Core temperature to digest food

[Alien]

Hi I'm currently reading a lot on here and I read that tortoises need a special core temperature before they can digest properly now my questions would be

1. Do different species require different core temperatures to digest food ?

2. What is the ideal core temperature to digest food for a Russian or hermans tortoise?

3. Is a basking spot needed if the enclosure is overall hot During day?

4. Do tortoises need to bask under a hot light?

5. How much time do they need to warm up there core temperature?

Thank u

 

[Tom]

Hi I'm currently reading a lot on here and I read that tortoises need a special core temperature before they can digest properly now my questions would be

1. Do different species require different core temperatures to digest food ?

2. What is the ideal core temperature to digest food for a Russian or hermans tortoise?

3. Is a basking spot needed if the enclosure is overall hot During day?

4. Do tortoises need to bask under a hot light?

5. How much time do they need to warm up there core temperature?

Thank u

1. Different tortoises do need different temperatures. No one, to my knowledge, has studied the minimum core temps needed for tortoises to survive and/or thrive. We just know some generalities based personal observations of some species.
2. We recommend large enclosures for many reason. One reason is so that you can create and maintain a thermal gradient. Meaning warmer on one side and cooler on the other, so that the tortoise can move back and forth and regulate its own temperature as needed. You don't need to worry about specific core temperature. Just give your tortoise a place to warm up (basking area on one side) and a place to cool down (cool side with no heat) and it will maintain its own correct body temperature.
3. This one is debatable. For some species yes and for other species no. I'm currently thinking about this one and doing experiments in an effort to move away from basking lamps for all my species because the basking lamps contribute to pyramiding. This is a work in progress, and so far it seems that basking lamps are necessary for some species. Hermanni and Russians would both be included in this group.
4. See #3. But warm basking area is what we are after, not too hot.
5. Too many variables to answer this one. Depends on room temp, enclosure ventilation, what temp they are starting at, how warm the warm area is, how large of an area the warm area is, where the tortoise sits in relation to the warm area, etc...

 

[jsheffield]

1. Different tortoises do need different temperatures. No one, to my knowledge, has studied the minimum core temps needed for tortoises to survive and/or thrive. We just know some generalities based personal observations of some species.
2. We recommend large enclosures for many reason. One reason is so that you can create and maintain a thermal gradient. Meaning warmer on one side and cooler on the other, so that the tortoise can move back and forth and regulate its own temperature as needed. You don't need to worry about specific core temperature. Just give your tortoise a place to warm up (basking area on one side) and a place to cool down (cool side with no heat) and it will maintain its own correct body temperature.
3. This one is debatable. For some species yes and for other species no. I'm currently thinking about this one and doing experiments in an effort to move away from basking lamps for all my species because the basking lamps contribute to pyramiding. This is a work in progress, and so far it seems that basking lamps are necessary for some species. Hermanni and Russians would both be included in this group.
4. See #3. But warm basking area is what we are after, not too hot.
5. Too many variables to answer this one. Depends on room temp, enclosure ventilation, what temp they are starting at, how warm the warm area is, how large of an area the warm area is, where the tortoise sits in relation to the warm area, etc...

Interesting thread and thoughts... I've heard varying answers about heating as regards my redfoot, from four zones to one zone.

I'm not by any means an expert, or authority, on tortoises, but have some thoughts based on my year with Darwin.

My experience has been that my redfoot benefits from a high humidity environment with multiple temperature zones.

I keep the whole enclosure with a minimum of about 78° (cool end, in the early morning) to a maximum of about 98° (warm end, in the late afternoon)... Baseline heating is provided through a heatpad run through a thermostat and the warm end is rendered that way through the use of a bulb that both heats and provides UVB.

Darwin, my redfoot, spends most nights in the cool side moist hide, then when the light comes on at 6am he ambles out to bask for an hour or two before grabbing breakfast.

He spends much of the rest of the day ranging around the heat gradient, eating, and soaking/drinking; I suspect he seeks out the heat level that he needs for various life functions or else he'd spend more time hanging out in the same spot.

I'm interested in this subject, and how to learn more from other keepers on TFO.

Jamie

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Very good questions. Very good thread.

I'll share my limited, anecdotal observations. Both my bearded dragon and my box turtle aren't interested in eating until their body temperature gets to (or close to) 90 F. I've verified that much with a laser temperature gun. It helped me early on figuring out what temperature water to use to soak the box turtle.

 

[Alien]

Thank u guys for all the Info

 

[Pastel Tortie]

I read the original questions again, and for #5 - If the tortoise is basking or moving throughout the thermal gradient (being left to its own devices), there are too many factors to answer.

However...

If you're trying (or wanting or needing) to get a turtle or tortoise warmed up to a target temperature (i.e., warm enough so they'll eat), the fastest way to make that happen is a soak in warm water. It won't take long for the tortoise to warm up to the temperature of the water. If it's a small tortoise, just a few minutes.