Owning a Sulcata in New Hampshire

[kirbytherussian]

Hello, and hope everyones month is going well.

Over the past year or so, I've been severly considering getting a sulcata tortoise. I live on a farm, and have a 4 acre grass field, then another 14 acres of woods, taking care of the spacious tendencies sulcatas have. On the edge of that field I have a 2 story barn, the bottom level being ground level to the field (it's on a hill, so the seond story is not accesable from the field).

The only problem is, I live in New Hampshire, where the winters drop below freezing most days and always involve snow. While I could house the tortoise outside late spring through fall, after that it would get too cold for a tortoise to live outside. Could I turn the bottom story of the barn into a tempory habitat during the winter? (this would include covering the walls in tarps, putting layers of hay over the floor, and adding several heat sources and basking lamps.)

Would this be a satisfactory indoor winter habitat? The barn is definitely a good enough size, but in no way big enough to house a sulcata year round. Do you think this would be suffecient for housing a sulcata around 5 months out of the year?

Any opinions or thoughts would be helpful, and if you also house a large tortiose in an area that gets snow during the winter, how do you do it? If this is not a possibel way to home a tortoise temporarily, and suggestions? Or due to the annual cold weather should I stop consdering adopting?

Thanks to everyone so much, and if you happen to have any input it would be greaty appreciated.

 

[RayRay]

I have only a hatchling so I can't answer the enclosure and winter questions.

Are the woods oak or juniper? Check tortoisetable website and see if the trees are toxic both oak and junipers are.

 

[kirbytherussian]

I have only a hatchling so I can't answer the enclosure and winter questions.

Are the woods oak or juniper? Check tortoisetable website and see if the trees are toxic both oak and junipers are.

I'm almost positive the woods are mainly Maple and Pine, but the tortoise most likely wouldn't be able to wander in the woods as they're so dense, and I wouldn't be able to moniter everything it might eat.

 

[Yvonne G]

I think a better idea would be to put up rigid foam insulation on a certain portion of the lower floor's walls and ceiling, rather than tarps. Your power bill would be through the roof without insulation. Quite a few members house their tortoises in a barn during winter.

 

[wellington]

Yes, it can be done. Sounds large enough and your hardest part is beating the barn. I would make him a heat tort box, check out Toms threads for night box ideas. Make that the around 80. Then hang a basking light that reaches 95-110 outside that night box. Then the rest of the barn area could be cooler. The more you can insulate and lower the ceiling the easier it will be to heat. You can even give an adult sulcata the option to go outside in the snow on sunny days. Yes, they will go out in the snow. Many members have pics of theirs in the snow, they just need a warm place to get back into.
I house three leopards and a Russian in smaller enclosures in an approx 20x10 insulated heated shed all winter.

 

[wellington]

Oh, so no, do not give up on adopting one.

 

[Tom]

I don't know how you are going to keep an entire barn at 80 degrees in the snow. You'd need to build an entire heated and sealed room. A large room.

Sulcatas get large, are very active, and usually very destructive. Keeping them cooped up all winter in a small area is not my idea of fun. I know lots of people do it, but I would not, nor would I recommend it. Its possible, just not practical.

 

[Big Charlie]

If you get a baby, you can keep him in your house for the first several years. You'll have plenty of time to fix up the barn. What you have to offer in the summer is more attractive to a large tortoise than what I can offer with just my normal sized backyard.

 

[Jodie]

I am keeping a Sulcata over winter in Spokane Washington. I built a 4X8X4 insulated box in a green house. I keep the box 85 degrees with an oil radiator heater and a Kane mat on one end. I put a recessed heat light in it for day on the other end. This is where the door is. Outside the box I run 2 heat light during the day, and a CHE all the time to keep the water from freezing. On sunny days the green house heats up nicely. He goes out to graze on sunny days.
He is doing well.

 

[Len B]

If you really want to raise a sulcata in a cold snowy winter area, it is very possible. The most important thing is planning ahead and being ready for the unexpected surprise. A well insulated tortoise house, with several heat sources and a backup power source (in case you have a power outage).I have 5 sulcatas that live outside all year and have free range of the yard, they are not cramped inside a small box during cold weather, and are not forced to venture into the cold. They have separate houses ranging in size from 3x4 ft to 8x8 ft. When we get to much snow for them to walk though safely I make paths with a snow shovel for them so they can come out to eat, get a drink and some sun which they do even in very cold temperatures.Their ages range from 3 1/2 to 19 years old and weights from 30+ to around 125 pounds. This winter will be my oldest sulcatas 6th winter outside here. We live outside of Wash DC.

 

[waretrop]

Oh this would be my goal for next winter......I can do this. I have 2 back up generators, a lean to greenhouse 12 X 16 with a storm door that in the summer Alice is able to walk out of. It also has a slider door to get into my kitchen that she can get into when she wants. That makes me very excited.So next summer I will have everything in place with a few dry runs for all the heaters and such.