Help! Found a tortoise...

[jjsull33]

You won't need a heat source at night if your room temp is 80s, the only time you will is if the room temp is below 55ish. During the day is different, they do need the lights on. during the day they need a basking spot of about 100 and a cool side in the 70s, plus the hides and sight barriers like usual. I usually give my russians 12-14 hours of UVB light during the day, and then at night I don't give them any extra heat source (unless it is below freezing out in which case my house is usually a bit too cold and I use a CHE for night time heat) During the summer my russians are outside so I don't use lights or heat sources it is only in the cooler months.

 

[Alan RF]

You won't need a heat source at night if your room temp is 80s, the only time you will is if the room temp is below 55ish. During the day is different, they do need the lights on. during the day they need a basking spot of about 100 and a cool side in the 70s, plus the hides and sight barriers like usual. I usually give my russians 12-14 hours of UVB light during the day, and then at night I don't give them any extra heat source (unless it is below freezing out in which case my house is usually a bit too cold and I use a CHE for night time heat) During the summer my russians are outside so I don't use lights or heat sources it is only in the cooler months.

Are you from the UK? This week happens to be a good week for a lost tortoise lol because its so hot at the moment! The evenings too! I'm thinking long term because I don't think he has an owner.....not heard anything! Despite spreading the word! My kids (18/16) adore him and have already named him! He must love it with us because he's eating and not shy at all! It's like he's on happy pills lmao! During the day he is so active, as it gets darker he'll have a little supper and then zonk! Asleep! I'm so pleased with him because he was drawing into his shell with a hissing noise with other people ! Not with me!

 

[lynnedit]

They really are amazing tortoises, very resilient. He is probably thinking: 'Enough of the free life. This way I get a prepared meal!'.

Why don't you focus on the outdoor enclosure for now, given the time of year. Obviously he could live outside full time at this time of year.
A raised bed works very well, with wire on the bottom, then 2-3" of gravel, then 10-12" of untreated garden soil, or topsoil.
8'x4' would be adequate, and you could always expand in the future.

 

[jjsull33]

Haha no I'm not from UK I'm from US, I meant to say basking of 37-39, and a cool side of 23-24 and an overnight as cold as 12-13. As long as your weather can support that you can leave him outside, and when inside you need heating to make those temps.

By the way I used the google converter for the temps, so someone correct me if I'm wrong but I usually trust google's converters haha.

 

[Alan RF]

Haha no I'm not from UK I'm from US, I meant to say basking of 37-39, and a cool side of 23-24 and an overnight as cold as 12-13. As long as your weather can support that you can leave him outside, and when inside you need heating to make those temps.

By the way I used the google converter for the temps, so someone correct me if I'm wrong but I usually trust google's converters haha.

The inside and outside are reaching all these temps. My mums just given me a large rectangular chest with one half the lid missing with the other half being permanently fixed. It's big and I think as good as a tortoise table! It's my project while he's in his temporary tub! I've got a spare infrared red light 75watt? Would this be suitable? Is topsoil and coconut coir the best substrate to use for Horsfields?

 

[jjsull33]

I use a mix of top soil and coco coir for my russians, they seem to like it, as do I. For the light, I am not sure about the red light, I think that a CHE would be better for him, especially if you are talking about for night time, the complete dark is good for them at night. If that is what you have I think that is fine for a while, I used to use red lights at night when I first got them. But you may not even need any heat at night this time of the year, 50s (12-13c) will be fine at night with no heat source or anything. I only use the night time heating in the middle of the winter.
If you meant the red one for the daytime, again he will be fine temporarily if you are using that for basking bulb and he is still getting sunlight, but I would switch to MVB when you can, much better for him.

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You should post some pics of the table to be so we can see a before and after and maybe give you some tips.

 

[FLINTUS]

Horsfields don't need any extra heat at night. It should be under 20 Celsius.

 

[Alan RF]

Horsfields don't need any extra heat at night. It should be under 20 Celsius.

I was thinking winter! I'm always one step ahead lol! A light on a tortoise table would mean a spotlight type? Can you get UVB spotlights? Alan has a strip one as he's in a viv

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I use a mix of top soil and coco coir for my russians, they seem to like it, as do I. For the light, I am not sure about the red light, I think that a CHE would be better for him, especially if you are talking about for night time, the complete dark is good for them at night. If that is what you have I think that is fine for a while, I used to use red lights at night when I first got them. But you may not even need any heat at night this time of the year, 50s (12-13c) will be fine at night with no heat source or anything. I only use the night time heating in the middle of the winter.
If you meant the red one for the daytime, again he will be fine temporarily if you are using that for basking bulb and he is still getting sunlight, but I would switch to MVB when you can, much better for him.

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You should post some pics of the table to be so we can see a before and after and maybe give you some tips.

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Thanks for this I'll post pics in a minute I'm on garden tortoise watch duty

 

[lynnedit]

Strip UV's work very well for Horsfields as well, ideally almost the length of the enclosure. Then you have a (non UV) basking light, for light and warmth. Perhaps two, depending on the size of your enclosure.

Or, you get an MVB for UV/light and warmth, placed towards one end.Again, depending on the size of the enclosure, you may need extra lighting with a regular basking bulb to keep the area bright, or help maintain temps.

I think we need pics of your tortoises walking around in the garden!

 

[Alan RF]

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Strip UV's work very well for Horsfields as well, ideally almost the length of the enclosure. Then you have a (non UV) basking light, for light and warmth. Perhaps two, depending on the size of your enclosure.

Or, you get an MVB for UV/light and warmth, placed towards one end.Again, depending on the size of the enclosure, you may need extra lighting with a regular basking bulb to keep the area bright, or help maintain temps.

I think we need pics of your tortoises walking around in the garden!

Lol
Thanks again! So informative! I know about RFs but still learning about Horsfields I've got a video of him walking lol well running!!!!

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Strip UV's work very well for Horsfields as well, ideally almost the length of the enclosure. Then you have a (non UV) basking light, for light and warmth. Perhaps two, depending on the size of your enclosure.

Or, you get an MVB for UV/light and warmth, placed towards one end.Again, depending on the size of the enclosure, you may need extra lighting with a regular basking bulb to keep the area bright, or help maintain temps.

I think we need pics of your tortoises walking around in the garden!

This box is 3ft by 1 3/4 ft? It'll do temporarily until the owner appears.If not then I'd definitely invest in a larger table! The lowest temp on a night has been 19... So no need for heat or light he's out during the day getting natural sunlight and exercise/heat. So far so good...nearly a week since found. Seen a poster up but it was for a different species of tortoise and about 3 miles away.

 

[lynnedit]

That will definitely work for now. Best not to put too much effort into it until you are sure. They are great climbers, so you might want to put a lip around the open edge. Even a 1" overhang works. Line it with a heavy duty shower liner, or tarp for now.

Also, I would suggest just a regular house/basking light indoors for now. Whatever wattage works to keep the warm basking corner at about 30-35c

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Thanks for the pic of him outside!

 

[Alan RF]

That will definitely work for now. Best not to put too much effort into it until you are sure. They are great climbers, so you might want to put a lip around the open edge. Even a 1" overhang works. Line it with a heavy duty shower liner, or tarp for now.

Also, I would suggest just a regular house/basking light indoors for now. Whatever wattage works to keep the warm basking corner at about 30-35c

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Thanks for the pic of him outside!

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I've been putting a hang over table office lamp over his temp house for the last few nights and he's wandered over and sat under for a short while then just fallen asleep in the corner away from the light. I turn his lamp off before I go to bed and put it on when I get up at 6am. He's out all day between 10 and 5 in and out at the moment until I do a permanent enclosure .....wedding this weekend so its going to be next weekend but my thought is:-the owners should be looking for him and putting posters up by now? then collecting him!!! If not then I can't hold off any longer

 

[lynnedit]

I think that you are right! He's fallen into good hands.

 

[Alan RF]

Okay so revamped the new enclosure. Lined it with a waterproof membrane and then added topsoil mixed with coconut coir as suggested and this is his reaction lol

 

[WillTort2]

Nice picture. Is the actual color as green as it appears?

 

[Alan RF]

Nice picture. Is the actual color as green as it appears?

Yes it is!? He's beautiful [HEAVY BLACK HEART]

 

[jjsull33]

That is great that he is happy, and the color is really nice. Lets see a pic of the whole thing now! haha

 

[Alan RF]

Ha ha here he is


Don't want to give too much away as he has distinctive markings which only the owner would know -I hope!

 

[FLINTUS]

Glad we have a happy ending!

 

[Alan RF]

Glad we have a happy ending!

I'm hoping! As much as I can understand them wanting him back they need to make an effort-no effort means he obviously meant not a lot to them but he does to me he's a real character and lovely addition to our family (and Alan RF I'm sure feels the same even though they've only seen each other about a foot apart!)