Big Mama a black mt.tort. goes under for a n.Fl.winter. This location gets sun most of the day.

[emysbreeder]

 

[mike taylor]

I don't see no emy! Haha

 

[Yvonne G]

I wish I had all those leaves. My Manouria yard is directly under a mulberry tree, but by the time spring/monsoon season rolls around, the leaves have all decomposed.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Are those MAPLE leaves? Where in Florida are you?

 

[Yvonne G]

Can you think of how scary that would be to go out to the Manouria yard and eyeball scan the enclosure and not see any tortoises? Yipes!

 

[emysbreeder]

View attachment 109122 View attachment 109124

Here's another one "undercover" BMT. 5 new heat mats this year. Its to easy! Heat mat, tarp, Mt.Tortoise, your done! The Blacks know its getting cold,so, the get down. Emys emys dont know what cold is, so, they walk around until they run out of gas at about 50F. They learn to go into their low tec heated hut that took 10 minutes to build. Buttoned up tight with a heat mat and tarp works down to the 30'sF. When heat mats are placed on the ground we get fire ants under them. I have to do it upside down or check it everyday. More to come. Vic

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh, I see...the heat mat is the roof. Yes, I get fire ants under my mats in my tortoise sheds too, but not the actual mat...they're under the rubber stall mat under the heat mat. I haven't figured out how to get rid of them yet.

 

[emysbreeder]

Here's another one "undercover" BMT. 5 new heat mats this year. Its to easy! Heat mat, tarp, Mt.Tortoise, your done! The Blacks know its getting cold,so, the get down. Emys emys dont know what cold is, so, they walk around until they run out of gas at about 50F. They learn to go into their low tech heated hut that took 10 minutes to build. Buttoned up tight with a heat mat and tarp works down to the 30'sF. When heat mats are placed on the ground we get fire ants under them. I have to do it upside down or check it everyday. More to come. Vic View attachment 109157 View attachment 109158 View attachment 109155
View attachment 109154

Another low tech hut for E.E with heat mat. Heres how it works, when torts go inside, pull out the block. When it gets real cold like in 2009 and 2010 in the 20's they have a Fiberglass truck topper, covered with insulation and covered with tarp. With just one heat mat inside they stay warm. Babies are in the house in the Tortoise room. Now that is another story. Later Vic

 

[emysbreeder]

Are those MAPLE leaves? Where in Florida are you?

.....Oak, Sweet gum, giant woods bushes. North Fl. The oldest city in the USA St.Aug.Fl.

 

[Millerlite]

Awesome pictures as always Vic. Also thanks for some of the ideas. Here in ca out nights can get into the 40s and I usually use a red bulb but think I'll invest into a heat mat. I do have a hide I put leaves in and it stays warm. Also a green house for cold days. My guys all are doing alright this winter but with a heat may it will be better

Kyle

 

[Jacqui]

Very interesting! Always neat to see how others do things.

 

[emysbreeder]

Awesome pictures as always Vic. Also thanks for some of the ideas. Here in ca out nights can get into the 40s and I usually use a red bulb but think I'll invest into a heat mat. I do have a hide I put leaves in and it stays warm. Also a green house for cold days. My guys all are doing alright this winter but with a heat may it will be better

Kyle

Kyle, Glad to here your BMT are doing fine. They are Kane heat mats or Pig Blankets. They are not cheep but last for years as they are made for Pigs. One important thing about heating the Black or phayrei Mt.tort. They are hard wired to stop eating and become inactive when they get a signal that its Winter. So, If you are heating them up and they are not eating and their metabolism is high due to heat they will loose weight. Its best to have a night time low and then warm them in the day. Its the warm up the day after a cool night that is necessarily for them to stay healthy. Something else I do is use them as a top to a tub with hot side down for yearlings over night in mild weather. They even inter lock and can keep other critters like Rats, Hawks out. Vic

 

[emysbreeder]

.......Here is my baby tortoise room. I use a hot air humidifier for high humidity. Works super fine but I have to scrub down the walls after Winter. I rotate a 2.0 UVB light over the trays during the day, which I can do as a full time work at home tortoise care giver, and I give and give, man they are some demanding freeloaders. One year old can stay out on the screen porch most nights. The upside down heat mat keeps them warm at night. Recently they told me it was too warm by moving under those black lids in the back round. OK, that is how I do it, let me know how you guy's do it in a real Winter. Vic



View attachment 109783

 

[emysbreeder]

 

[Yvonne G]

You're so lucky to live in Florida.

 

[emysbreeder]

View attachment 109784

Forgot to tell you that the racks are on wheels and can be rolled out on my back porch and deck for natural UV. I'm working to get them all on wheels soon. I can also clean the floor better than before the wheels. Vic.....pic of my wife helping out the old guy!

 

[Yvonne G]

Where did you get those black tubs?

 

[Jacqui]

A lovely wife you have. I love seeing couples (or families) working together on tortoise projects. Makes it so much more fun for everybody. Really enjoying these peaks into your world. That is the one thing about tortoise keeping I dislike.... I seldom get a chance to really see how others are doing things. Thanks so very much for sharing.

 

[emysbreeder]

Where did you get those black tubs?

IKEA...but they dont make black anymore. Very sturdy slightly translucent. Not cheep

 

[emysbreeder]

A lovely wife you have. I love seeing couples (or families) working together on tortoise projects. Makes it so much more fun for everybody. Really enjoying these peaks into your world. That is the one thing about tortoise keeping I dislike.... I seldom get a chance to really see how others are doing things. Thanks so very much for sharing.

Well, thank you very much, she's a keeper! She put the wheels on the racks so I wouldn't have to carry them out one at a time. Ive known her sense high School. vic