Outside temperatures

[ErinLaForce16]

I have my red foot, Willow, in an outdoor enclosure. She has a big wood house with a heat lamp for cold nights and the house has doors that we can shut on really cold nights to keep the heat in better. What kind of substrate can I put in the house that is safe in case she tries to eat it ? Can I put hay? And also at what temperature do I need to consider bringing her inside for the night ? I live in south Alabama so it doesn’t get way to cold but we do have cold nights sometimes. Thanks in advance.

 

[Yvonne G]

Because she needs a humid environment, I wouldn't use hay. . . it molds. You can use the same thing you would use for an indoor enclosure. I think cypress mulch would work well in this application.

 

[ErinLaForce16]

Because she needs a humid environment, I wouldn't use hay. . . it molds. You can use the same thing you would use for an indoor enclosure. I think cypress mulch would work well in this application.

Speaking of the humid environment. I just want to make sure I’m doing everything right. It’s plenty humid enough outside here during spring and summer and most of fall. But when it does get cold, do I need like a humidifier or something like that in her house ? Or will the heat lamp create enough humidity?

 

[Yvonne G]

You just want to make sure that the tortoise never gets cold in the humid environment. They have to be warm if it's humid. And by humid, we mean upwards of 80% humidity. Heat lamps don't create humidity, they deplete or evaporate it. The heat lamp causes the moisture in the substrate to evaporate, and that rising evaporation makes the air humid, however, once the substrate has no more moisture to evaporate, the heat light dries and dessicates.

Just how cold are we talking there in Southern Alabama?

 

[ErinLaForce16]

You just want to make sure that the tortoise never gets cold in the humid environment. They have to be warm if it's humid. And by humid, we mean upwards of 80% humidity. Heat lamps don't create humidity, they deplete or evaporate it. The heat lamp causes the moisture in the substrate to evaporate, and that rising evaporation makes the air humid, however, once the substrate has no more moisture to evaporate, the heat light dries and dessicates.

Just how cold are we talking there in Southern Alabama?

Most of the time it doesn’t get below 40 or so at night. But some days we will have cold snaps and it will be 20-30 at night. I’m planning on bringing her inside on them 20-30 degree nights if I need too. I just don’t know the exact temperature that is to cold for them even with a heat lamp.

 

[JoesMum]

Most of the time it doesn’t get below 40 or so at night. But some days we will have cold snaps and it will be 20-30 at night. I’m planning on bringing her inside on them 20-30 degree nights if I need too. I just don’t know the exact temperature that is to cold for them even with a heat lamp.

Redfoots are creatures of the rainforest floor. Steady warmth day and night and high humidity.

40F is way too cold by about 40 degrees.

 

[Yvonne G]

Redfoots are creatures of the rainforest floor. Steady warmth day and night and high humidity.

40F is way too cold by about 40 degrees.

I totally agree. @ErinLaForce16 - if it's going to be below 80F degrees outside the tortoise should be blocked inside the warm shelter and not allowed outside. Or on a REAL sunny day, you can allow it outside for a couple hours then back into the warm shelter.