OK -- I got my baby Sulcata (still no name other that Little Tortoise Guy) about a week ago. So far he has an indoor and an outdoor home.
Inside he is in a large plastic sweater box with spaghnam moss, orchid bark and a small section of dirt. He has a water bowl big enough to play in and a food bowl, both buried in the substrate. He also has a flower pot on it's side to get into (with some moss in it). At night I cover the corner with the flower pot with a towel and let the towel hang over the flower pot opening about 3/4 of the way.
1. We keep our thermostat at 78 in the summer -- Does he need heat?
Outside, he has a raised galvanized washtub to keep my dogs out. It has holes drilled in the bottom for drainage and half of the top is covered. It is outside but still in a screened enclosure. Basically the same setup and substrate except no dirt here -- just moss and orchid bark plus a nice flat rock for basking. He has the flower pot and the 1/2 covering for shade and rain protection.
1. If I leave him outside here, when he is a little bigger, will he need heat for summer nights that get down to 68 or so? Or maybe a better question is at what temp should heat be provided?
I keep the outside habitat VERY moist and inside one on the dry side. I am very confused by the wide disparity in humidity recommendations with regard to Sulcata care!!! I have seen everything from practically keeping them wet all the time to keeping them so dry that not even leaving a water bowl in their habitat was recommended.
Any help or suggestions are welcome!!! Cynthia
Inside he is in a large plastic sweater box with spaghnam moss, orchid bark and a small section of dirt. He has a water bowl big enough to play in and a food bowl, both buried in the substrate. He also has a flower pot on it's side to get into (with some moss in it). At night I cover the corner with the flower pot with a towel and let the towel hang over the flower pot opening about 3/4 of the way.
1. We keep our thermostat at 78 in the summer -- Does he need heat?
Outside, he has a raised galvanized washtub to keep my dogs out. It has holes drilled in the bottom for drainage and half of the top is covered. It is outside but still in a screened enclosure. Basically the same setup and substrate except no dirt here -- just moss and orchid bark plus a nice flat rock for basking. He has the flower pot and the 1/2 covering for shade and rain protection.
1. If I leave him outside here, when he is a little bigger, will he need heat for summer nights that get down to 68 or so? Or maybe a better question is at what temp should heat be provided?
I keep the outside habitat VERY moist and inside one on the dry side. I am very confused by the wide disparity in humidity recommendations with regard to Sulcata care!!! I have seen everything from practically keeping them wet all the time to keeping them so dry that not even leaving a water bowl in their habitat was recommended.
Any help or suggestions are welcome!!! Cynthia