Outdoor basking light

[tmbarta]

Hi all!

My sully is 2 years old and about 7". She still sleeps indoors in a heated humid hide, but she spends her days outdoors in her enclosure. I live in So Cal and it has been quite hot here lately, but rather cool in the mornings when I put her out, about 65 - 75 degrees. I have a light out there for her, but it only gets to about 80 degrees. Should she still have a 100 - 105 basking spot outside?

I'm going to be putting a heated hide in her outdoor enclosure this weekend, so I don't have to worry about her as the weather starts cooling down.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks!

Tammie

 

[morloch]

Sounds good to me!! Why do u need a light outside. Natural sunlight should be enough. I would love to see pics of your guy. Mines about the same age as yours.

 

[Tom]

If its warm and sunny, they don't need a heat lamp outside. If its not warm enough, they should remain indoors in their heated enclosure, or outdoors in their heated night box.

Here is what I did for a night box here in SoCal.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66867.html

And here is my favorite way to house them outside here:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-28662.html

 

[tmbarta]

Thanks morloch and Tom. I'm going to work on a heated hide tonight.

Tom, I love your projects. Once I have more time I'm going to make a night box like yours. You did such a great job

Morloch, here's some pics of Shelly. I found this site about a year ago and found out everything I was doing was wrong. Now that we're on the right track Shelly has been growing like a weed. She doubled in size in the past year

 

[morloch]

Those are great pictures!! Shelley's a nice looking tort! Thank you for sharing!![SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND SMILING EYES]

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I did the same thing, built a tort table , then found out everything I researched prior was so wrong! This site more than likely saved my tort. However, after the intense work my husband went through to built my lovely table, morloch still managed to live in it for a year. I misted him daily, soaked him daily, and he's turned out quite lovely. He gets plenty of real sunshine , excersise, and eats like a champ!!

 

[wellington]

They are great pics. Nice sully. I always wondered about what you asked. So, Tom, if she puts him out in the morning when it's only 70ish, but temps in an hour or so will be 80-90 does she still have to provide a heat spot, be it a light, box or waiting until temps hit 80's?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Re: RE: Outdoor basking light

if she puts him out in the morning when it's only 70ish, but temps in an hour or so will be 80-90 does she still have to provide a heat spot, be it a light, box or waiting until temps hit 80's?

Not if the tort has access to direct sunlight. Even if the temperature is 70F, sitting in direct sun will allow the tort to warm up much past that temp.


Sent from my TFOapp

 

[wellington]

What if there were no sunlight yet? Would the hour or so wait for sunlight be a big problem? As fall/winter gets near, Tatum doesn't get sun in his enclosure until around 11:00 now. So, I leave his basking light on inside the shed. A sully possibly can take more cooler temps then a leopard, but would Tammie have to provide a heat spot until the sun comes? Would I?

 

[Tom]

If it is a decent sized tortoise and it has a warm area to retreat to, then I think it would be fine. If its cool and damp and the tortoise won't see the sun for hours, then I would leave it somewhere warmer until things outside get a bit more suitable.

 

[wellington]

Sorry Tammie to have taken over your thread a little. I just had read into your question a little different then the answers that were already given. I had the same thoughts and wonderings. So, I just had to get ask in a different way in hopes it would clarify the way i was reading into it and at the same time help you too.

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Thanks Heather and Tom