so cold!

[RascalDesertTort]

it's so cold (40's-50's) at night lately and Rascal won't use his humid hide that is electronically heated. He sleeps in the cool/dry hide and is so slow the next day or just never comes out to sun,eat or soak. Should I worry about this? What would you recommend? Should I bring him in at night? Soak him in the mornings? I really don't want anything to happen to this little baby of ours. Hatch date Nov. 2009. Thanks a ton! It's awesome knowing I have a place to ask these questions and expect reliable answers!
Shannon

 

[Shelly]

He's fine, he'll just be a little slow until the weather warms. NOTHING to worry about at all whatsoever.

 

[RascalDesertTort]

Ok thanks so much! I was fine until my 3 y/o told me he thought his "turtle" was dead b/c he never plays lol then the paranoia set in!

 

[tortoisenerd]

For a hatchling, I personally wouldn't want to be leaving him out. If it was my tort I'd either have an indoor enclosure with trips out for sun until its warm enough for full time, bring him in at night if that isn't too stressful/confusing, or have a heated area with a cooler but still warm area inside of it too that he is "locked" in overnight. I just wouldn't want to have my hatchling that cold. If you said upper 50s it would be ok, but 40s is just too cold for my liking. I actually like to keep hatchlings above 65 at night. It is up to you to make a choice based on our opinions. I can't tell you the right thing to do. Remember we are talking about a five month old tort. I wouldn't even be leaving that young of a tort outside unless I was watching it, if it was mine. No offense. Just different "parenting" styles.

 

[RascalDesertTort]

I've been hanging out outside all morning and Rascal came out about 11am to sun and eat and he's fully energized again. I started heating his tub at night slightly just to keep it from getting too cold, so either that worked or nature worked just by warming up more lol. (I'm guess nature worked more then me lol)

 

[Tom]

I bring my little ones in on cool nights and days. I keep the temps around 70ish at night. And give them a basking light on cold days. On a cold night in the wild they would go deep underground where temps are in the 60's. They are not equipped to deal with 30's and 40's in my opinion. Doesn't mean they won't survive it if someone chooses to do that to them.

In the winter, when I hibernate them, I've had good success keeping them in the 50's. I haven't hibernated them the last couple of years.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I don't ever rest in the evening until I have put all my animals in wherever they sleep, including 11 yr old Bob. I make sure they are all in their sleeping boxes. To me 40's and 50's is too cold for a young tort to be left out. They may " be alright" but if there is another option I would certainly take it. I don't mean to go against our resident experts but *I* wouldn't be leaving him out, he's too young and not taking the option to sleep in his warm side proves it to me.

 

[RascalDesertTort]

I really think he just didn't like the damp soil. But I ended up putting a heater under his dry hide and turning it on at night and made another hide for him that had no heater and he slept in the one with the heater. It was about 65 in that hide at night and about 55 in the entire enclosure at night. The nights seemed to have warmed up quite a bit but I'll continue to heat at night until it's much warmer. Thanks for the tips!

 

[tortoisenerd]

Great post Maggie!

 

[K9KidsLove]

Hi...How do you have him set up outside? Is he in an enclosure, or a table or loose in the yard or...? Can we see pictures? We all love pictures!
I agree with not leaving him outside at night or if the temp outside is colder than 65. I am still bringning my yearling Sulcata & Redfoot inside nights. Our night temps have been in the mid to high 50s. I didn't put them outside during the day til the temp got to the low 70s. Your heat pad helps but they need to have ambient temp of over 60. You risk a respiratory infection, especially if you are getting rain while it is still so cool.
Good luck
Patsy