Outdoor baby Sulcata

[atx95]

Hello forum! I have been keeping my Sulcata baby outdoors in the Texas heat for the last month. Temperatures get above 100 degrees everyday. He has plenty of shade and I soak him 3 times a day. I was wondering if there is anything I should keep a eye on or pay special attention too. He is very active and burrows in his hide during the hottest part of the day, eats well, moves a lot and just seems like a very healthy tortoise. I have a 12 year old Sulcata but he was started indoors for the first 3 years so I don’t have any experience with keeping baby’s outdoors. Any tips or advice would be appreciated!

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

I would definitely keep the baby indoors in a controlled environment( temps and humidity) its gonna be impossible to do that outdoors. Im pretty sure the texas humidity is not near 80% good luck! And cute baby.. congrats

 

[Maro2Bear]

Welcome and just be very careful in this heat. Most folks would recommend that a youngster NOT spend all day outside while they are developing. It’s so easy for them to dry out, over heat, etc. In the wild they would be in their dark humid wet burrows during the intense heat & sun. Being crepuscular, the hatchlings might venture out for a bit in very early morning, and again in late evening.

make sure you resd up on @Tom ’s care guide

- https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...se-a-sulcata-leopard-or-star-tortoise.181497/

Good luck!

 

[atx95]

I would definitely keep the baby indoors in a controlled environment( temps and humidity) its gonna be impossible to do that outdoors. Im pretty sure the texas humidity is not near 80% good luck! And cute baby.. congrats

Humidity ranges from 45% during the day and 85% at night. Temps get down to 80 at night. I mist his enclosure in the morning and throughout the day when needed so I’m not concerned with humidity too much. I’m more concerned about the temperature being too hot even in his hide. He has access to water and soaks himself somewhat frequently. But is 100 degree ambient temp just too much for him no matter what?

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

I wouldnt chance it. I know it would be nice and much easier than making a closed chamber.. but the risk is not worth it. Thats just my opinion.

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

And damn! 80 at night.. remind me to never move to Texas lol

 

[Maro2Bear]

And damn! 80 at night.. remind me to never move to Texas lol

Ok. Never move to Texas. Done.

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

Ok. Never move to Texas. Done.

Thank u Mark! I knew i could count on u for something

 

[Maro2Bear]

Humidity ranges from 45% during the day and 85% at night. Temps get down to 80 at night. I mist his enclosure in the morning and throughout the day when needed so I’m not concerned with humidity too much. I’m more concerned about the temperature being too hot even in his hide. He has access to water and soaks himself somewhat frequently. But is 100 degree ambient temp just too much for him no matter what?

Take a good read of @Tom ‘s Sully care guide. You really don’t want to have your hatchling out in such extreme heat. They are pretty tiny delicate creatures at this stage - easily over heat, dehydrate, etc. Try to 7pload a pix of the outdoor enclosure, maybe we can help advise. Shade shade shade & soakings & good damp substrate.

 

[atx95]

Take a good read of @Tom ‘s Sully care guide. You really don’t want to have your hatchling out in such extreme heat. They are pretty tiny delicate creatures at this stage - easily over heat, dehydrate, etc. Try to 7pload a pix of the outdoor enclosure, maybe we can help advise. Shade shade shade & soakings & good damp substrate.

This is his current setup, I also let him walk outside his enclosure for a few hours a day, he likes to munch on clovers and Bermuda grass. My humidity hasn’t dropped below 75% in his enclosure yet. I haven’t seen any foaming of the mouth or any other signs of dehydration. He honestly seems to love it out there. I have a caiman I keep outdoors as well as my 12 year old Sulcata. I have no problem putting him indoors if that’s best, I just haven’t seen any reason to bring him in yet.

and yes the heat in Texas is miserable, I don’t wish it upon my worst enemy.

 

[Maro2Bear]

This is his current setup, I also let him walk outside his enclosure for a few hours a day, he likes to munch on clovers and Bermuda grass. My humidity hasn’t dropped below 75% in his enclosure yet. I haven’t seen any foaming of the mouth or any other signs of dehydration. He honestly seems to love it out there. I have a caiman I keep outdoors as well as my 12 year old Sulcata. I have no problem putting him indoors if that’s best, I just haven’t seen any reason to bring him in yet.

and yes the heat in Texas is miserable, I don’t wish it upon my worst enemy.

Just make sure it’s in a ton of shade....

Ogh, it’s hot here too. Look at our forecast for Sunday - “real feel” of 108.

 

[atx95]

Just make sure it’s in a ton of shade....

Ogh, it’s hot here too. Look at our forecast for Sunday - “real feel” of 108.

View attachment 300199

I feel your pain. We actually hit 108 on Monday.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Aaaagh. Summer5ime.

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

75 and a perfect breeze here ?

 

[Tom]

Any tips or advice would be appreciated!

Outside all day is not good for babies. I've done several side-by-side experiments to reach this conclusion. They do way better with the stable temps and controlled conditions of an indoor closed chamber.

Also, that enclosure is too small, covering the top with the plastic lid will cause the whole thing to over heat, and the tortoise can't burrow in a tub to get into the cooler ground. You should also never let the tortoise run loose outside. Keep it in a large sunning enclosure.

That thread that Mark linked for you has all of this info and much more.

 

[JenC]

And damn! 80 at night.. remind me to never move to Texas lol

TexAss

 

[JenC]

They all lied to me when they said Houston was humid, not Austin......

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

Sweating ur TexAss off

 

[shellcior]

Tank my 100 lb Sulcata has never dug burrows until this heat wave. I live in Cypress, just west of Houston. I have a pond built for him (about 8") deep with a shade cover and he has started using it again. The burrows are killing my back trying to fill them back up. lol. We are getting rain now so that will cool things off alot. Texas is usually really great for keeping Torts as it rarely gets that cold but the occasional heat wave it a bummer.

 

[iAmCentrochelys sulcata]

They all lied to me when they said Houston was humid, not Austin......

Houston is Humid... but only when it’s summer and it Rains. Like RN it’s perfect temperature and Humidity. But for the most part it’s frking Dry