Tortoise kisses for World Turtle Day!

Telid

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Great looking little herd, Cassandra! Out of curiosity - how do the redfoots handle in Illinois? Do you leave them indoors most of the time, or do they live outside during the summer?
 

CassandraM

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They do wonderfully here! This is a pic of part of their outside area. It is still spring so the plants are only 1/2 grown, but all are edible and get crunched. There are 2 ponds and many underground rock hiding places. ~7x20' or so, so finding 3 hatchlings and one almost yearling is a bit challenging for now. They are outside with us for many hours almost everyday and sleep inside where it is safe and humid. Someday we will have to move them to the back acres gardens for more room, but this will work for quite a while. May 21, 2014 034 (570x428).jpg
 

bouaboua

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What a nice looking enclosure. I like it...
 

wellington

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They and enclosure looks great. Tortoise keeping in Illinois, is just a little more expensive then the warmer states, but it can be done without too much extra work and money.
 

dmmj

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You show tortoises on world turtle day, what has this world come to?
 

CassandraM

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They and enclosure looks great. Tortoise keeping in Illinois, is just a little more expensive then the warmer states, but it can be done without too much extra work and money.
It is wonderful to meet another person in IL! I see that you have sulcata and leopards, how do you handle the winters with them as adults?
 

wellington

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I don't have a sulcata, but I do have two leopards and a Russian. Last winter I had a heated tortoise shed. This winter, because we moved, they will have a heated larger one stall garage. The shed was 8x10 the garage will be 8x20. Oil filled portable heater, basking mercury vapor bulb and ceramic heat emitters, radiant reptile heat panels and a pig blanket. and a fan to push the heat to their level. All on a thermostat. Electric bills weren't too bad for the amount of heating elements. Extra insulation on all walls, ceiling and floor helps a lot. This winter, hoping to have the radiant heated floors. Rather start the heat out at their level then above. They love the outdoors, but they seem to do very well during the winter inside months too.
 
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