Heating for outdoor enclosure?

[HappyHerbie]

Hi,

I posted a while ago about Herbie (approx 1 year old Hermanns). He's now settled in well and growing healthy and strong and developing a cute personality! I'm really happy with his indoor tortoise table set up and found loads of advice on here that helped.

I have created an outdoor enclosure for Herbie and he loves to be in there pottering around, exploring and helping himself to the all you can eat weed buffet! I'd like to keep him out there for long periods and for him to go out every day....however, the British weather means that he often pops out for an hour if it's warm enough or not raining. As you can imagine, he hasn't been out much recently!

So....I'm thinking that I could get a ceramic heat emitter or something similar (depending on advice given here) and suspend this over the middle of the enclosure. This would give him the ability to warm up while still outside and so be able to stay outside for longer on slightly cooler dry days. What do you think? Does anyone currently have anything similar?

 

[jaizei]

How cool are you talking about?

I would use a pig blanket before I tried a CHE over an outdoor enclosure. CHEs and overhead heat sources work best in confined spaces. I don't think they'd be very effective outside.

 

[HappyHerbie]

Thanks for your reply. Any overhead heat source would need some kind of reflector shade.

At the moment, the weather is sunny and cloudy and the temperature is 15 degrees Celsius which is 59 Fahrenheit. Herbie has been out for a while but I've just brought him in to warm up.

I've not heard of a pig blanket.....I've just googled it and all I got were results about wrapping sausages in bacon! Can you explain what it is please?

 

[jaizei]

http://www.osbornelivestockequipment.com/stanfield-overview/

 

[mike taylor]

Build a green house and add ches or a heater is the only real way to be sure your tort will get the right environment.

 

[lynnedit]

For one tortoise like that, a cold frame mounted on a wood or brick base, with a door cut in the base would work. You can't have a heat outlet out in the open. If you are going to have a light, you want it high enough above the tortoise shell (thus the base for the cold frame).
The floor of the cold frame could be soil. Then you can mount a brace with a basking light inside (on a timer).
Here are some pics of mine: I have a little heater in there for background heat.
You can buy pre made cold frames too.
My understanding is that the heat mats (Stanfield, etc.) are less desirable for the smaller tortoises.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I use a heat lamp hung from a wooden beam in a dog house inside my tortoises enclosure. I also made the door opening less drafty by attaching some rubber mat to the door opening, reducing it's size. It gets as cool as 45-50 degrees fahrenheit. Rarely any colder. I can regulate the dog house at 60-70.

 

[HappyHerbie]

Thank you everyone!

I think that it's best not to have an open heat source. I definitely need to find some suitable housing. I had found an electric propagator which is 38cm by 25cm and 19.5cm tall. It's heated from the base. I thought I could cut a doorway in. Would heat from the base warm him up? If not, I'll go in search of a cold frame!

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Thanks for your reply. Any overhead heat source would need some kind of reflector shade.

At the moment, the weather is sunny and cloudy and the temperature is 15 degrees Celsius which is 59 Fahrenheit. Herbie has been out for a while but I've just brought him in to warm up.

I've not heard of a pig blanket.....I've just googled it and all I got were results about wrapping sausages in bacon! Can you explain what it is please?

HAHAHA I just fell out of my chair! When I forst heard about pig blankets (going to buy on for my sulctas outdoor winter digs) all these 'pig blankets' showed up and I was SO CONFUSED!! You can go to livestock websites, a lot f people sell them...

 

[HappyHerbie]

Ha ha! I'm glad that I'm not the only one who didn't know what a pig blanket was!

I've ordered the electronic propagator....just waiting for delivery. I just hope Herbie knows that it'll be warm in there and goes in there when he needs to rather than just staying out and mooching around.

 

[lynnedit]

I hope that works. I am a little concerned that it is too small. However, test it out. It's possible that you might still need a cold frame, say, 2'x4'. But...the propagator could be set up inside the cold frame for a warm mini spot inside the cold frame.