Outdoor housing in cold climate

Snerica

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I have stepped up and have adopted the school's sulcata. Since becoming his main care taker I have learned a lot on this forum. Thank you.

Now they have decided that I can keep him full time. Right now he lives in my office, we have radiant heat ( heated floors). He is slowly tearing the place apart with his spurs. I need to build an outdoor enclosure before the boyfriend kicks both of us out. I live in wny, and it gets cold, very cold with lots of snow. I am looking for anyone in NY, Ohio or pa to give me advice and/or let me come check your enclosure out.

Thank you in advance
 

wellington

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Adult sulcatas can venture out into the snow. However, they need a large heated shed for those days he doesn't want too go out. If you also gave him a heated night box within the shed, the night box could be his warm spot, 80 degrees with the shed being cooler 70-75 during the day and even a little cooler at night as long as he sleeps in the warmer night box and then a basking spot of 95-100 during the day.
I live in Chicago, similar temps and have leopards, which is same care as the sulcata just on a smaller scale. I heat my whole shed to 80-85 with a basking bulb and don't do the night box.
 

Tom

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Adult sulcatas can venture out into the snow.

Even though some people allow this and the tortoises do not die, it is a very bad idea, should not be done, and it should not be encouraged. No different than mixing species or housing tortoises in pairs. Its very risky and should be discouraged.
 

wellington

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Even though some people allow this and the tortoises do not die, it is a very bad idea, should not be done, and it should not be encouraged. No different than mixing species or housing tortoises in pairs. Its very risky and should be discouraged.
For people who get the snow, it's an option for a little more leg room when they can only go so big. Also for all the members that allow them to go out should they choose, I don't remember seeing any deaths or even illness.
I should say, which I don't, I wouldn't allow them to go out if the owners weren't home or if the snow was too deep, unless an area is shoveled for them and if the sun/temps weren't good. I assume some common sense would be used and I shouldn't assume that. In any case, of all the ones I have seen let theirs out and even the cooler temps my leopards will choose to go out, I see nothing wrong with it under supervision. This is for adults only.
Not everyone can have a giant enclosure for their sully. This is an option that has and is done often. Even Californians have some cold temps that their sullies go out in. Not all of our days with snow on the ground are bad temp days.
 

Kaeloni

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I’m very curious about this myself. Where I live (western Montana) it’s very cold and we get massive amounts of snow. There are people that let their sulcatas out in the snow in this region. I personally probably won’t. I say that because on days that the sun is out it’s usually in the negatives and freezing cold. On days when it’s warm out there is no sun. Cloud coverage is holding in the warmth. I don’t think the tortoise is going to benefit from the sun because it’s not visible. That’s my take on the matter but your weather might be way different than mine. We also have a heated 3 car garage to dedicate to our sulcata in the winter. I might not be able to find my Jeep in the snow all winter but my tortoise will be comfy cozy.
 

Maro2Bear

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Ok....where has @Turtulas-Len been? Len lives in the Northern Neck of Virginia, and has shown his guy Walker out fooling around in the snow.

It’s worth taking a look at Len’s postings and check Walkers digs out!

When it’s below zero here or even just 10 or 20, with howling sleet and snow, i can’t imagine our Sully being in his outdoor enclosure. A foot or more of snow lasts a long time!

This Spring...

F4059FC3-00CB-4CF1-B24C-D76FA3BEAC65.jpeg 6B0633C1-7895-4C2D-A6A9-D4E51A7CE8B3.jpeg
 

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