Heat levels at night

David Ablett

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What is a safe temperature for my marginated at night time? She is keep indoors as she is only 1 and a half years old. I have considered a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat to click on and off so the temp doesn't drop below 12 degrees? Is this wise?

Thanks
 

teresaf

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What is a safe temperature for my marginated at night time? She is keep indoors as she is only 1 and a half years old. I have considered a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat to click on and off so the temp doesn't drop below 12 degrees? Is this wise?

Thanks
12 degrees?! Mmmm. I gotta look that up....oh, not as bad as I thought. That's 53f. I don't have that type tortoise. Shes pretty young though. I think most members here are going to tell you that is waaaay to low. @Will may know...
 

Yvonne G

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I don't keep Marginated tortoises, but I THINK that may be a bit on the cool side. I would strive for at the very least 70F.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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I had to give this low temperature concept much consideration in the last few weeks. A very different species, Manouria emys phayrei are now living with me in San Diego county. We actually get evening temps into the 40'sF, and for me that starts to feel cold.

The tortoises seem to have a pretty good predictor for the night, if it going to stay above 58, they do not go into their nighthouse but prefer the palm forest I made. If it's getting colder than about 58F two will go to the nighthouse on their own, it takes about 52F to prompt the last one to go into the nighthouse.

They have some sort of messenger going on inside to guide them. They have been outdoor tortoises most of their life. I made the nighthouse set point 65F. Now they get out in the morning sooner, when temps are lower than 65F. I believe they know they have that as a retreat, and/or/ their decision making is not 'chilled out' of them.

Getting back to margintated tortoises. A quick review of frost days in Europe show that there is at least one frost day (on a gross scale) everywhere in southern Europe, including the entire Italian peninsula and Greece where marginated are from. So in the wild those that do well must be finding someplace where it does not freeze, a dry pile of leaves an already made burrow, etc.

Based on these things it seems 53F would be pushing a safe lower limit for a captive tortoise that may not already have been selected for by climate in nature. I would push that up to the lower 60'sF because why run an cold endurance experiment. in the 60'sF and dry is not an experiment for an otherwise healthy tortoise. Especially if there is a warm basking like area during the day. Food consumption may go down, hydration is still important, soaks early in the day so there is plenty of time to be warm and dry before another cool night.

I have had marginated tortoises, but they were kept by what is now know as the warm and moist conditions of a closed chamber. That is in a room with aquatic turtles on the others side.
 

Yvonne G

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Will knows his stuff, however, since your tortoise is still a baby, I'm thinking he shouldn't be allowed to live in cooler than 70F degree temps. Strictly my uneducated opinion, because I know nothing about this species.
 

LRTortoises

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I would say for the first year it's not worth letting it get under 70 F (21C) especially if they are in a humid environment. Cool and Wet is always bad.

I keep a little plastic box on one side of my tank with wet sphangum moss inside and then a hydrofarm thermostat connected to a CHE above the plastic box. It is always above 70(21C) and above 70% humidity in there. The babies all go in there every night to sleep and they all come out to eat and walk around most of the day. Outside teh warm humid hide its 55% humidity and there is a basking Mercury light.

Non adults speaking:
I have 6 babies right now and 1 yearling.
 

Tom

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I too have very little experience with Margies, but I've kept other Testudo species.

Your question moves us into the realm of "what is survivable" vs. "what is best". Marginated tortoises do experience some low night temps in the wild, but the area they come from is generally warmer than the areas where some other Testudo occur. There is no doubt that they should have a drop in their night temp when compared to day time, but how much and down to what temp is debatable. While they might be able to survive night temps as low as 12c, is that what is "best" for them? I don't think so.

Ad why do you let your house get so cold? I'd be miserable that way... I don't let mine drop below 21-22c in the winter time. All Testudo that I've kept do quite well with night temps dropping to 21-22.
 
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