Maximizing outdoor time

[leigti]

I would like my Russian tortoise to get more natural sunshine. She has a nice large outdoor enclosure, but there is no heated hide box because I don't have any electricity out side. The weather is getting nicer here up north, it gets up to the mid 60s or even 70° sometimes in the afternoon. But the mornings are very chilly, usually in the 40s. I leave for work between six and 630 in the morning and don't get back until 4 o'clock or later. That doesn't leave much time in the afternoon for my tortoise to get quality sunshine time.
So my question is, can I put my tortoise outside in the morning even though it is cold. It may be noon before the temperature reaches 60°. That being said when I check the temperature in the enclosure with my temperature gun it is often 10 to 20° hotter than the actual air temperature as long as the sun is shining. I don't want to make my tortoise sick. And I would not put her out if it was damp or raining. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks a lot.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

IMO, based on the info you gave, I'd say yes put the Russian outside before you leave for work.

 

[wellington]

If you have a hide box in the enclosure, fill it with substrate that he can dig into to keep a little warmer then just being in the open air. Then when the sun comes out, he will be able to warm himself up even more. So yes, I would put him out too. Maybe @Tom will confirm if this is a safe thing to do.

 

[Tom]

I'm setting up a radiant heat panel with a thermostat and an extension cord for mine. My days are plenty warm, usually around 80 this time of year, but night are in the low 40s. I'm going to keep the night boxes around 65-70, so it never gets too cold and they can go in or out depending on temps.

Can you run an extension cord for yours?

 

[leigti]

I'm setting up a radiant heat panel with a thermostat and an extension cord for mine. My days are plenty warm, usually around 80 this time of year, but night are in the low 40s. I'm going to keep the night boxes around 65-70, so it never gets too cold and they can go in or out depending on temps.

Can you run an extension cord for yours?

No. I don't have any electricity source outside at all. And no window on that side of the house that I could prop open. I thought maybe if I just let him he'd up indoors for about half an hour before I put him outside and then I put him in one of her deep hides out there maybe that would be good enough. I will make her a hide in the warm spots that get the sun first thing in the morning. Maybe she would stay in it long enough until the sun came up nice and warm. I just don't want to make my tortoise sick by exposing her to those cold temperatures every morning.

 

[Tom]

Sounds like its time to have an outdoor outlet installed.

 

[leigti]

Sounds like its time to have an outdoor outlet installed.

Tell that to my checking account. it is only going to be around 37° tomorrow morning so I will not do it then. Maybe if it's 45° or above? Do you think that would be safe? I'm talking 45° just in the morning and then heating up past 60 during the day.

 

[leigti]

I will try to come up with some funds by the fall to have an outdoor outlet.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

I wouldn't want to go below 45 degrees air temps, and I'd want the ground to have warmed up. If I'm lucky, that'll be in May.

 

[Jodie]

I think I would wait a bit yet. I wouldn't want mine out below 60 without heat. Maybe this summer I can get my husband down there and see what it would take to get electricity out there for you.

 

[Tom]

Tell that to my checking account. it is only going to be around 37° tomorrow morning so I will not do it then. Maybe if it's 45° or above? Do you think that would be safe? I'm talking 45° just in the morning and then heating up past 60 during the day.

I dont even consider putting mine outside until the temperature reaches the low 60's and climbing. And sunny. This would be on a day where I know temps will reach the high 70's or higher.

I've never attempted to keep tortoises of any species outside with temps in the 60 without a heat source. I really couldn't tell you if its safe or not.

 

[leigti]

I wouldn't want to go below 45 degrees air temps, and I'd want the ground to have warmed up. If I'm lucky, that'll be in May.

Yeah, I think May will have to be when I try it also.

 

[leigti]

I dont even consider putting mine outside until the temperature reaches the low 60's and climbing. And sunny. This would be on a day where I know temps will reach the high 70's or higher.

I've never attempted to keep tortoises of any species outside with temps in the 60 without a heat source. I really couldn't tell you if its safe or not.

In the middle of summer when it gets into the 90s or above, sometimes it drops to the 50s at night. I leave her outside then. No problems so far. But it's just not getting warm enough soon enough in the day now.

 

[leigti]

I think I would wait a bit yet. I wouldn't want mine out below 60 without heat. Maybe this summer I can get my husband down there and see what it would take to get electricity out there for you.

I guess I'm just getting ahead of myself, I hate to see good sunshine wasted. I will see what I can do around here but if no one here can help I may take you up on that offer. Thanks. I'm thinking it can't cost more than a couple hundred dollars, I hope.

 

[Tom]

In the middle of summer when it gets into the 90s or above, sometimes it drops to the 50s at night. I leave her outside then. No problems so far. But it's just not getting warm enough soon enough in the day now.

Our cool summer days and nights are like that an mine stay out too. But mine are in their little underground shelters. Temps don't drop below 65ish on a 50 degree night.

Remember this one?
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/semi-underground-russian-box.98590/

 

[leigti]

Our cool summer days and nights are like that an mine stay out too. But mine are in their little underground shelters. Temps don't drop below 65ish on a 50 degree night.

Remember this one?
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/semi-underground-russian-box.98590/

I slightly remember to that one. I just read through the thread, it does sound like I could make a mini version of that for the fall and late spring. My enclosure is only 12 inches tall so that's as tall as it would be. But if I filled it with a lot of dirt maybe that would work out. You said something in there to Wellington I think that the temperature doesn't drop too much at night or raise too much during the day. So I am assuming that insulating the lid is the main priority? Should I insulate the sides also? The bottom of my enclosure is already hardware cloth.

 

[tglazie]

Before I had the night boxes, I had this problem as well. I go to work at seven in the morning, but during the early spring, the night temp drops into the fifties, despite the fact that the afternoon high is in the mid to upper seventies. I didn't have the infrastructure set up to deal with this, but what I did have was insulated outdoor tortoise houses. They weren't yet electrified or very secure, but they were insulated and they were large. So basically, I heated up one of these in the nuker.

http://www.nothingbutsavings.com/Pr...xpgCIXYJnCzPdyhb4gC2u9z9j84sbkBoYNhoCfDDw_wcB

Experiment with it beforehand to ensure that your tortoise can't burn itself on the thing. You don't need it to be hot for twelve hours. You just need it to give off a little bit of heat for two or three hours. Nuke it for thirty second to a minute. If you can, place it in the box so that the tortoises can't come into direct contact with it, just to be safe. Ultimately, I got sick of using the damned things, and electric is just so much more convenient than sitting in front of the darned microwave waiting for my warmer to heat up. I just check my temperatures, unlock the night boxes, clean the water dishes, look in on the beasts and tell them that I will see them soon, and I take off.

T.G.

 

[leigti]

Before I had the night boxes, I had this problem as well. I go to work at seven in the morning, but during the early spring, the night temp drops into the fifties, despite the fact that the afternoon high is in the mid to upper seventies. I didn't have the infrastructure set up to deal with this, but what I did have was insulated outdoor tortoise houses. They weren't yet electrified or very secure, but they were insulated and they were large. So basically, I heated up one of these in the nuker.

http://www.nothingbutsavings.com/Pr...xpgCIXYJnCzPdyhb4gC2u9z9j84sbkBoYNhoCfDDw_wcB

Experiment with it beforehand to ensure that your tortoise can't burn itself on the thing. You don't need it to be hot for twelve hours. You just need it to give off a little bit of heat for two or three hours. Nuke it for thirty second to a minute. If you can, place it in the box so that the tortoises can't come into direct contact with it, just to be safe. Ultimately, I got sick of using the damned things, and electric is just so much more convenient than sitting in front of the darned microwave waiting for my warmer to heat up. I just check my temperatures, unlock the night boxes, clean the water dishes, look in on the beasts and tell them that I will see them soon, and I take off.

T.G.

I actually have one of those. I use it if I have to take her to the vet in the middle of winter. If I wrap it in a dish towel and then put dirt on top of it I bet my tortoise wouldn't get to it. So you just had regular insulated night boxes then put this in there. I may have to do some experiments this weekend. I wouldn't mind doing this for a little bit, in a month or so it should be better. But yes, electricity is definitely the way to go once I can get it arranged.
Somebody also suggested to just make a little tortoise size greenhouse out of plexiglass. I'm not sure how that would work. That is probably another thread.

 

[WithLisa]

I don't need electricity at the moment, my cold frame works well enough.
Outside temperatures are in the low 30s at night and in the 50s at day.
In the cold frame the temperature is at least in the high 40s at night and reach the 90s on a sunny day (it would be even higher, but I use an automatic window opener).

In very cold nights (20s) I put a big bottle with hot water inside to keep them warm.

Quite similar to their natural habitat and the tortoises look healthy and active.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

We have long tedious winters and the ground takes a long time to warm up. In the spring, I don't leave them out overnight until the night time temps are 60 degrees. That's their indoor night temp all winter, so it's no big deal to acclimate. By then the ground had dried & warmed.

Weather predictions may be off a bit, and that leaves a safe margin.

As the season progresses, I will leave them out at lower temps, but 45 is my cut off. If it's cold and rainy I'll bring the tortoises in. Covering the habitat works if I'm there to make sure it won't overheat if the sun comes out.

A green house solves that problem.