Species Selection and Your Climate

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wildak

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And I would like to see you build something like that. When you say you have "hot" summers, just what temp are we talking about?

Well not Africa hot, Around here 70's and 80's. around Fairbanks it gets well into the 90's. And the temps don't drop much at night in mid summer since it is'nt dark long if at all.

I think that enclosure is indoors with a door to an outside yard. I'm actually a general contractor and have worked on similar type fake stone work at the zoo. It's a lot of fun designing the layout. You use 1/4"rebar and bend and weld it to the rough shape of the rock and cover it with fabric and call in the pumper truck with the shot crete. Blast it on have some one with some artistic talent (not me) sculpt it, dab it with a big sponge or brush, through on some dyes and your done.
It takes time but I plan on doing it a lot and sculpting some rainforest trees for the Impressa enclosure.

I was hoping to get started this summer. We'll see how it goes.

Bryan
 

lynnedit

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wildak said:
And I would like to see you build something like that. When you say you have "hot" summers, just what temp are we talking about?

Well not Africa hot, Around here 70's and 80's. around Fairbanks it gets well into the 90's. And the temps don't drop much at night in mid summer since it is'nt dark long if at all.

I think that enclosure is indoors with a door to an outside yard. I'm actually a general contractor and have worked on similar type fake stone work at the zoo. It's a lot of fun designing the layout. You use 1/4"rebar and bend and weld it to the rough shape of the rock and cover it with fabric and call in the pumper truck with the shot crete. Blast it on have some one with some artistic talent (not me) sculpt it, dab it with a big sponge or brush, through on some dyes and your done.
It takes time but I plan on doing it a lot and sculpting some rainforest trees for the Impressa enclosure.

I was hoping to get started this summer. We'll see how it goes.

Bryan

Wow. That is an amazing idea (combination of your indoor set up with access to the outside).
 

LeaderLeprechaun

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i live on the gulf coast so it gets a good bit of rain and pretty humid. therefore i got a red footed tort. ill still have to bring turbo in when winter sets in around late november
 

Mgridgaway

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Size, climate, and price were the three largest determinants of me settling on Redfoots. Maryland is a hot mess from May to September, so any of the dry-loving species were out. Sulcata's would've been manageable but their eventual size would have been entirely too cost prohibitively considering the cold winters we have.

Redfoots are really the best of both worlds for me: they're a larger species of tortoise (well, medium sized, but larger than anything I was used to), and Maryland imitates their traditional climate for at least half the year.

Next up? Maybe a Manouria if I own a house large enough to house one.
 

tortadise

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I like this thread. Because for me I chose the species before the climate. Being young when I started into tortoises and still being young and full blown creator of a tortoise conservancy and preservation facility. I accepted the challenges to creat the best environment they need to survive and thrive. I did however have little success with Pyxis species. But it does entail a huge financial obligation to a lot of species I keep. My manouria are kept in a greenhouse during winter as well as elongated, forsten, red and yellowfoots. But in the summer they are outside under a huge tree canopy outdoor enclosure with misters on 2 hour cycles and asana plants I can get my hands on. The sulcatas,Leo's, berlandier, Russians, stars, radiated, Egyptians, pancakes, Chaco, all seem to do very well in the conditions. I wish I could move to costa rica and take all my torts but desert species wouldn't do well. Hence the state of the art buildings for winter time. I do hate the winter because I woul love to keep them outside. But I also enjoy all the very hard work put into keeping a micro climate for such a delicate and beautiful animal like all my tortoises.
 

bfmorris

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The effect of climate on choice of species appears to be secondary to the effect climate has on influencing the way the animals are kept.
 

Tom

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bfmorris said:
The effect of climate on choice of species appears to be secondary to the effect climate has on influencing the way the animals are kept.

Hmmm... I wouldn't say that is true for all cases, but certainly some.
 
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