Night Box Help

katieandiggy

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Evening all,

I have a link to a thread from 2013 for Building a night box. It’s got pictures lol I need a visual guide.

My question is, what size should I build for a single Russian tortoise? The box in question was 4x2X2 and slept about 3 Leo’s.

And what size should I make the doorway. He’s only tiny at the moment so think full grown Russian.

Thanks in advance
 

Yvonne G

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Personally, I don't think you need a "night box" for a Russian tortoise. Let's ask @JoesMum what she had for Joe, who lived outside in the UK for over 40 years.
 

katieandiggy

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Personally, I don't think you need a "night box" for a Russian tortoise. Let's ask @JoesMum what she had for Joe, who lived outside in the UK for over 40 years.

Hi Yvonne, I know Joe had an insulated kennel that was used for cold days. I want mine to be able to be outside 24/7 during the summer months but I need to make sure that the temperature doesn’t drop too low at night, I probably will not even have to heat it if I insulate it properly.
 

JoesMum

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Hi Katie

Russians don’t need the high temperatures at night that a sulcata does. They actually need it to be cooler at night. Joe was outdoors 24/7, apart from when he hibernated, for over 40 years.

I wrote up his arrangments in this thread
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/outdoor-accommodation-in-a-colder-uk-climate.140866/

You don’t need a heated night box. You need somewhere dry like Joe’s cold frame.

Read my thread and get back to me.
 

katieandiggy

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Hi Linda, I have read joes thread many times, it is really helpful and I’ve got some great idea from there. The box that I am making is more of a secure night box than a heated one. My little guy is still small and I worry more about things like rats at night. This was just going to be somewhere secure for him at night. I was going to insulate it and only have heat if the nights were very cold.
 

JoesMum

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https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/heating-an-outdoor-russian-night-box.116180/#post-1077261

I was looking at Toms box but wasn’t exactly sure what size I would need for one.

Tom has dramatic dips in temperature at night in autumn and spring. He is talking about low forties farenheit which is close to freezing (around 4C) and thirties (well below zero) while day time temperatures are well above the hibernation temperature.

He also has loads of tortoises!

We do not have these extremes in the UK. Your tortoise will either be indoors or hibernating by the time the temperatures get to those levels at night as the daytime temperatures will be no better by day. Don’t compare California with Suffolk!

You don’t need a heated night box.

For cooler nights, all that’s needed is a heat lamp to get Diggy going next morning and for him to return to if the sun decides not shine. The sun deciding not shine isn’t a problem in California like it is here, even when the nights are cold. The heat lamp that can be used by day is the critical factor here - basking sun is not guaranteed.

If there is a freak very chilly night then pull Diggy inside overnight and dump him in a cardboard box until morning. That’s all you need to do.
 
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