Keeping T g antakyensis outdoors??

[gtc]

Well I just found out that my greek is not an Ibera, but a middle eastern (T g antakyensis).

I wish to keep my little guy outdoors as much a possible during the summer, but I have read that some members have previously posted that middle eastern greeks easily get sick when the temps drop under 60F (18C).

Since I live in northern Europe, the summer temps can often drop to 18C (or below, especially at night and on rainy days). So my question is how true is that temps under 60F make this species sick? I know that several members here have non hibernating north african torts outside all spring\sommer\fall in the UK. This seems to work OK.

Are middle eastern greeks more sensitive than north african greeks? Are there any members here that have experience with keeping middle eastern greeks outdoors in cool climates?

 

[juli11]

Hi,

From which country in Europe do you come from? I'm from Germany and I put my Africans (kinixys) outside from Mai to September and they don't get ill. But you need a greenhouse or something like that for the night and cold days. How long do you have your gracea? This subspecies would be rare in captivity I think.

 

[gtc]

Hi,

From which country in Europe do you come from? I'm from Germany and I put my Africans (kinixys) outside from Mai to September and they don't get ill. But you need a greenhouse or something like that for the night and cold days. How long do you have your gracea? This subspecies would be rare in captivity I think.

Hi,

I'm from the south of Norway, on the coast. Our winters are mild (coldest is january with an average of -3,5C, not much snow as it often melts) however our summers are quite cool and it can rain a lot. I've had my tort for about 1,5 years. It was in its outdoor enclosure a lot last summer, but I took it in every time it rained and at nights because I did not know (and I still dont) how much "cold and wet" it could take without getting ill.

 

[juli11]

Ok I think you can put the tort from Mai to September outside. That would be ok. Is the animal wild caught? How old and big is it? Do you have a "house" or something like that for the tort for the cold and wet days? What's the highest temperature in the summer months?

 

[gtc]

Ok I think you can put the tort from Mai to September outside. That would be ok. Is the animal wild caught? How old and big is it? Do you have a "house" or something like that for the tort for the cold and wet days? What's the highest temperature in the summer months?

The animal is from a breeder. About 3 years old. I have a small greenhouse. normal sommer temps are in the low to mid 20's, it does sometimes get to the low 30's.

At what temperaturs do you bring yours inside?

 

[juli11]

Ok. A antakyensis breeder.. I never see a breeder of this species..
So I put my animals inside in September. It isn't difficult for the animal to stay outside in cold nights when the are warm with sunshine. In September the days haven't got enough sunshine. And the night are cold. I think the temperature are max. 21 C. Is the temperature under this limit you have to put your animal inside.

 

[gtc]

Ok. A antakyensis breeder.. I never see a breeder of this species..
So I put my animals inside in September. It isn't difficult for the animal to stay outside in cold nights when the are warm with sunshine. In September the days haven't got enough sunshine. And the night are cold. I think the temperature are max. 21 C. Is the temperature under this limit you have to put your animal inside.

Yes. The man who sold him to me said that he got from from a breeder. Maybe this is not a A antakyensis then? Or maybe he did not tell me the truth.

Are you saying that as long as the max day temperature is 21C its ok for the tort to be outside at the evening and night even if it get to like 10C?

 

[juli11]

Hmm. I looked in the Internet for this subspecies. There aren't many Infos. I don't think that you've got this subspecies with 3 years. Or from which country do you have it? Photo?
Hmm yes 21 C are minimum temperature on the day. 10C outside in the night you need a good isolated greenhouse.

 

[Jlant85]

OMG! Germany has this one company that makes this special green house for tortoises! I MEAN THEY ARE AMAZING! Too bad they dont ship to the US!

Sorry i know that doesn't answer your question but... i'll wait it out if i were you...

Have him grow to an adult first so they have better resistance... another thing you can do is just keep him outside all day long and bring him in at night... you can also build a green house for him... I live in San Francisco and our temperatures are horrid! I had to build a green house in order to keep my temp up to 80+ Degrees...

Once you get comfortable... try leaving him out for one night... see his reaction the next day and go on from there... but like i said... wait till he gets full grown adult...

From what i recall yours is still young near juvenile.

 

[gtc]

OMG! Germany has this one company that makes this special green house for tortoises! I MEAN THEY ARE AMAZING! Too bad they dont ship to the US!

Sorry i know that doesn't answer your question but... i'll wait it out if i were you...

Have him grow to an adult first so they have better resistance... another thing you can do is just keep him outside all day long and bring him in at night... you can also build a green house for him... I live in San Francisco and our temperatures are horrid! I had to build a green house in order to keep my temp up to 80+ Degrees...

Once you get comfortable... try leaving him out for one night... see his reaction the next day and go on from there... but like i said... wait till he gets full grown adult...

From what i recall yours is still young near juvenile.

Thanks for the good info

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Hmm. I looked in the Internet for this subspecies. There aren't many Infos. I don't think that you've got this subspecies with 3 years. Or from which country do you have it? Photo?
Hmm yes 21 C are minimum temperature on the day. 10C outside in the night you need a good isolated greenhouse.

Here is the link with photos:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-84655.html

Thank you for all the help I got him about 1.5 years ago and I think he is about 3 now (just a guess).

 

[Jlant85]

Thanks for the good info

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Hmm. I looked in the Internet for this subspecies. There aren't many Infos. I don't think that you've got this subspecies with 3 years. Or from which country do you have it? Photo?
Hmm yes 21 C are minimum temperature on the day. 10C outside in the night you need a good isolated greenhouse.

Here is the link with photos:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-84655.html

Thank you for all the help I got him about 1.5 years ago and I think he is about 3 now (just a guess).
[/quote]

To help avoid this confusion, Antakyensis is also known as Testudo Graeca Terretris

 

[juli11]

Ok yes Germany has this company I got one greenhouse from them .
So the eastern gracea subspecies aren't explored. So you can't say definitely which species you've got...
I think the best method is to look what's happen with your animal when he stays outside. If he looks happy you can let him outside of not than not ;-)
But nice animal looks like an eastern or North African gracea species

 

[Jlant85]

the one i saw from this german website that i cant seem to find anymore looked like this...
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg265/Ozric_01/new coldframe July 09/P1010068.jpg

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but why buy when you can build your own... I would use pexiglass when building mine ^_^ lets the UVB through the glass....

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I think building it your self is also part of the fun of owning a tortoise....

 

[gtc]

Ok yes Germany has this company I got one greenhouse from them .
So the eastern gracea subspecies aren't explored. So you can't say definitely which species you've got...
I think the best method is to look what's happen with your animal when he stays outside. If he looks happy you can let him outside of not than not ;-)
But nice animal looks like an eastern or North African gracea species

Thanks Juli, thats a nice looking greenhouse. I had him outside last summer in the warm days and he loved it. I add black small rocks to about 50% of the outdoor enclosure, it really helps with the temps.

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the one i saw from this german website that i cant seem to find anymore looked like this...
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg265/Ozric_01/new coldframe July 09/P1010068.jpg

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but why buy when you can build your own... I would use pexiglass when building mine ^_^ lets the UVB through the glass....

---

I think building it your self is also part of the fun of owning a tortoise....

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The one on photobucket looks kind of like the one I wish to buy for next summer....is that a mvb or CHE in there I wonder? About the UVB through the plexiglass: are there any members here that have measured UVB through different kinds of glass\plastic outdoors?

 

[Jlant85]

FOUND IT!

chelonium.de

Thats the website! CHECK IT OUT! IF you get one, you can send me one too! LOL

I got this info from peasinapod!

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about the plastic letting the uvb, Ill look for that next lol... There was this one website i landed upon that studied it and pexiglass is the top rated plastic that lets uvb through....