Today it is really sunny but a little bit on the chilly side. Do you think i can put my baby red outside? The temp is 60 F. Thanks!
How cold is too cold?
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I don't know about yours, but my leopard isn't going out. Way too cold for babies. My temps are around 55 and very windy. The greenhouse is only at 66 and that's in some sun sometimes today.
I would guess to,cold for yours too. Bump
I would guess to,cold for yours too. Bump
The weather here has been in the 70's during the day and in the low 60's at night. I bring the Cherry Head's in at around 4:30. I don't wait until it hits the 60's. Anything lower than 70, I bring them in. Just how I do it.
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Hmmm, that's probably too cold for a baby. I put a basking light out for mine on borderline days so they can warm up better and still get a little bit of exercise and sunshine, but they're adults.
Ok then! he wont be going outside today then
This is a tricky question to answer for sure. The 'cherry-head' and other southern variants come from places where it somewhat often gets pretty cool at night, and freezes sometimes. We don't know for sure how they manage it. Some authors and field researchers actually think they may hibernate/brumate! They almost certainly practice some form of dormancy during these periods.
However- whatever they do, they do in a way that is consistent for their surroundings- whether they go into deeper than usual shelters, or hide in decaying piles of plants that produce heat, or just enter some form of torpor, it does not mean they will do the same thing in captivity where so many of the natural cues and options are missing.
My personal 'thermal line' for the young'uns is 65 at night to put them out (so the ground is warm at night), and 60 at night to bring them in. I may flex that when the day has been exceptionally warm. The type of hide would also affect this. A large, uninsulated box would not retain heat the way something like a brushpile would.
However- whatever they do, they do in a way that is consistent for their surroundings- whether they go into deeper than usual shelters, or hide in decaying piles of plants that produce heat, or just enter some form of torpor, it does not mean they will do the same thing in captivity where so many of the natural cues and options are missing.
My personal 'thermal line' for the young'uns is 65 at night to put them out (so the ground is warm at night), and 60 at night to bring them in. I may flex that when the day has been exceptionally warm. The type of hide would also affect this. A large, uninsulated box would not retain heat the way something like a brushpile would.
Thanks! Very interesting about the cherry head!
Madkins007 said:
Fascinating stuff. Mark, are northern redfoots and southern cherryhead redfoots really that different in their temperature tolerances? Are the northern guys tropical and the southern ones temperate? This sounds like the differences found among leopard and Greek tortoise subspecies.
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Another interesting thing to consider is actually the substrate and ground that lays beneath them . While touching on the bush subject .. Lets not forget the dead/dying plants and animals that are decaying below them ( which in turn produces heat) as well as the geological composition in the ground and how well it holds heat . Most ideals are based on “ air temps†but when your 1-2†off the ground these numbers become less effective. In my own personal herds I bring them in every night and keep a stable 75-80 regardless of the temps outside. 65 seems to be the threshold on both species that can cause alarm , resulting in a RI. Again air temps fluctuate in accuracy …lets not forget the Humidity as well .
JD~
JD~
It's 98° here in SOCAL!
It's thirty nine degrees Fahrenheit..... Tooooooo cold.
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TortoiseBoy1999 said:
Not at night time .......more like 68* (Pssst.... I'm in So Cal myself within a few miles of the coast)
and humidity hold strong at 79%
taytay3391 said:
BUUURRRRRRR....to cold for these old bones!
It is 48F here in Ohio! I am freezing! My baby won't be going out today! This is all very interesting!
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I'm in FL, so most winter days my guys can go outside. Last winter I had a giant pile of mulch sitting by my barn, waiting to be put in the flowerbeds, and Shelly would go sit next to it every morning to warm up. I dug into it a little bit, and it was actually HOT. It's amazing how much heat decomposing plants, mulch, compost, etc., can generate.
I wish I lived in flordia!
Below 65 I'd bring babies and RFs under 6" in. Larger juveniles and adults can toerate it. As has been pointed out shelter and ground type make difference as does size of tort (mass). Water source such as wading pool also makes a difference as water holds heat. The southerns are a little bit tolerate of low temps as they have a behaviour in the wild of useing animal burrows (giant armadillo specically) for shelter.
Cool!
I'm in Nebraska, I have been bringing in my adult RF at night for about 4 weeks now, if it goes below 50 at night it's time to come in to sleep and she seems to enjoy spending evening time inside with us and her indoor sleep area is always super humid and cozy. I take her outside around 1-2 pm(lunch break) whan it's back in the 70's. I figure if I need a jacket it's probably a bit chilly for her too. I wonder what madskins thinks, I'm always wondering what the other NE torts are doing?
He seems really cozy in his little hide. Thanks for all the advice!
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mattgrizzlybear said:
I agree with Madkins (hello Mark), this is a tricky question because redfoots across their diverse range are highly adaptable animals. Yellowfoots less so.
Although poikilotherms, redfoots are capable of maintaining a relatively stable core body temperature despite fluctuations in ambient temperature, even severe ones, at least for short periods.
Our cherryheads and tropical northern forms are left out overnight well into
the end of the season here in the northeast, especially so if daytime
temperatures remain in the 60s and 70s. Temperatures drop as low as the mid-40s at night. So long as they rise into the 60s and 70s the following day, I have seen no ill or adverse effect.
One year, eggs were laid outside on Halloween. On another occasion, they
endured an overnight winter storm power outage that plunged the house
well under 50 degrees Fahrenheit with no sign of discomfort whatsoever.
Of course, these are healthy, well-established, longterm captive, parasite-
free adult and semi-adult animals. Prudence dictates caution with tender youngsters. Cool, damp conditions should also be avoided.
And, of course, I am not recommending that tortoises be subjected to any
but the most optimal conditions, just that they can withstand a lot more
than generally thought.
Allan Foust wrote of his experiences with a breeding pair of redfoots.
He would find them in the coldest, dampest area of his facility and worried,
would move them into the warmer, basking area, only to find them back
in the coldest spot every time. He commented that apparently they "did
not mind being stone cold."
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