Caring for 40 Year Old Tortoise

[TwinkleNewbie]

Hello all, new here and only got our tortoise the other day!

We have just got a 40 year old greek tortoise from a friend, we have a nice size garden so wanted to keep him in there most of the time unless it gets too cold them bring him in. We read that when the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius you should bring them inside. We also read you should have a UVB heat lamp for them to keep them happy and healthy as they are cold blooded creatures and can't generate their own heat.

Then we find out from the friend that he has been kept outside all of his life, never been inside even in the cold days and never had a heat lamp in all of his 40 years of living?

I thought this was really bad from what I have been reading. So what do I do now? Do I get him in indoor enclosure and bring him in when it's cold with a heat lamp or leave him outside even when it's cold?

 

[Ink]

Welcome to the forum. @zolasmum should be able to help you.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Welcome to the forum!

In your climate, I do suggest getting a proper indoor enclosure set up. Because yes, there will be days you need to bring him indoors. I don't think you should take the risk of leaving him out when it is cold, just because he is used to it.

I hope this thread by @Littleredfootbigredheart (another UK based member) will help you (despite the title it works for greeks too, since the Mediterranean species are very similar):

Housing adult Russian and Hermans indoors

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information an example of an appropriate indoor set up for an older Herman/russian. As much as it’s encouraged to have tortoises in a safe outdoor enclosure, I understand being from the uk myself, that some climates make it difficult to...

tortoiseforum.org

Also, check out this thread meant for our new members:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[zolasmum]

Hello all, new here and only got our tortoise the other day!

We have just got a 40 year old greek tortoise from a friend, we have a nice size garden so wanted to keep him in there most of the time unless it gets too cold them bring him in. We read that when the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius you should bring them inside. We also read you should have a UVB heat lamp for them to keep them happy and healthy as they are cold blooded creatures and can't generate their own heat.

Then we find out from the friend that he has been kept outside all of his life, never been inside even in the cold days and never had a heat lamp in all of his 40 years of living?

I thought this was really bad from what I have been reading. So what do I do now? Do I get him in indoor enclosure and bring him in when it's cold with a heat lamp or leave him outside even when it's cold?

Welcome from Devon. I think your tortoise must be a tough little chap to cope with our weather in winter - I assume he must have found a place to brumate (hibernate) for himself. I think he would be happy to have a safe place indoors, and leaving him outside in tne winter is dangerous, not just because of the cold, but also because of the risk of predators getting to him. Zola has never hibernated, as we keep him safe and warm in his conservatory all year round, and he is well and happy - however, your boy will probably start showings signs of pre-hibernation behaviour fairly soon this year, and you will find lots of information on the various options - fridge, etc, on the forum. Some pet shops and vets will hibernate tortoises for you, though I cant comment on whether that is a good idea. If he seems his usual self, however, you might want to try keeping him up and warm all winter in an indoor enclosure - or, as you were thinking, let him stay outside when it is warm enough, and bring him in when it gets really cold. Of course, he may decide to bury himself in your garden, in which case you might have trouble finding him until he emerges in the spring !
Get to know him a bit better, and maybe the answer will be obvious !
What is his name, by the way, and where in the UK do you live?
By the way, Zola is 24 years old, and we have always kept him up through the winter .
Best wishes from Angie