4LeggedFloridaDreams
New Member
I ask this here, rather than under the enclosure heading, because I believe some tortoises are more habitual about seeking hides and heat sources than others and it’s important for me to know about how Forstens and Elongateds behave specifically.
Lots of people incorporated heated hides and or lock boxes for their tortoises at night.
In my case, I will only need to heat them occasionally during 3 months of the year as adults and at night for the babies. From my reading, these tortoises like it warm, but are tolerant of temps briefly down to 45F and easily handle temps in 60F as adults. Our nights average in the 40sF, here in zone 10a, for about 2 months of the year.
My question is whether or not one should rely on the tortoise to but itself to bed, in its heated hide, in an outdoor enclosure. I suppose one could observe their animal and see if its habit is to always return to the hide. Also, with this species being active towards the later hours and cooler temps, might they cool off too soon to have the energy to reach the safe/warm area, in a larger enclosure?
My plan is to plant a palm or other plant on a mound bury beneath the root ball, but elevated above natural ground level for drainage, a plastic storage chest. I was going to place a flap the tortoise can come and go from, line it with Long Fibered Sphagnum moss, and install a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat, in the hide.
I need to make plans for whether I need to be present and lock them up at night or if they will instinctively seek the warmth. The enclosure will already have a lid, so predators aren’t a concern at night.
I watched some videos where some keeper utilize a smaller enclosure within the larger one, to reduce the pen size in the colder seasons, to facilitate the tortoises making it to warmth, before they get too cool. I am brainstorming whether it would be most ideal to leave them in place for short, Florida Winters, or plan on alternate winter housing, at least until they are old enough to handle the cooler nights better.
I’m sure the tortoises are happiest with as few changes to their enclosures and living space as possible, so I’m leaning on leaving them out in the pens and either securing them each night by hand or becoming confident the tortoises do so on their own and double checking on the nights of high concern.
I wonder if any of you deworm your outdoor tortoises routinely and if there are particularly worrisome parasites or infections that may be present in Florida or in tortoises in general. I’m familiar with fecal testing and have my own scope and plenty of experience deworming chameleons, but I’m concerned about the snails, slugs, worms, and inevitable potentially parasite filled treats they will inevitably consume outdoors.
I can and will monitor their stools and check them under the scope, but some parasites don’t shed eggs in large numbers at all times and can go unnoticed. In my opinion, treating for roundworms and pinworms isn’t needed in healthy, established animals, but hook worms, flukes, and more malignant parasites should be treated and monitored for frequently. What schedules and products do you favor for deworming and stool analysis?
Thank you all so far for the guidance I’ve received to far. It’s really getting me excited and well prepared for a rewarding keeping experience.
Lots of people incorporated heated hides and or lock boxes for their tortoises at night.
In my case, I will only need to heat them occasionally during 3 months of the year as adults and at night for the babies. From my reading, these tortoises like it warm, but are tolerant of temps briefly down to 45F and easily handle temps in 60F as adults. Our nights average in the 40sF, here in zone 10a, for about 2 months of the year.
My question is whether or not one should rely on the tortoise to but itself to bed, in its heated hide, in an outdoor enclosure. I suppose one could observe their animal and see if its habit is to always return to the hide. Also, with this species being active towards the later hours and cooler temps, might they cool off too soon to have the energy to reach the safe/warm area, in a larger enclosure?
My plan is to plant a palm or other plant on a mound bury beneath the root ball, but elevated above natural ground level for drainage, a plastic storage chest. I was going to place a flap the tortoise can come and go from, line it with Long Fibered Sphagnum moss, and install a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat, in the hide.
I need to make plans for whether I need to be present and lock them up at night or if they will instinctively seek the warmth. The enclosure will already have a lid, so predators aren’t a concern at night.
I watched some videos where some keeper utilize a smaller enclosure within the larger one, to reduce the pen size in the colder seasons, to facilitate the tortoises making it to warmth, before they get too cool. I am brainstorming whether it would be most ideal to leave them in place for short, Florida Winters, or plan on alternate winter housing, at least until they are old enough to handle the cooler nights better.
I’m sure the tortoises are happiest with as few changes to their enclosures and living space as possible, so I’m leaning on leaving them out in the pens and either securing them each night by hand or becoming confident the tortoises do so on their own and double checking on the nights of high concern.
I wonder if any of you deworm your outdoor tortoises routinely and if there are particularly worrisome parasites or infections that may be present in Florida or in tortoises in general. I’m familiar with fecal testing and have my own scope and plenty of experience deworming chameleons, but I’m concerned about the snails, slugs, worms, and inevitable potentially parasite filled treats they will inevitably consume outdoors.
I can and will monitor their stools and check them under the scope, but some parasites don’t shed eggs in large numbers at all times and can go unnoticed. In my opinion, treating for roundworms and pinworms isn’t needed in healthy, established animals, but hook worms, flukes, and more malignant parasites should be treated and monitored for frequently. What schedules and products do you favor for deworming and stool analysis?
Thank you all so far for the guidance I’ve received to far. It’s really getting me excited and well prepared for a rewarding keeping experience.