If you shoot a temperature gun at your torts carapace while its lying under a CHE, how hot would you expect it to read? (specifically for Red foots?)
how hot do they get?
- Thread starter DoctorCosmonaut
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I think when we've done this for my tort it's been about what the basking temp at the surface was, such as 95 F. This was for a MVB but it shouldn't matter.
When I did it the ambient temp was around 85 but they were like 120 on their carapace... but maybe I hit the heat lamp for a second and threw it off? I'll check it tomorrow.
That is what thermoregulation is all about. Giving them a chance to find a warm spot to soak up heat when they want it, and other spots to cool down when they want that instead. As long as it has options, I would consider it normal.
They have a 91 degree basking spot, an 83-84 degree sleeping area and a cooler 80-84 degree hangout. That sound decent? They personally just were warmer, but I'd think that would make sense (they were lying under the lamp).
your ambient/air temps sound good, but I must admit your surface temp readings sound high. Mine usually measure 100 degrees or so. 120 is getting dangerously close to damage level. (Studies have found that bone starts to die at 122 degrees fahrenheit).
Do you have a rock or tile for your tortoises to bask on? This is important as it stores up heat, so while they bask they are heated from the top and bottom.
Do you have a rock or tile for your tortoises to bask on? This is important as it stores up heat, so while they bask they are heated from the top and bottom.
Balboa said:
Doesn't sound high at all........Even if it's 65 degrees ambient temp and the Tortoises are out basking, their surface temps are usually right around 100 degrees......When it's warmer, the surface temperatures are going to be hotter......It isn't uncommon to get a range between 120 and 140 degrees as a surface temperature........
These are Ectotherms, who untilize heat energy in a way that's foreign to anything warm blooded......That's why you give the animal the option to thermoregulate and do what it needs to do.......
I did only shoot at them once... I'll do it again tomorrow and see if what I thought was their temp holds true tomorrow.
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so 120 to140 is ok for redfoots
I just went outside & shot mine. Ambient temp 80 F. Surface temp of those in the sun was between 90 and 98 F. Those in the shade (assuming they had reached 'operating' temp) were between 86 and 88 F.
wildponey21 said:
What those guys are talking about is how hot the shell of their tortoise gets with normal air temps (about 85f or so) when they are under their heating or basking lamps or in the sun- like how the sidewalk gets hotter than the air because of the sun shining on it. We would never try to give air temps that high.
Reptiles take these hot temps and circulate them throughout their bodies to warm themselves up for basking, to help with growth and their immune system, bring their muscles and other systems up to full power, etc.
I would still err on the side of caution... The blood is the mechanism by which the heat is conveyed to (or away from) areas in their bodies. The proximity of the live bone, vessels and blood cells to the temperatures noted in the previous post would suggest that temperatures approaching the high limit would be present which could lead to burns, tissue death or death of the specimen.
I am assuming there was an erroneous reading as was alluded and that the actual temperature, assuming the specimen could move from under the heat source, was substantially lower.
I went back outside to reshoot the critters. The same temperature range was noted with slightly lower temps for those basking - the wind has picked up a notch. Plastral temps also bear out the preferred temps for those which were actively 'patrolling', feeding, etc. The plastral temps ranged from 85 - 92 F.
I am assuming there was an erroneous reading as was alluded and that the actual temperature, assuming the specimen could move from under the heat source, was substantially lower.
I went back outside to reshoot the critters. The same temperature range was noted with slightly lower temps for those basking - the wind has picked up a notch. Plastral temps also bear out the preferred temps for those which were actively 'patrolling', feeding, etc. The plastral temps ranged from 85 - 92 F.
Thanks for the input Art, as honestly Eric had me questioning some of my "knowledge" on torts and how they work. Exactly as you said, a torts circulatory system should be bringing that external heat to the core, preventing external temps at damaging levels, once desired core temp is reached, the animal should stop basking, their carapace should never reach damaging levels.
I only have limited actual testing to verify my "knowledge" however, so could always be in error.
Yes, chelonians are cold-blooded, but to the best of my knowledge their bone doesn't have any special heat-resistant properties and will fall prey to damaging heat levels just like any other animal.
Tom has some interesting pictures on this forum as to what happens to a tortoises carapace when it gets overheated. Its not pretty.
I only have limited actual testing to verify my "knowledge" however, so could always be in error.
Yes, chelonians are cold-blooded, but to the best of my knowledge their bone doesn't have any special heat-resistant properties and will fall prey to damaging heat levels just like any other animal.
Tom has some interesting pictures on this forum as to what happens to a tortoises carapace when it gets overheated. Its not pretty.
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