Cold weather

[Nancyasmar]

Hello
I know u have different opinion, I wanna know if my little one can survive the cold weather. I am putting it in my closed balcony but it is cold sometimes.

 

[Big Ol Tortoise]

what type is he, what is the temperature outside, where are your whereabouts? (Cute little tort btw)

 

[Tom]

Hello
I know u have different opinion, I wanna know if my little one can survive the cold weather. I am putting it in my closed balcony but it is cold sometimes.

Your tortoise either needs to be hibernated properly, or brought indoors and kept warm and wake for winter.

Time to make a decision.

 

[Nancyasmar]

what type is he, what is the temperature outside, where are your whereabouts? (Cute little tort btw)

Thx its a greek little one !!!
It is the begining of the winter its like 21 in tge day and 18 in the night.
Thx

 

[Nancyasmar]

Your tortoise either needs to be hibernated properly, or brought indoors and kept warm and wake for winter.

Time to make a decision.

So i cant put it in the sun if its warm and get it inside in the pm ???

 

[JoesMum]

Hello and welcome

I see you are in Lebanon. @Gillian Moore is in Jordan and @Tidgy's Dad in Morocco which have climates closer to yours than many of us.

With air temperatures at 21C, the ground temperature in the sun will be much warmer and yes your tortoise can be outside in the sun. That's a nice summer day for us here in the UK and my Greek is out 24/7 in the summer - we have just had our first frost and he's hibernating now.

The shortening daylight hours may mean your tortoise is becoming less active, but it cannot hibernate unless temperatures are consistently below 10C

 

[Gillian M]

A gorgeous tort. I live in Jordan where COLD weather has begun. I wouldn't keep a tort's enclosure in a balcony, even a closed one. It's far too cold.

Are you planning to make your tort hibernate?

 

[JoesMum]

A gorgeous tort. I live in Jordan where COLD weather has begun. I wouldn't keep a tort's enclosure in a balcony, even a closed one. It's far too cold.

Are you planning to make your tort hibernate?

You see Gillian, what you perceive as cold is just colder than you've had. I look at the forecast and a low of 20C is the lowest 'high' all week in Amman with full sun most days. It'll be 27C at the end of the week.

Greeks are absolutely fine outside in 20C full sunshine. It's you that's cold, not a basking tortoise

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I didn't get the alert for some reason.
The temperatures here in Morocco and there in Lebanon are still nice and warm this year, the torts here are slowing down and eating a little less, but still enjoying the sunshine and it is fine for them to be basking in our warm sun. Torts here sometimes only hibernate for a few weeks rather than months, if we have a late winter and early spring.
How long have you had your tortoise ?
If it's your first winter I wouldn't risk hibernation anyway, it's easy to overwinter your tortoises in these climates.
Let him enjoy his basking, my Tidgy prefers basking at this time of year as for most of the summer it's just too hot.

 

[Tom]

So i cant put it in the sun if its warm and get it inside in the pm ???

Its great to allow him access to the warm sun when you have nice weather. That can be done all year whenever weather permits, but for the cold days and cold nights, your tortoise still needs to be able to warm up and function if you are not going to hibernate him. Best to have an indoor and an outdoor enclosure. When the nights are too cold or you have a colder winter day, he can stay inside. When the weather is nice, he can be in the outside enclosure.

 

[Gymtimpro]

I would not suggest it, as a young one he is not as "hardy" as a mature tortoise.

 

[Yvonne G]

It would be ok as long as you provide a light or heat source so that he can stay warm.

 

[Nancyasmar]

Hello and welcome

I see you are in Lebanon. @Gillian Moore is in Jordan and @Tidgy's Dad in Morocco which have climates closer to yours than many of us.

With air temperatures at 21C, the ground temperature in the sun will be much warmer and yes your tortoise can be outside in the sun. That's a nice summer day for us here in the UK and my Greek is out 24/7 in the summer - we have just had our first frost and he's hibernating now.

The shortening daylight hours may mean your tortoise is becoming less active, but it cannot hibernate unless temperatures are consistently below 10C

Thank you

 

[Nancyasmar]

A gorgeous tort. I live in Jordan where COLD weather has begun. I wouldn't keep a tort's enclosure in a balcony, even a closed one. It's far too cold.

Are you planning to make your tort hibernate?

I am putting mine in a closed balcony with glasses so it is like inside the room !!!! i dont want hibernate my little turtle what do you suggest?

 

[Nancyasmar]

I didn't get the alert for some reason.
The temperatures here in Morocco and there in Lebanon are still nice and warm this year, the torts here are slowing down and eating a little less, but still enjoying the sunshine and it is fine for them to be basking in our warm sun. Torts here sometimes only hibernate for a few weeks rather than months, if we have a late winter and early spring.
How long have you had your tortoise ?
If it's your first winter I wouldn't risk hibernation anyway, it's easy to overwinter your tortoises in these climates.
Let him enjoy his basking, my Tidgy prefers basking at this time of year as for most of the summer it's just too hot.

Well it is my first winter so i am little scary haha

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

If you are not going to hibernate your tortoise, you will need to artificially induce 14 hours of daylight each day, ensure the temps are kept ramped up into the eighties during the day and that you have a good basking spot. Lower temps at night are okay, but not much below the 60's. Try to find as many of your torts favourite foods to encourage eating and, after a while, the tortoise will behave completely normally, as though it were summer.

 

[JoesMum]

I am putting mine in a closed balcony with glasses so it is like inside the room !!!! i dont want hibernate my little turtle what do you suggest?

Your tort will do better in its enclosure with proper lights and heat than on a closed balcony.

UVB light does not pass through glass so putting your tortoise there does nothing for it at all.

If the balcony was completely open and it could bask in direct sun with no glass in the way then it would benefit.