What they don't tell you about outdoor enclosures...

[srkarpen]

is once you build it, you'll never want to bring your tort inside again.

For those of you who don't religiously follow my posts ( ) I built my baby little RT an outdoor home in a kiddy pool last weekend, mostly with the intent of letting him roam out there for a few hours in the morning while i got ready for the day, then planned on bringing him back inside while i went to school and work and whatever.

well... Yortoise absolutely loves his new home and I hate having to pull him back inside so he has pretty much been outside more than inside this past week. Tonight he's spending his first night outside. He burrowed/cuddled up next the the rubber duck that's under some planted oregano and I just didn't have the heart to move him so I made some quick modifications and am letting him camp out!

Turns out 1) its not hard to build a safe outdoor home and 2) once you put em in it, you'll never want them to leave.

 

[mctlong]

.

 

[lynnedit]

Perfectly said. Way to 'listen' to your tort.

 

[ascott]

Yay.....outside camp out....wooooohooooo

 

[CactusVinnie]

You really saw the light, bro ! You're right both ways: easy to build, tortoise happier than never!
Yes indeed, when seeing with your own eyes the difference, you will never have the heart to send the happy tortoise back to the sad indoor table...
Where are you located? Add location to your profile, please!

 

[shellysmom]

Awesome.

 

[wellington]

Ya, good call. Happy

 

[srkarpen]

Im in Tucson. It'll be warm enough to keep him there for quite some time still

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

That's cool. My guys don't like to be brought inside, either, although for now they must.

 

[Laurie]

I couldn't agree more. They just seem happier outside I'll be bringing mine in soon for winter

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

My mom asked me today: "does Sandy (my Russian) seem happier outside?" And I told her: "you know it's weird, somehow you can tell when a tortoise is happier. She actually seems like she is really happy outside!"

 

[DesertGrandma]

Yeah, I saw Humphrey stretching his neck looking for me this morning to take him outside. It was misting rain and somehow he knew it would be great outdoors. He and the little girls were all out in the open most ofthe day, no hiding.

 

[Tom]

Amen.

Tortoises are solar powered. They do best outside in the right enclosures. I can make a case for babies to be inside more often than not, but even babies need to be outside at least SOME of the time. I think juveniles and adults should be out all day, everyday, weather permitting of course.

Just wait until you build a great big in ground enclosure and see him running around in that! I can tell you right now, you will wish you had made it bigger.

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Yeah, I saw Humphrey stretching his neck looking for me this morning to take him outside. It was misting rain and somehow he knew it would be great outdoors. He and the little girls were all out in the open most ofthe day, no hiding.

Yaaa mine stretch's her neck out toward the sun all time. And she waits in the middle of her terrarium with her neck out toward the ceiling on her toes waiting for me to take her outside!

 

[srkarpen]

Amen.

Tortoises are solar powered.

Nice. Well said.

 

[RockyMountainMan]

My tortoises love outdoor too and they adapt to it very quickly. The weather starts to cool down in Colorado, though we still get 80F in the day, at night it can drop to 40F. Some of my tortoises are already preparing and burrowing. I had to scan through the entire enclosure very carefully before I notice some ground disturbance and notice one is burrowing and hiding. The next day, he burrowed down even further. Now I think he is down 4" below ground.

Has anyone let Russian Tortoises stay outside throughout Colorado (Denver Metro) winter? I am curious if it is possible and wonder how deep a burrow the tortoise has to dig (or with the help of the owner). 4' below should pass the frost line for up to 7000f elevation.

As much as I would like to keep my tortoises happy outside, I do not really know if it is wise or if it is possible to leave them outside longer, into the cold Colorado winter.

 

[CactusVinnie]

Theoretically, Denver is not by far as cold as the coldest place where Horsfieldi occur, and if they have a somehow easy-to-digg ground, they will survive easily your winters. Rodents and flood are the main threats in outdoor hibernation. Your area is quite dry, similar to its native areal, but excess moisture can occur- I know what some winters can bring in CO. Lots of snow melting suddenly can be bad, even if it is not about flooding danger but soil moisture... lots of variables here.
I suppose that the 4 feet deep frostline is the worse, when snowless and extreme cold weather occur, and considered as such when placing waterpipes etc. If extreme weather came in the winter, you could protect the burrowing area with some isolating covers: hay, blankets, tarp, bubblewrap, plastic etc.
Someone kept his Horsfields in Minneapolis(?), or, anyway, in MN, outdoors year-round, and they thrived and even bred. If you are affraid, let him burrow until November, then digg him up and place it in the fridge, in a soil/peat mix about 50% humidity, 3-7*C. Make sure the fridge is ok and will not fluctuate wildly down to freezing values or above 7*C! Even at 7*C, some Russians will scratch for a while, but mines were asleep even at 8*C. I don't know why.

 

[LuckysGirl007]

I'm just finished my improvements to their outside home last night...although it will NEVER be finished. So fun and addicting to redecorate and find ways to improve! I bring them in at night though...so they are inside/outside about 12 hours each. I MAY try to find a way to rig up my new ceramic heater out there so I can leave them out later and put them out earlier.

 

[Kathy Coles]

Dang, I'm in Maine and my RF won't be going out pretty soon. You are right, he really loves being outside. I hope I can keep him semi happy till summer. Any helpful hints for a long winter?

 

[RockyMountainMan]

Theoretically, Denver is not by far as cold as the coldest place where Horsfieldi occur, and if they have a somehow easy-to-digg ground, they will survive easily your winters.

One of my tortoises already find a nice area to burrow down. It took me a while to figure out where he has been. Here we still have around 80F durng the day and 40F to 50F at night. I would like to take your advice to try him out till November and see how it goes.

There is no doubt that my tortoises enjoy outdoors. I think they might also prefer to hibernate outside than staying inside.