful to be informed that "mercury vapour sun lamps are inappropriate for Red foots as I recently inadvertently purchased this type after my previous full spectrum solar lamp burned out, I suspect this maybe the reason why my RF stop feeding to avoid the apparently stronger ray possibly affecting her eye sight & subsequent appetite. I'm a first time novice tortoise pet owner & has much to learn despite doing reading & searching on related topics, I own gold fishes & they demand much less attention. Pet shop sales people don't always possess all the proper knowledge of the animals they sell & recommend the most suitable accessories to care for them because they're only involved in the very early stages of the animal's life. Kudos to all for the info...

Good luck with your husbandry. I think you'll be fine. IMHO, one of the things that puts RF's off feeding is drying out. Maybe you've fixed that problem. Seems like you are well on the way to knowing your stuff. And understanding that the fools at pet stores know nothing is very important. I have heard so many wrong statements from pet store employees it boogles the mind. If you can find a tortoise breeder willing to help - most reputable breeders have gone through the trial-and-error with success - they know the do's and don'ts.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Redfoot are sensative to the rain.
Rain ramps up excitement, activity and breeding behavior.
Redfoot are sensative to heat and light. When it gets too bright and too warm, they retreat into the shade and stay there.

 

[willee638]

Very true land tortoises apparently loves water when I occasionally spray her with a spray bottle to wet her & the bedding, I myself also sunbath 3-4 times a week in the summer season & natural sun doesn't feels like the dry baking heat of an artificial UV mercury lamps rays to dry up all the moistures of the skin quickly. I was taking care of a turtle for a friend for 2 weeks & although they're amphibians it liked staying away from water for long periods of time daily & only soaked in water to feed & relieving itself, funny people always assume turtles should in water all the time & tortoises always kept dry & hot.

 

[willee638]

Today it was fairly sunny at 19 degrees Celsius in Feb & I thought it was a good idea to take my baby tortoise to a park with green grass & lots of plants even edible flowers red footed love, it was no surprise she really enjoyed the excursion eat flowers, leafs & relieved herself. She hasn't ate for a few days since the first 3 days when I first bought her home from the pet shop, I replaced my previous burned out bulb with a UVA+UVB mercury vapour lamps & she didn't eat or drank if any since I was worried she maybe sick, please give your advice if the UV bulb currently in used could be of the wrong type & if not all UVA+UVB full spectrum bulbs are of the appropriate type for my tortoise. After 2 hours at the park under natural sun ray as soon as I took her back home to her enclosure she reverted to her former inactive sleeping state, is it the wrong bulb or the natural sun rays cause a change in her behaviour?