Tortoises and rain

[yoda3106]

I'm in Kent and to be honest we haven't had enough rain in the last couple of years. Hose pipe bans and dried out lawns and it's only April

Joe retreats to his cold frame or under a bush usually if it's colder rain, but in the summer he'll be marching around in it.

We had major hail storms last week. They were very sudden and completely unexpected, sunshine to 1cm diameter hail stones in seconds. Joe was outside when it started and I'm afraid I left him to it. To my amazement he was stomping round in the hail and didn't go for cover! It must have been so noisy on his shell... it was deafening in our conservatory! A few minutes later and the sun was out again and he carried on as if it hadn't happened while the hail melted around him

And there's me worrying about a little drizzle of rain lol makes me laugh thou every time I read this, can just imagine joe storming around in it lol like a little warrior haha why I worry I don't know, they come across it in the wild so why would it bother them lol have you seen my hut that I added on to my enclosure??

 

[JoesMum]

I saw your hut, it looks good. Is the floor earth? I put some hay in Joe's cold frame (which is on earth) and he likes to dig into that.

Joe's back inside again at the moment as it's got quite cold again. He doesn't seem to mind. It's weird that he seems to know what's happening outside despite the temperature being steady in his room according to my max/min thermometer.

 

[yoda3106]

I saw your hut, it looks good. Is the floor earth? I put some hay in Joe's cold frame (which is on earth) and he likes to dig into that.

Joe's back inside again at the moment as it's got quite cold again. He doesn't seem to mind. It's weird that he seems to know what's happening outside despite the temperature being steady in his room according to my max/min thermometer.

Yeah it has, it's pretty much a quarter earth then the rest is full of hay on top of it so they can dig down and keep warm!! There not that fussed on it yet thou they prefer the littler hut lol which also has earth and hay, I'd prefer them in the bigger one thou lol tonight I'm bathing them then going to place them in there for the night and hope they stay for the night!! Lol I'm being brave thou, I'm keeping them out for this week :s cause it's suppose nice day and night lol plus I'm going home to the uk for a week from the 25th and instead of them staying in there tank at a friends and not gettin any outside time, I'm going to leave them in there enclosure and have people feed them mornings and check on them during the day, so really, I'm getting them used to it!! They should be fine right? Lol

 

[EddieW]

I leave my 9 year old Red Foot out in the rain all the time. He seems to love it. If it ever gets to be to much rain he will go inside his covered and dry house but more often than night he will be out in the mud the rain creates and loving it.

 

[JoesMum]

I saw your hut, it looks good. Is the floor earth? I put some hay in Joe's cold frame (which is on earth) and he likes to dig into that.

Joe's back inside again at the moment as it's got quite cold again. He doesn't seem to mind. It's weird that he seems to know what's happening outside despite the temperature being steady in his room according to my max/min thermometer.

Yeah it has, it's pretty much a quarter earth then the rest is full of hay on top of it so they can dig down and keep warm!! There not that fussed on it yet thou they prefer the littler hut lol which also has earth and hay, I'd prefer them in the bigger one thou lol tonight I'm bathing them then going to place them in there for the night and hope they stay for the night!! Lol I'm being brave thou, I'm keeping them out for this week :s cause it's suppose nice day and night lol plus I'm going home to the uk for a week from the 25th and instead of them staying in there tank at a friends and not gettin any outside time, I'm going to leave them in there enclosure and have people feed them mornings and check on them during the day, so really, I'm getting them used to it!! They should be fine right? Lol

LOL

They should be fine... I doubt there'll be a major freeze in Cyprus in the next few weeks!

You can't make them sleep where you want... they'll always make their own choices regardless! I do find that Joe rejects his cold frame if I put too much hay in, so you could try taking some out!

 

[yoda3106]

I leave my 9 year old Red Foot out in the rain all the time. He seems to love it. If it ever gets to be to much rain he will go inside his covered and dry house but more often than night he will be out in the mud the rain creates and loving it.

How big is your 9year old? I'd like to see our 3 in the rain lol

 

[yoda3106]

LOL

They should be fine... I doubt there'll be a major freeze in Cyprus in the next few weeks!

You can't make them sleep where you want... they'll always make their own choices regardless! I do find that Joe rejects his cold frame if I put too much hay in, so you could try taking some out!

Ha I doubt it to lol there wasn't last night lol

I didn't in the end, I just put them in and they went were they wanted, just want to go out and find them now lol I'm on edge but I'm going to leave them to wake up naturally!! Lol well, I've put there food in so that might tempt them out haha oh, I hope there ok!!!!

 

[JoesMum]

They can handle a few 'rainy days' where activity is low and little food is eaten. They have to in the wild.

If the weather is cold for a prolonged period - weeks not days - that's when problems come.

You are more likely to have problems mid summer trying to get the temperature under 40C! You will find then that they are only active very early in the morning and very late at night. Joe slows down by day outside if the temp is about 28 or more (not often ) but he's a soft Northerner now!

 

[yoda3106]

They can handle a few 'rainy days' where activity is low and little food is eaten. They have to in the wild.

If the weather is cold for a prolonged period - weeks not days - that's when problems come.

You are more likely to have problems mid summer trying to get the temperature under 40C! You will find then that they are only active very early in the morning and very late at night. Joe slows down by day outside if the temp is about 28 or more (not often ) but he's a soft Northerner now!

Oh great lol July thru to end of August it's pretty much usually 45 or above lol I'll have fun haha I've noticed it lately, they've not been so active during the day but come the evening there abit more active!!

Well, my female, Hetty, is all but awake, my boys in the other hand.............well, need I say haha do I still leave them to wake naturally or wake them? It's 11.30 here, it's between now and 12 they all wake up!

 

[JoesMum]

Leave them to do it naturally... your boys are on home territory, they'll be fine. They sound like most human boys... they struggle to get up in the morning!

 

[yoda3106]

Leave them to do it naturally... your boys are on home territory, they'll be fine. They sound like most human boys... they struggle to get up in the morning!

Well, as we talking, there stirring lol Fred's head was poking out and Henry was moving about lol it's always about this time of the day guranteed!! Oh, they are like human boys, always late getting up haha