I haven't posted in awhile, but my Sulcata (Spica) is now 10 months old and doing well. She has long outgrown her indoor enclosure (she only goes in there to sleep), I have been taking her outside to her outdoor enclosure every morning as soon as it is warm enough and bringing her back in when the temps fall.
Her outdoor pen is 8.5x11 feet. Spica is 10 months, 6 1/8 inches long and 840g. I plan to build an indoor heated habitat in a couple of weeks, but I know that she enjoys being outside. How chilly is too chilly for her at this time?
I live in Ohio, so I have been bringing her indoors into her (a bit too small) habitat whenever it is below 72 outside. I give her baths daily still. (When she hit 8 months, I gave her baths only 2-3 times a week then she had a new shell growth that was noticeably higher than the previous, so I quickly went back to daily baths)...I believe she is still in need of humidity often to prevent pyramiding (but I also wonder if it could be her meals or the lack of sun in Ohio this year). As soon as I began giving her daily baths again her new growth smoothed out noticeably.
My question is...What temps should she be enduring outside without any other source of heat? And, she is outside grazing (bluegrass, different grass mix, and half of her enclosure with wild "weeds" - dandelion, clover, lambs quarter- and kale and mustard), getting Mazuri after her bath with mixed salad greens (spring mix) for her to eat indoors. Is there anything else I can do with her diet? Also, we in Ohio have had unseen amounts of cloudy skies, cold temps, and rain this summer. Could it be that she is not getting adequate sunlight? I stopped using UV in her indoor habitat as she is outside everyday grazing.
I will post a photo of her. Please if there is anything I could be doing "better" let me know. this tortoise means the world to me and I want to give her/him/them the happiest least pyramid-y life one has to offer
Thanks in advance! I love the tortoise forum and can not express how much I have learned to be a better tortoise caregiver because of this place
Her outdoor pen is 8.5x11 feet. Spica is 10 months, 6 1/8 inches long and 840g. I plan to build an indoor heated habitat in a couple of weeks, but I know that she enjoys being outside. How chilly is too chilly for her at this time?
I live in Ohio, so I have been bringing her indoors into her (a bit too small) habitat whenever it is below 72 outside. I give her baths daily still. (When she hit 8 months, I gave her baths only 2-3 times a week then she had a new shell growth that was noticeably higher than the previous, so I quickly went back to daily baths)...I believe she is still in need of humidity often to prevent pyramiding (but I also wonder if it could be her meals or the lack of sun in Ohio this year). As soon as I began giving her daily baths again her new growth smoothed out noticeably.
My question is...What temps should she be enduring outside without any other source of heat? And, she is outside grazing (bluegrass, different grass mix, and half of her enclosure with wild "weeds" - dandelion, clover, lambs quarter- and kale and mustard), getting Mazuri after her bath with mixed salad greens (spring mix) for her to eat indoors. Is there anything else I can do with her diet? Also, we in Ohio have had unseen amounts of cloudy skies, cold temps, and rain this summer. Could it be that she is not getting adequate sunlight? I stopped using UV in her indoor habitat as she is outside everyday grazing.
I will post a photo of her. Please if there is anything I could be doing "better" let me know. this tortoise means the world to me and I want to give her/him/them the happiest least pyramid-y life one has to offer
Thanks in advance! I love the tortoise forum and can not express how much I have learned to be a better tortoise caregiver because of this place