Eviekay2121
New Member
Hi! We just acquired a five-year-old female red foot tortoise. We have her being housed in an outdoor enclosure. Her home is a small rabbit house That we wrapped the inside walls with insulation wrap. I purchased the zoomed Reptile Heater (Zoo Med Laboratories SZMRH20... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Z0B52Y/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20) which appears to be one of the more powerful reptile heaters out there that are designed for outdoor enclosures with an automatic turn off at around 115°. The problem is, it appears to be reading the internal temperature of the heater rather than the air temperature, which is significantly cooler. I’m concerned about the tortoise being warm enough overnight when outdoor temps deep into the 40s and 50s. My question is, can tortoises regulate their heat enough through a floor heater? Or does the inside air temperature need to be in the 80s and 90s as well? Below our photos of her enclosure, which is a rabbit house we re-purpose and lined with insulation. We took out the floor of the rabbit house, and replaced it with the reptile heater. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice.