Introducing tort to night box- Help

[Sue Ann]

Dexter, a Sulcata, is 16 months old, 5 pounds 9 in long by 6 1/2 wide. He has been spending all day outside since April. His “pen” is 40x44. My son built him a night box using instructions found here in forum.
We bring him in between 6-8 pm for a soak then put him in his sleeping box with Mazuri and greens.
If we just lock him in his night box at dark do we soak him outside? The water will be cold, and just feed him as usual?

 

[EllieMay]

I don’t put anything but mulch in my boxes.. the tortoises use them for sleeping and pooping... I found that they like to eat in the daylight and the food just wilts inside... in the summertime they go in on their own for shade in the day and by habit at night... and of course in the winter, the go in to keep warm... I close the doors at night in inclement weather but other than that, they come and go as they please..

 

[Sue Ann]

Thanks Ellie May
Should he have water in the box?
Is he ready to go in the box and be outside full time?
Should I still soak him daily in cold water outside?
Nervous Mom

 

[EllieMay]

I put water trays on the shelf to help with humidity but they do all of their drinking And soaking outside. In our 90 degree temps, I soak in the sun with water hose cool water in tubs. When it’s cold though, I bring mine in for warm water soaks.. I soak much less with my big one when I have to bring him in now because he’s getting so heavy. This past winter, I hauled buckets of hot water to a rubber tub outside to warm the water enough for 10 min soaks.. they all have recessed “pools” in Their yards so that they can self soak at will also..

But yes, your guy seems big enough to live outside just fine.. ) I don’t think you have to soak daily any more.. probably just a couple times a week.. but when it’s hot out, just make sure he’s got water he can get into in his own..

 

[Tom]

Dexter, a Sulcata, is 16 months old, 5 pounds 9 in long by 6 1/2 wide. He has been spending all day outside since April. His “pen” is 40x44. My son built him a night box using instructions found here in forum.
We bring him in between 6-8 pm for a soak then put him in his sleeping box with Mazuri and greens.
If we just lock him in his night box at dark do we soak him outside? The water will be cold, and just feed him as usual?

Make sure the soaking water stays warm through the whole soak time.

The night box is to simulate the warm burrows they would use in the wild. It should be dark, warm, at least moderately humid, and I would not feed or provide drinking water inside the box. They don't eat or drink in their burrows.

I put them in the night box every night and latch them in, then plop the door open every morning, and the tortoise can come out when it wants to. They can eat and drink all day long while the sun is shining.

Also at this size, you could start introducing dry hay. Get some orchard grass hay or Bermuda hay and sprinkle a thin layer onto your tortoises clean empty feeding tray. Then place the food for the day on top of your little bed of grass hay. You can do this with all the greens and with soaked Mazuri too. Do it every day, and eventually the tootsie will just start eating the hay with all the other stuff. This is EXCELLENT food for a sulcata, and this will be the majority of the diet when the tortoise is older and bigger. Grass hay is a life saver for sulcata owners!

 

[Sue Ann]

I put water trays on the shelf to help with humidity but they do all of their drinking And soaking outside. In our 90 degree temps, I soak in the sun with water hose cool water in tubs. When it’s cold though, I bring mine in for warm water soaks.. I soak much less with my big one when I have to bring him in now because he’s getting so heavy. This past winter, I hauled buckets of hot water to a rubber tub outside to warm the water enough for 10 min soaks.. they all have recessed “pools” in Their yards so that they can self soak at will also..

But yes, your guy seems big enough to live outside just fine.. ) I don’t think you have to soak daily any more.. probably just a couple times a week.. but when it’s hot out, just make sure he’s got water he can get into in his own..

Dexter has a sunken tin tub and a very large terra-cotta dish at the end of the yard where he likes to hang out in his “ditch”.

 

[Sue Ann]

Make sure the soaking water stays warm through the whole soak time.

The night box is to simulate the warm burrows they would use in the wild. It should be dark, warm, at least moderately humid, and I would not feed or provide drinking water inside the box. They don't eat or drink in their burrows.

I put them in the night box every night and latch them in, then plop the door open every morning, and the tortoise can come out when it wants to. They can eat and drink all day long while the sun is shining.

Also at this size, you could start introducing dry hay. Get some orchard grass hay or Bermuda hay and sprinkle a thin layer onto your tortoises clean empty feeding tray. Then place the food for the day on top of your little bed of grass hay. You can do this with all the greens and with soaked Mazuri too. Do it every day, and eventually the tootsie will just start eating the hay with all the other stuff. This is EXCELLENT food for a sulcata, and this will be the majority of the diet when the tortoise is older and bigger. Grass hay is a life saver for sulcata owners!

Thanks so much Tom. I’m going to start tonight.
Hope he doesn’t think we have abandoned him.

 

[Tom]

Thanks so much Tom. I’m going to start tonight.
Hope he doesn’t think we have abandoned him.

Abandoned him? Why would he think that? I don't think a tortoise is capable of thinking something like that... Solitary animals prefer to be alone. I don't think they can be abandoned. In their mind, if anything, they'd be happy to finally be left alone.

 

[Sue Ann]

Abandoned him? Why would he think that? I don't think a tortoise is capable of thinking something like that... Solitary animals prefer to be alone. I don't think they can be abandoned. In their mind, if anything, they'd be happy to finally be left alone.

I know that in my mind , but I know how much they hate change in their environment.
We fed him outside by his night box but he did not eat much. Finally right before dark we locked him in.
My husband was concerned because there was no airflow in the box. I had to convince him not to drill holes.
Hope all goes well tonight.

 

[Tom]

I know that in my mind , but I know how much they hate change in their environment.
We fed him outside by his night box but he did not eat much. Finally right before dark we locked him in.
My husband was concerned because there was no airflow in the box. I had to convince him not to drill holes.
Hope all goes well tonight.

The boxes are not air tight. Air will leak in around the lid and door.