Temperature/outdoor enclosure help!!

[redtort]

Hi - I am in Chicago, and I have built a very large indoor habitat for my two adult redfoots in my basement. They have been through two summers in the basement, and my challenge is too keep the basement warm in the summer. As the cold air settles down the heat lamp really doesn't do much, even though I have two of them on. The temp drops easily below 67, last night I had to cover the top of the habitat with a throw to hold some heat in there.

Any ideas!!!! Does anyone recommend building an outdoor enclosure and keeping them out there through the summer and bringing them back in the fall? If so please share simple DIY ideas for building an outdoor enclosure!!

 

[Yvonne G]

That's what I would do. Quite a few of us have seasonal indoor and outdoor habitats.

 

[redtort]

Thanks Yvonne, would you share any other tips. Are you worried about them being out there at night by themselves? I am extremely afraid putting them out there since they are not very used to getting out!!!

 

[Pearly]

Definitely have outdoor place for them where they can get some sun and fresh air. I'm working on one for mine now and keep putting off getting them out there. Scared to death that they may get away or some predator may get in. Unfortunately I can't build framed cage like some members on here have done. I wish I could. For me big cage is just not feasible option

 

[Yvonne G]

Thanks Yvonne, would you share any other tips. Are you worried about them being out there at night by themselves? I am extremely afraid putting them out there since they are not very used to getting out!!!

I make sure all my outside turtles and tortoises are either covered under their trash pile (box turtles) or locked up inside their sheds at night. One or two of the leopards and most of the YFs don't go "to bed" on their own. I have to search them out and put them away. Then I close the doors and latch them.

 

[ShellyTheTortoise71]

Personally, I put them outside in the summer and indoors in the winter. I use a large kid pool indoors in the winter. Outside, I use a large gazebo with an area that leads out of the gazebo for basking. I got a gazebo from Walmart for about $100. I love the gazebo because they have shade and there's no rain. At night, they go to bed by themselves. When they are in their hide, I lock it so no predators get in. Hope that helped

 

[Sara G.]

I also keep my tort inside during the winter (NY winters-cold and long) and recently--like 3 days ago recently--built an outdoor enclosure so she can be outside during the summer.
However, we've still got the temps dropping to 50's at night, so she comes in. Besides, the enclosure isn't secure enough for me to feel safe leaving her outside at night, we have raccoons that I'm sure would love to make a meal out of her.
So she comes in at night into her smaller indoor enclosure.

Since your problem is keeping them heated properly at night, maybe you can make a smaller closed chamber for them to sleep in (or more than one) either inside or outside with proper heat so there's not so much of a temperature drop like there is with open top enclosures.
It wouldn't have to be big either, especially if you're just doing it for them to sleep in, just as long as it regulates the temps correctly and there's no worry of it overheating (I love my thermostat, hooked up to the CHE for that).

 

[Gillian M]

The sun is necessary for human beings, animals and plants, we all know. Make sure they get they get enough of that.