Sweet T

[Gregg T]

We are new to owning a tortoise and we are hoping to get lots of information and help for this girl. Her name is Sweet T. And she's a Sulcata. We understand that she has been somewhat neglected, shown by the pyramiding. She's approx 9 years old and and her shell is approx 14 in long by 11 in wide. We have only had her for about 3 weeks. We live in East Tennessee and it gets cold here in the winter so I'm currently making her a box. I'm planning on heating it w a mini oil heater on a thermostat suggested in Tom's posts. I'll do the freezer curtain on entry way w an insulated door that we can shut during really cold days/nights. Haven't got to basking lights yet but I do have the chicken brooder lamps. I don't think the bulbs would work but the metal shields should.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Happy torting!

 

[Ink]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

Congrats and welcome!! Dont listen to Tom he knows nothing about tortoises

 

[Gregg T]

Lol!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

We are new to owning a tortoise and we are hoping to get lots of information and help for this girl. Her name is Sweet T. And she's a Sulcata. We understand that she has been somewhat neglected, shown by the pyramiding. She's approx 9 years old and and her shell is approx 14 in long by 11 in wide. We have only had her for about 3 weeks. We live in East Tennessee and it gets cold here in the winter so I'm currently making her a box. I'm planning on heating it w a mini oil heater on a thermostat suggested in Tom's posts. I'll do the freezer curtain on entry way w an insulated door that we can shut during really cold days/nights. Haven't got to basking lights yet but I do have the chicken brooder lamps. I don't think the bulbs would work but the metal shields should.

Hello and welcome!

Probably, you won't need any basking lamps in the nightbox. As Tom explained - nightbox is more a burrow not a pen so you need only to maintain optimal temperature there. Basking lamp can burn large tortoises shell but won't be enough to warm up the core.

 

[Gregg T]

Okay, that takes that worry my mind. Here is the the night box I'm making. It's 74x38" inside dimensions. What about winters here? Can get down below freezing and if I have to keep her locked in for a couple days, do I need to be concerned about some simulated light then?

 

[Tom]

Okay, that takes that worry my mind. Here is the the night box I'm making. It's 74x38" inside dimensions. What about winters here? Can get down below freezing and if I have to keep her locked in for a couple days, do I need to be concerned about some simulated light then?

Hello and welcome Greg! I love that name. Over the years I have worked a lot in the south. Mostly Louisiana and Georgia, but I've been through TN on occasion too. I LOVE southern sweet tea, and partake any chance I get.

Your question above is a good one. These boxes work great here in Southern CA, but we have warm winters. We will occasionally have cold winter spells where its overcast, raining, and day time highs don't get out of the 50's. During those times, the sulcatas will come out, eat a bit, and then go back in for most of the day to stay warm. Those cold spells only last a day or two most of the time and then its warm and sunny again.

Our nights occasionally drop to right around freezing, and these boxes hold 80 degrees with an oil heater with no problem, but then the next day it will be sunny and rise in the high 60s or low 70s.

What I'm getting at is this: I don't think this box will work well in your area when you are cold and overcast for two or three weeks straight with temps well below freezing at night and only 30s to 50s during the day for long portions of winter. The temperature inside the box should be fine, but confinement for that long will not be good for a giant tortoise. You might need to figure out some sort of a large heated shed or basement that can be kept warm, or something along those lines.

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

Hello and welcome Greg! I love that name. Over the years I have worked a lot in the south. Mostly Louisiana and Georgia, but I've been through TN on occasion too. I LOVE southern sweet tea, and partake any chance I get.

Your question above is a good one. These boxes work great here in Southern CA, but we have warm winters. We will occasionally have cold winter spells where its overcast, raining, and day time highs don't get out of the 50's. During those times, the sulcatas will come out, eat a bit, and then go back in for most of the day to stay warm. Those cold spells only last a day or two most of the time and then its warm and sunny again.

Our nights occasionally drop to right around freezing, and these boxes hold 80 degrees with an oil heater with no problem, but then the next day it will be sunny and rise in the high 60s or low 70s.

What I'm getting at is this: I don't think this box will work well in your area when you are cold and overcast for two or three weeks straight with temps well below freezing at night and only 30s to 50s during the day for long portions of winter. The temperature inside the box should be fine, but confinement for that long will not be good for a giant tortoise. You might need to figure out some sort of a large heated shed or basement that can be kept warm, or something along those lines.

Ok.. i was lying

 

[Tom]

Ok.. i was lying

You made me shoot the water I was attempting to drink out my nose...