Cold and wet outside

Pangolin123

New Member
Joined
May 20, 2018
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
UK
Hi guys

internet info is conflicting so I'd like to know from those who actually own torts ...

I have a 4 yr old Hermanns with an indoor and outdoor enclosure. We put him outside when the weather is fine so he can stomp around. His outdoor run is much bigger than his indoor one and its good for him to benefit from the natural UV and all the clover and thistle that grows naturally in his pen.

However, its not been a very warm summer so far, and the rain has been awful. We've had waterlogging and floods and we're not even the most affected area. We're due a thunderstorm in the next few days, followed by a heat wave, followed by more wet weather. Its hard to predict and it puts the garden in a state with out of control grass you can't cut and mud.

I don't like taking the tort out if the grass is wet and the ground is damp and chilly. But just how hardy is a young Hermanns and what is their optimal outdoor temp? The temperature itself is a fair 18-20 degrees C at the moment (dropping to around 12-18 C at night) but its very damp and the wind is cold. I don't want him to get chilled or a respiratory problem from breathing in the damp or walking on the cold ground... but I also want him to benefit from being outside. How cold is too cold?
 

Bee62

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
11,981
Location (City and/or State)
Germany
Hi guys

internet info is conflicting so I'd like to know from those who actually own torts ...

I have a 4 yr old Hermanns with an indoor and outdoor enclosure. We put him outside when the weather is fine so he can stomp around. His outdoor run is much bigger than his indoor one and its good for him to benefit from the natural UV and all the clover and thistle that grows naturally in his pen.

However, its not been a very warm summer so far, and the rain has been awful. We've had waterlogging and floods and we're not even the most affected area. We're due a thunderstorm in the next few days, followed by a heat wave, followed by more wet weather. Its hard to predict and it puts the garden in a state with out of control grass you can't cut and mud.

I don't like taking the tort out if the grass is wet and the ground is damp and chilly. But just how hardy is a young Hermanns and what is their optimal outdoor temp? The temperature itself is a fair 18-20 degrees C at the moment (dropping to around 12-18 C at night) but its very damp and the wind is cold. I don't want him to get chilled or a respiratory problem from breathing in the damp or walking on the cold ground... but I also want him to benefit from being outside. How cold is too cold?
Hermann tortoises can live outdoor in summer but: They need a small green house with a door ( for the tort ) and in the greenhouse a heating lamp when the weather outside gets too cold. Without a heated greenhouse your tortoise will get sick with an RI in cold, damp rainy weather. I am living in Germany and the weather here is comparable to the UK.
 

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
19,695
Location (City and/or State)
CA
Cold and wet is a recipe for disaster. I do not know what the limits are for them, but when you add wet, Imagine it is not very low
 

Ben02

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2018
Messages
1,830
Location (City and/or State)
Brighton, Southcoast, UK
It would be safer to keep indoors when cold and wet. In those circumstances they will have UVB and heat indoors rather than being in the cold and wet with little sunshine.
 

katieandiggy

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2018
Messages
1,022
Location (City and/or State)
Suffolk, United Kingdom
You could invest in a mini greenhouse/cold frame. That’s what I will be doing and mine will stay out hopefully from April ish to September ish.

You can hang a lamp in there for the colder days.

IMG_0175.jpg
IMG_0176.jpg
 

New Posts

Top