Keeping warm

[Torch]

I'm anxious to hear what others do to keep their young boxies warm in the winter. I used to keep the babies at my office where I could run their lights all day and monitor their temps. Now I've moved them to a larger vivarium at my house, which stays between 68-70 degrees in the winter.

They are in a room that gets lots of natural light, but I'm paranoid about running lights all day while I'm gone. I've been running their lights for a few hours when I get home.

I'm looking for additional suggestions for heat sources that won't leave me worried about catching my house on fire while I'm gone lol.

TIA!

 

[ascott]

I don't have anything to offer other than, if you keep captive reptiles, you will need to also maintain daily source of warmth and uv rays....no way round it....well, none that I can imagine anyways....lol

 

[leigti]

How big of an enclosure do you have? What lights and UV do you have?

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Put a good UVB light on a timer. It's important to their health. Use it over the weekend while you're there to observe and work the bugs out, and then let it run every day.

 

[Torch]

Put a good UVB light on a timer. It's important to their health. Use it over the weekend while you're there to observe and work the bugs out, and then let it run every day.

That's a really good suggestion, thank you. What's a good brand of timer that you recommend?

Right now they have a reptisun UVB bulb light. Their enclosure is a 66 quart Rubbermaid container, heavily planted, with potting soil, orchid moss, and leaf litter for substrate.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

That's a really good suggestion, thank you. What's a good brand of timer that you recommend?

Right now they have a reptisun UVB bulb light. Their enclosure is a 66 quart Rubbermaid container, heavily planted, with potting soil, orchid moss, and leaf litter for substrate.

Whatever your hardware store sells will be fine. I have 3 mechanical ones (and one digital one that befuddles me badly). Intermatic is the brand I happened to get.

 

[edwardbo]

Why are you afraid to leave lights on during the day?...I've had fantastic luck with under heating,the boxies will move to where they are most comfortable and I don't feel it is very unnatural .a halogen spot ,dimmed also provides some light and heat as they see fit. My box torts don't seem to like excessively bright lights.adding a little calcium with d3 might make you both feel a little better....are your box turtles baby's?

 

[edwardbo]

Have your box turtles been outside for the summer? If so you have some time to work out the lighting before worrying about the uv lights? I tend to suspend a uv florescent tube in the enclosures . A small heat mat under their water container makes me feel like they have a comfortable place to hang out and hydrate . how much uv box turtles need confuses me as they seem to prefer the security of being partially hidden most of the time .

 

[Torch]

My childhood home burned down due to an electrical fire, so I'm a little more paranoid than most. I'm also confused about baby boxies needing a ton of UV light (mine are both under a year) since all they do at this age is hide.

 

[edwardbo]

I'm sorry Torch, I have made comments on this forum about the fire risks after seeing members post pics with a thousand extension cords , halogens,heaters ,pumps...anyway your boxie set up should be fine as they really don't seem to need or want excessive heat and light.
As to how much uv baby boxies need it will be interesting to hear what the experts suggest as they do stay hidden most of the time . Outside ,aside from sunning when the sun comes up my boxies tend to hang out under the hostas along the edges of their pond .most of the enclosure is covered to protect the shade plants.

 

[leigti]

My childhood home burned down due to an electrical fire, so I'm a little more paranoid than most. I'm also confused about baby boxies needing a ton of UV light (mine are both under a year) since all they do at this age is hide.

I'm sorry about your past, that would be very scary and I understand why you would be "paranoid". you do need to provide UV light and some heat but also a well planted enclosure where the turtle can go in and out of the light laser members so to speak at will.I would avoid large open spaces but numerous ones were they can still get the UV is good.

 

[Ciri]

My childhood home burned down due to an electrical fire, so I'm a little more paranoid than most. I'm also confused about baby boxies needing a ton of UV light (mine are both under a year) since all they do at this age is hide.

Wow! That would be frightening. The little babies do need UV light and warmth to keep them eating. The warmth is also important for keeping their immune system active, which is important especially in their first winter. I have kept my hatchling box turtles at about 85 to 88° in one part of their enclosure for the daytime during the winter. This has worked well for my turtles. I totally understand your concern about fire. What about a WebCam that you could use to check in on them by way of the internet during the day when you're gone? I just heard about one made by a company called Nest which is made specifically for that purpose. I'm going to check into it myself as I'm curious. What kind of box turtle are they?

 

[leigti]

Here is what I have done with the timers, just as an idea. I have three lamps to plug-in one UVB fluorescent tube into heat lamps because I have a large enclosure. If you only have two things to plug-in you can get this exact same brand of timer with two outlets on it so you don't have to mess with a power cord.

 

[leigti]

I think the WebCam idea is great. I've always wondered what my animals to do when I'm at work.it would be great to check it out, I have a feeling the dog goes and lays on all the areas she's not supposed to my bed the couch the chair etc. and I know my box turtle and Russian tortoise are more active than I think they are.