Can i put my tortoises indoors just for few hours a day?

Potato_king

Active Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2021
Messages
138
Location (City and/or State)
Oman
Hello everyone.

Since the summer started, i noticed that both the male and the female are severely dehydrated. I soak them every day and i give them fresh food, but the dehydration is getting worse by the day
Im keeping them outside but the heat nowadays is unbelievable. It's almost 120f here and the dehydration got worse.

My question is it okay to put my tortoises indoors when its very hot outside? I don't have an indoor encluser and im planing to put some hay in a big container just for few hours a day and then take them back outside?
 

Potato_king

Active Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2021
Messages
138
Location (City and/or State)
Oman
If you have no other way to get them into a cooler area and they are getting dehydrated, then that's what I would do. However, put them in a seperate enclosure and don't use hay it's to drying.
Thank you very much for the feedback, i will start working on it right away,

I will put some native dirt on the containers and put them inside from 11Am to 5pm, after that i will take them outside to sleep.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,655
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Thank you very much for the feedback, i will start working on it right away,

I will put some native dirt on the containers and put them inside from 11Am to 5pm, after that i will take them outside to sleep.
Be sure to make the inside something they can walk around in, an enclosure not just a box. You will get other problems if they cant get enough exercise.
I would also work on getting the outside cooler. More shade and misting system.
 

Skip K

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2020
Messages
407
Location (City and/or State)
Virginia
I keep our torts hydrated with a few methods. Everything they get to eat from us is sopping wet ( whether they are indoors or outdoors). Greens, pellets, fruit etc. I hose down their enclosures once or twice each day if it’s extremely hot ( this also makes what they graze on in the enclosures wet). We also have mini ponds that they can soak themselves in and I have made humid burrows for the non burrowing species to hunker down in ( which they take advantage of). The only time they eat anything “dry”...is when I let them out of their enclosure to graze on our property ...when I can watch them.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Thank you very much for the feedback, i will start working on it right away,

I will put some native dirt on the containers and put them inside from 11Am to 5pm, after that i will take them outside to sleep.
Tortoises are most active during the day, This is when they get all their tortoise business done. They need a suitable enclosure to function in, not a little box with hay or dirt. Many people have unsuitable weather for their tortoises. Usually its due to frozen water (snow) everywhere outside in the winter months. Your area is unsuitable do to the extreme heat. Your tortoises each need their own large, properly equipped indoor enclosures for unsuitable weather.

Read this for how to do it:
 

Potato_king

Active Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2021
Messages
138
Location (City and/or State)
Oman
I keep our torts hydrated with a few methods. Everything they get to eat from us is sopping wet ( whether they are indoors or outdoors). Greens, pellets, fruit etc. I hose down their enclosures once or twice each day if it’s extremely hot ( this also makes what they graze on in the enclosures wet). We also have mini ponds that they can soak themselves in and I have made humid burrows for the non burrowing species to hunker down in ( which they take advantage of). The only time they eat anything “dry”...is when I let them out of their enclosure to graze on our property ...when I can watch them.
Thank you for the feedback,
I will follow the same methods and try to soak their food before giving it to them, also i will focus on hosing it every now and then until i decided what to do
 

Potato_king

Active Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2021
Messages
138
Location (City and/or State)
Oman
Tortoises are most active during the day, This is when they get all their tortoise business done. They need a suitable enclosure to function in, not a little box with hay or dirt. Many people have unsuitable weather for their tortoises. Usually its due to frozen water (snow) everywhere outside in the winter months. Your area is unsuitable do to the extreme heat. Your tortoises each need their own large, properly equipped indoor enclosures for unsuitable weather.

Read this for how to do it:
Thank you for the feedback,
So i guess taking them indoors is a bad idea?
At this point i have decided to give my tortoises away for anyone who needs a tortoise outside Oman, its not only the whether that's not suitable, but also the plants,, etc.
 

Krista S

Well-Known Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 4, 2019
Messages
1,364
Location (City and/or State)
Saskatchewan
Thank you for the feedback,
So i guess taking them indoors is a bad idea?
At this point i have decided to give my tortoises away for anyone who needs a tortoise outside Oman, its not only the whether that's not suitable, but also the plants,, etc.
No, it’s not bad to take them indoors, it’s just that they need proper enclosures inside since you plan to have them inside for 6 hours per day when they would generally be pretty active. I live in climate that is not suitable for my tortoise to be outside most of the year because of our long cold winters. My tortoise is able to thrive indoors because he has a suitably sized enclosure.
 

Potato_king

Active Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2021
Messages
138
Location (City and/or State)
Oman
No, it’s not bad to take them indoors, it’s just that they need proper enclosures inside since you plan to have them inside for 6 hours per day when they would generally be pretty active. I live in climate that is not suitable for my tortoise to be outside most of the year because of our long cold winters. My tortoise is able to thrive indoors because he has a suitably sized enclosure.

Im very glad to hear your Opinion,
I guess having a very cold whether is much better for a tortoise than having a very hot one.
honestly im very confused at the moment. The heat over here is getting worse by the day. We can't stand it, let alone our pets.
I will try to build two enclosures just for two months until summer ends.
 

Potato_king

Active Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2021
Messages
138
Location (City and/or State)
Oman
That is the opposite of what I said. Bringing them indoors during unsuitable weather is not just a good idea, it is necessary unless you have some means of making outdoors more livable.
Ohh sorry my bad,
For now i have decided to bring them indoors, i will read the care sheet again to see what i need.
Thank you
 

Lyn W

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
23,497
Location (City and/or State)
UK
Make sure you have plant saucers of fresh water daily in their enclosures big enough for them to self soak when they want to. Terracotta plant saucers are quite shallow and if sunk level with the substrate they are easy to access and exit.
If you have a/c in the room you plan to put them check they aren't getting too cold. You may need a heat source for them in their enclosures.
 

Potato_king

Active Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2021
Messages
138
Location (City and/or State)
Oman
Make sure you have plant saucers of fresh water daily in their enclosures big enough for them to self soak when they want to. Terracotta plant saucers are quite shallow and if sunk level with the substrate they are easy to access and exit.
If you have a/c in the room you plan to put them check they aren't getting too cold. You may need a heat source for them in their enclosures.
Thank you for your feedback ?
The place where im planning to put them in is 93.2 °F.
There is no a/c but in case i will monitor the temperature closely
 

TaylorTortoise

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2020
Messages
1,461
Location (City and/or State)
Abington
Be sure to make the inside something they can walk around in, an enclosure not just a box. You will get other problems if they cant get enough exercise.
I would also work on getting the outside cooler. More shade and misting system.
Wouldn't a misting system create higher humidity?
I was thinking maybe tortoise pools for them to swim in. With cooler water.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,655
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Wouldn't a misting system create higher humidity?
I was thinking maybe tortoise pools for them to swim in. With cooler water.
Misting would raise humidity but humidity isn't bad and it also would cool the air. In Arizona, very hot and dry, the outdoor seating areas at restaurants have misting systems. It keeps the area cooler.
Shallow pools of water wouldn't be bad but they would have to use thrm to get cooler. The misting system would cool it without them having to do anything. Even a sprinkler would work but that will make it more wet and puddles where the misting doesn't make things as wet and would work better cooling the air and surroundings.
 
Top