Should I let my hermann's tortoises sleep outside?

[whats_my_greek]

Hi everyone,

My western hermann's tortoises have been sleeping outside for the last three days, the lowest night temperature was 12°C (45°F). However, the night temperatures are going to get as low as 6-7°C (44°F) this week (and pretty much until the end of May), and I'm debating whether I should take them back inside at night. They have a cold frame but only one of the two tortoises goes in it, and the other one was very dehydrated and underweight when I got her and is currently still slowly healing. What should I do?

 

[timus]

I’m no expert at all and I hope some others with more knowledge chime in but I would think that for sure any tortoise that is not fully healthy should not be subjected to anything other than optimal conditions.

 

[whats_my_greek]

I’m no expert at all and I hope some others with more knowledge chime in but I would think that for sure any tortoise that is not fully healthy should not be subjected to anything other than optimal conditions.

That's also what I'm thinking. I just don't know what would be worse between moving her around and stressing her or letting her sleep in the cold.

 

[Krista S]

2 tortoises should never be kept together as one of them will be bullied. Usually one will thrive and the other will not. If these 2 have always lived together, that is likely what you’re seeing with the one being dehydrated and under weight. They should be separated immediately so the one who is struggling can get back into good health.

In my opinion, 44 degrees is pretty cold and risky to leave them outside. If they are babies, definitely they shouldn’t be out in the cold. If they’re older and you choose to take the risk with leaving them outside, it should only be done if it warms up significantly during the day for them to reach optimal temperature again. This isn’t a risk I would take though.

Here is a link to the best care sheet available for your tortoises.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[whats_my_greek]

2 tortoises should never be kept together as one of them will be bullied. Usually one will thrive and the other will not. If these 2 have always lived together, that is likely what you’re seeing with the one being dehydrated and under weight. They should be separated immediately so the one who is struggling can get back into good health.

In my opinion, 44 degrees is pretty cold and risky to leave them outside. If they are babies, definitely they shouldn’t be out in the cold. If they’re older and you choose to take the risk with leaving them outside, it should only be done if it warms up significantly during the day for them to reach optimal temperature again. This isn’t a risk I would take though.

Here is a link to the best care sheet available for your tortoises.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you for your answer! It was not well formulated in my question, but they each have their own enclosure, and the cold frame is separated in two (it's a couple, so definitely I can't keep them together). They are both adults; I just checked the temperature of their shells, and they're over 30°C (86°F). I think I'll probably keep them inside for this coming night, put a thermometer in the cold frame and add wintering veil or something around it, and if the temperature doesn't get too low I'll make them both sleep in it the next time.

 

[Krista S]

Thank you for your answer! It was not well formulated in my question, but they each have their own enclosure, and the cold frame is separated in two (it's a couple, so definitely I can't keep them together). They are both adults; I just checked the temperature of their shells, and they're over 30°C (86°F). I think I'll probably keep them inside for this coming night, put a thermometer in the cold frame and add wintering veil or something around it, and if the temperature doesn't get too low I'll make them both sleep in it the next time.

I’m so glad to hear they each have their own enclosure! Sounds like you have a good plan.

 

[Yvonne G]

Every evening I go outside and make the rounds of the tortoise enclosures making sure all the animals are inside their night houses. Then I close their doors so they can't come back out until I let them out in the a.m. This is for their safety.

 

[Tom]

Hi everyone,

My western hermann's tortoises have been sleeping outside for the last three days, the lowest night temperature was 12°C (45°F). However, the night temperatures are going to get as low as 6-7°C (44°F) this week (and pretty much until the end of May), and I'm debating whether I should take them back inside at night. They have a cold frame but only one of the two tortoises goes in it, and the other one was very dehydrated and underweight when I got her and is currently still slowly healing. What should I do?

I vote to leave them outside, BUT you need a temperature controlled shelter. My nights are in the 40s too, but my tortoises are secured in their night boxes each night, as Yvonne suggested. I keep the night temp around 60. I like them to drop in temp at night, but not into the 40s. During the day, they come out and bask in the sun. On cold overcast days, they have a basking bulb inside the 4x4 foot box to bask under to get up to temperature in spring after hibernation and in fall before hibernation when we have cooler days, rain and cold nights.

Without a heated shelter of some sort, I'd bring them inside every night. I do this with all my babies and smaller tortoises of all species. There is no harm in using both indoor and outdoor enclosures. It does stress them a little for the first few days of this routine, but they get used to it quickly and become familiar with both enclosures. Best of both worlds. There are pics and a description of this in the care sheet that Krista linked for you.

 

[Moozillion]

I have an eastern Hermann’s tort. The routine I have settled on is: she can stay outside overnight as long as the temps are 60 degrees F or above AND the weather is DRY. She has accidentally been out when the temps got in the mud-fifties, with no apparent harm.
but if the weather is WET, I only let her stay out if it is no lower than 70 degrees. I won’t let her stay out in the 60s or below if the weather is wet.
That’s just my system- I may be a tortoise helicopter mom, and I’m not saying my way is best- it just seems to work well for us. I’ve had Elsa for 9 years, starting when she was just 4 inches long.
I hope this helps.?