Demonstrating the effect of Blue Slate on temperature

JoesMum

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Here in the UK the weather isn't always as good as it might be. It's been cold and wet for the last 24 hours, but the sun came out about an hour and a half ago.

Current air temperature 15C / 59F

Temperature of brick paving in the shade 13.8C / 56.8F
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463654422.560885.jpg

Temperature of identical bricks in full sun 29.1C / 84.5F
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463654523.058967.jpg

Joe in his favourite basking spot
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463654606.747980.jpg

And you can see why....

Temperature of blue slate 40.1C / 104.2F!
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463654666.997349.jpg

Temperature of Joe 33.6C / 92.5F
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1463654724.023886.jpg

Yes he had decided to move and have a go at my shoe for the last one :D

Anyway, I hope this little demo shows people in colder countries how they can really influence things outdoors for their torts.
 
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wellington

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Also, because the darker the color, the more sun/heat it attracts, that if your tortoise were darker, like black, the temp would be even higher on them.
 

Fishtank307

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This is amazing! I live in Belgium. A lot of people here keep there Hermanns outside all year long, but I've always found temperatures in spring a little bit on the cool side. I'm definitely going to buy some slate for my outdoor enclosure!
 

Kori5

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I wish I knew where to buy it here. Ebay prices are crazy and no on can guarantee it won't break during shipping. I need it :). I'll search a little more, it sounds great.
 

JoesMum

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I wish I knew where to buy it here. Ebay prices are crazy and no on can guarantee it won't break during shipping. I need it :). I'll search a little more, it sounds great.
I buy it in my local garden centre. It's sold for decorative paths and to use to suppress weeds on flower beds.
 

Kori5

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I buy it in my local garden centre. It's sold for decorative paths and to use to suppress weeds on flower beds.
Thanks, we're gonna make a stop at the garden center. But I won't need them until autumn because it's too hot here :D.
 

Rue

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I was reluctant to put Goosefoot out this afternoon, it's only 19 C. But I went and checked the temperature of the bit of blue slate in the trough and it's at 30 C. The peat/orchid bark substrate is a bit cooler at 23 C, and surprisingly, the dark brown ceramic saucer is about 18 C. I put her in the trough anyways, because she can always warm on the slate if she feels chilly.

She promptly buried herself...so what do I know?
 

Tino the Tortoise

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Hi guys, may sound a bit daft but is there a reason why you chose blue slate and not grey? Local garden centre is selling a load of grey slate off cheap and wondered whether this would work as well?
 

Tino the Tortoise

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Thanks for the reply, I was presuming the same but wanted to check that the grey wasn't too dark and therefore wouldn't be too hot!
 

Kapidolo Farms

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Most flooring departments in big box hardware store, IKEA flooring, and many other places sell slate tile. It's is often very inexpensive. Sometimes open boxes or broken pieces are cheaper. Any dark tile will work.
 

JoesMum

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Hi guys, may sound a bit daft but is there a reason why you chose blue slate and not grey? Local garden centre is selling a load of grey slate off cheap and wondered whether this would work as well?
The colour is often called blue even when it's actually grey.

The alternative is a more purple colour.

When you buy it, it is always quite muddy in the sack and the colour becomes apparent when it is rinsed.

As others have said, the darker colour absorbs heat more quickly.
 

Albie

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I love the idea of the slate for basking. Is there a reason for the slate chip rather than slab/tile - or is it just because it looks nicer? My husband thinks the previous owner of our house left some dark slate tiles in the shed - so we may have this available without much effort if a large tile or two is sufficient, rather than the chips.
 

JoesMum

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I love the idea of the slate for basking. Is there a reason for the slate chip rather than slab/tile - or is it just because it looks nicer? My husband thinks the previous owner of our house left some dark slate tiles in the shed - so we may have this available without much effort if a large tile or two is sufficient, rather than the chips.
Slate chips were originally put down on top of weed matting to prevent the growth of bird seed from my bird feeders. It was a happy accident that they were in a sunny spot of the garden and that Joe decided he had a new favourite basking place.

I use a slate slab under the heat lamp in Joe's kennel and if I have a heat lamp in the conservatory at the very start or end of the season. It serves two purposes: to weight the lamp stand down so it doesn't tip over and to provide that extra warm basking spot.

See this thread
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/outdoor-accommodation-in-a-colder-uk-climate.140866/

Sent from my Pixel C using Tortoise Forum mobile app
 

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