I am confused by some of the info I have received. Most babies are started on a tortoise table- an open enclosure, but adults are either inside in controlled Temps and humidities, or loose outside... that seems backwards to me. To not regulate Temps and humidities for hatchlings seems wrong... the real issue I am having is designing proper inner and outdoor spaces for my tort, Kronk.
question? (indoor/outdoor space design)
- Thread starter cassieopia
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I don't know where you've gotten your info, but you're right, it's totally backwards from what we tell folk here. Babies should be started in a warm/humid/moist environment, and a closed chamber (not an open-topped table) works best. Once they get a certain size, they should be moved outside.
So my guy/gal is too big for one hand, but it's too cold for him to go outside. At his size, does he have to have a completely enclosed area with 80% humidity? He has UVB 85°, a heat lamp 105°, and he is indoors at 75-78 degrees and 65% humidity. I do allow him out to wonder the yard on warm days, but they are few and far between right now... it is supposed to be 65-70 this weekend, so he will go out...
"Too big for one hand" should live outdoors with a heated tortoise house to sleep in and stay in on the cooler days.
Depends how cold. I bring even my 20lb leopard in for the winter. My big guys have a humid hide indoors. The humidity in the hide is 60-70%. They are heated with a CHE on a thermostat set to 80F.
Prairie Mom
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- Sep 13, 2014
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Agreed! Winters are not the same everywhere. It may not be safe for a tortoise in some areas to be stuck in a shed outside. Winters in my area are too long and cold for a tortoise to only be in a heated tortoise shed outside. There are no warmer days that are safe enough for her to explore outside during the winter. I feel the risk to her health is far too great.
I'm interested in other members' response to your question. I'm guessing that my sulcata is about the same size as yours. We live in a brutally cold, windy, and elevated climate. Right now, my sulcata is in the biggest closed chamber we could possibly manage. --We don't believe it is the ideal situation and it is temporary, because she deserves the biggest space available. However, we are keeping her in controlled, warm, and very humid conditions. Because our winters are so long and hard, we plan to convert a workroom attached to our garage into essentially a giant closed chamber. The entire room will be her winter retreat with a decent space and even as she grows large, we hope to have the supporting heat and humidity levels that are recommended for young sulcatas. In the summer, when it is actually warm (mind you the nights can still be 40'F) she will be free to roam the yard, graze, and soak up the sunshine during the day.
Thanks Jodie and PrairieMom. It is just too cold here to put Kronk out. Our winter gets harsh some years (hell, some days, even). We had that arctic front come through and it only got up to about 14f for 2 days. We had a dusting of snow Sunday night, but it is supposed to be 65 or 70 this weekend. If it actually is, I will have him out. Some days it is 65 but the ground is still so cold I can't put him down- weather is so weird here. There is always an off chance that we put him in an outdoor heated hide and end up being literally unable to get to him the next day. The good news is it is (mostly) only like this for a few months. Seems like things are gonna be mild this year- but knowing this place we may end up stuck and frozen under 3 feet of snow by Wednesday next!
