Sulcata returning to warmth when outside in uk

[Beanmiester]

That sounds like a much better and safer idea to me, but would probably still need insulating and the use of thick tubber mats. Ideally she'd have her own warm space rather than sharing with you which is full of hazards - not to mention that a large tort can pee and poop the same amount as a small pony!!

Moorlands can be pretty exposed with wind chills reducing the temps further and if torts get cold they may not be able to get back to their hide. It's not something I would risk in South Wales with my leopard. Plus if she is left out for any length of time without checking on her, you have the added worry of making sure moorland predators can't get at her - foxes, stoats, weasels feral cats etc even rats can chew a smaller torts legs off and birds go for eyes. Maybe not so much of a problem when fully grown but still things to consider.

Sounds like you have a few years to sort things out before she's big enough to be outside unsupervised though.

Thanks for your reply Lyn, yes the garage will be fully insulated and heated with a smaller house for the basking temperatures, rubber matting is a must as it’s concrete floor and that gets cold, and I mentioned about her coming indoors only in an emergency like a power cut etc as we have a wood burner , not ideal I know but for an emergency situation I think is ok. And yes living on the moors has its down sides , but we do have a 6ft brick wall around the whole garden so does help with the wind and some of the weather, luckily here in Devon we do get better weather then up north very hot summers so shade is also a must . And yes I’m thinking of this all now whilst she’s small so I can start any expensive renovations now and take a 3 year period to do 👍🏻😊

 

[Beanmiester]

Charlie is a 24 year old sulcata, way over 100 pounds. He has a heated house on the porch. Most of the time he goes into it but once or twice every winter he makes the mistake of staying out in the garden. When he does this, he usually goes in a corner somewhere and then we have a herculean task of moving him back to his house. After that he is usually very good at remembering.

Currently I have his thermostat set to 84F. I know he is warm enough when he comes out nearly every day, even for just a little while. He doesn't usually come out if it is overcast or rainy.

I close him in every night for extra warmth. During the summer, he stays out. He has a summer house that provides shelter but no heat. This is one of the reasons he has trouble getting back into the routine of coming to his house every night but I can't think of a good reason for him to be in his house when it is so hot outside, and it would be hard to convince him.

I live north of Tom so it gets a little colder here but not much.

It’s always a worry if they don’t go back in now and then, sounds like you have a good set up for him , I want to do a summer house as well is it glass? Or polycarbonate?

 

[Tom]

...she’s 2 months...

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The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? 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. Babies hatch during the...

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Around 10 pounds a year is pretty normal when they are started and raised correctly...

 

[DarkerGraphic]

I’m case this thread helps. I’m doing a smaller enclosure right off the shed that I can lock off from the bigger runs I’m connecting to.

Sulcata shed conversion

I’ve spent the past three weeks rehabbing an old 10 x 12 plastic shed in order to house my three 22 year old sulcatas (all males). I’ve had them since hatchlings. Shed was existing and I thought it could suit my hide box/cold temp needs. -The sheds plastic roof had deteriorated so I replaced it...

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[Beanmiester]

Have you found these?

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? 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. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Around 10 pounds a year is pretty normal when they are started and raised correctly...

Yes these are great thanks, she’s come from a fantastic breeder who has set her up correctly from the start so that’s always a bonus, drove 8 hours to get her from this particular breeder as she was well known for her care of breeding sulcata tortoises, mine is in a large vivarium, 80% humidity, fed on dark greens and grass. Calcium added 2-3 times weekly, she has daily soaks of 30 mins. And has lots of coco fibre and husk to dig in which she loves to do. She has slate to feed off to help her beak stay trimmed. Which I’ve seen her doing herself . Her ambient temp is about 28c and basking is 35-38c .👍🏻