Tortoise sleeping outdoors?

[Hector108]

I have and outdoor and indoor tortoise enclosure, in the outdoor one she has an artificial homemade burrow or "cave". I just wondered would it be okay if my tort sleeps outside during the night when the temps are good and there is no rain coming? And then during cold or humid nights to bring it indoors. I currently leave it outside during good days and at night put it indoors. She actually likes the pallets she makes, and when i put it in the burrow it comes out. Should i put a little door so that it doesnt get out overnight if it is okay for it to stay out overnight.

 

[Hector108]

Sorry about that i thought that button was to correct an error i made in the first one. Lol

 

[Hector108]

Dont pay attention to my reply after my post

 

[wellington]

LOL. I would only let her sleep outside if you can either lock her inside the hide or if there is absolutely no way an animal can get to her.

 

[ascott]

I have and outdoor and indoor tortoise enclosure, in the outdoor one she has an artificial homemade burrow or "cave". I just wondered would it be okay if my tort sleeps outside during the night when the temps are good and there is no rain coming? And then during cold or humid nights to bring it indoors. I currently leave it outside during good days and at night put it indoors. She actually likes the pallets she makes, and when i put it in the burrow it comes out. Should i put a little door so that it doesnt get out overnight if it is okay for it to stay out overnight.

Gopherus berlandieri? If the ground/hide is dry and the temps don't drop into freezing and the tortoise has time to acclimate a little...then yes. I would also make sure to know what, if any, active predators are in your area and take caution the best you can....may we see a pic of the Texan, please?

 

[Tom]

What species and where are you? How secure is the area? How common are predatory animals where you are?

I like for them to sleep outside with the proper accommodations if the temperatures are correct for the species.

 

[turdle yerdle]

Is your back yard fenced?

 

[Hector108]

Gopherus berlandieri? If the ground/hide is dry and the temps don't drop into freezing and the tortoise has time to acclimate a little...then yes. I would also make sure to know what, if any, active predators are in your area and take caution the best you can....may we see a pic of the Texan, please?

How fo i post a pic

 

[Hector108]

My backyard is totally fenced and the only thing i worry about is cats becuase they can climb the fence

 

[Hector108]

@ascott how do you know its a Texas tort. No worries i got permit

 

[Hector108]

What species and where are you? How secure is the area? How common are predatory animals where you are?

I like for them to sleep outside with the proper accommodations if the temperatures are correct for the species.

It is a Texas tort. I live in Brownsville, Texas. It is fenced and only neighbors cats cross over once in a while.

 

[Hector108]

This is her. She is captive bred about 4 in. Long , but her previous owner didnt have a permit for it. He had little girls and they painted the shell (which i really did not tolerate) and they fed her food from the fridge. I obtained it from him and now its mine (once again, i do have a permit)

 

[ascott]

This is her. She is captive bred about 4 in. Long , but her previous owner didnt have a permit for it. He had little girls and they painted the shell (which i really did not tolerate) and they fed her food from the fridge. I obtained it from him and now its mine (once again, i do have a permit)

Awesome....what a great moment caught for a picture....fantastic....

 

[ascott]

@ascott how do you know its a Texas tort. No worries i got permit

I simply read your prior posts before I participated in the thread

 

[ascott]

This is her. She is captive bred about 4 in. Long , but her previous owner didnt have a permit for it. He had little girls and they painted the shell (which i really did not tolerate) and they fed her food from the fridge. I obtained it from him and now its mine (once again, i do have a permit)

After reading here that the tort is only 4 inches long....I would still bring the tort indoors at night and or lock inside a completely fail proof locked night house....I would do this until the tort is a few inches larger....just what my gut is saying....

 

[Hector108]

Yes thank all you very much for the help guys!

 

[Jodie]

That is a great picture! I love it. What a ham. I too would not leave that small of a tort out overnight.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I wouldn't worry about cats. But at just 4" I'd worry about a lot of other critters taking off with it or just eating him/her while it sleeps. Raccoons and even rats could and will chew on them.
Larger birds like owls will sure take them away.
Unless it is an enclosed and secured area. I simply would not.

 

[Hector108]

Would cockroaches bite them

 

[ascott]

Would cockroaches bite them

Yes. But are you referring to the big gross common "water bug" type roaches? Or those nasty little disease infested German roaches? Water bugs will likely not harm the tortoise....the reason I say I would not leave that size of tortoise out overnight is for a couple of reasons, if you should have a sudden drop in temp the tortoise does not have a lot of size to hold it over until warmth, or you, arrives....and if a storm should drop a lot of rain suddenly, the tort is just too small and not as sturdy as a larger one....I mean, tortoise hatch in the wild all of the time and about 2-5 out of 100 will actually make it into a viable reproductive size....so yes, they can survive in the wild....but your yard is not the wild with all of the microclimates naturally available...and a larger tortoise can withstand sudden changes a lot easier than a youngster....that is what drives my opinion of not leaving a little one out on its own overnight unless you are able to completely secure it...again, just my opinion....that tortoise is in your care and you are in charge of its safety--not me, right