When can my Sulcata be outside fulltime

HawkeyeJay

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Hawkeye is 17 months and has been living indoors since we got him at 3 months. He goes outside daily to get the natural UV and eat the weeds and plants that he likes. Everything is pesticide free. I'm in Arizona so it's very dry and warm. Temps. this week are triple digits. I'm transitioning him to an outdoor habit under a patio so he has plenty of shade. I'm getting concerned about his shell being to raised though (see picture of him roaming the yard). He doesn't like to soak but from reading a lot of the posts on here I should do it more. He's a very good eater... He eats hibiscus leaves, grapevine leaves, weeds and green leaves from the yard. I also add a sprinkler of calcium twice a week. He doesn't like grass and I have tried a few types. I take him out in the morning and bring him in at night. When can he stay outside full time?

Any advice to make sure I'm taking proper care is greatly appreciated.
 

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HawkeyeJay

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Here are a couple additional pictures.
 

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wellington

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I believe @Tom can help with this. My leopard stayed outside when he was 3 years. In Chicago, he had a heated shed for winter. In AZ, I would set up a misting system if I were you to help get some humidity in the outside enclosure and make him a warm humid hide to go into. I use a misting system here in Chicago for our very hot days, helps to cool temps some and raise out humidity even higher. However, you have some time yet before he should be out 24/7. Be sure when you bring him in at night, he stays in a humid enclosure.
 

HawkeyeJay

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Thank you Wellington. I will definitely do the misting system. It's supposed to hit 118 on Sunday so.....
 

Tom

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I generally move them outside full time with a heated night shelter when they reach 8-10". In your climate you really really need underground accommodations for the warmer months, but above ground heated accommodation for the winter months. Here are two ways to do the underground thing:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sulcata-burrows.50846/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/daisys-new-enclosure.28662/

Here are a couple of ways to do the heated night box, when the time comes:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/double-door-night-box.129054/

Outside all day is not good for babies. That is why yours is pyramiding and growing slower than normal. Please give these a read through:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
 

Speedy-1

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Speedy is 8 "s and just weighed in at 3 Lbs 5 Oz,s . He is out all day , but still gets daily soaks and comes in at night to his controlled humid environment . I do this because of the reasons Tom mentioned. His night box is almost done , and I am toying with a few different ideas for humidity !

100_8281.jpg
 

HawkeyeJay

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Speedy is 8 "s and just weighed in at 3 Lbs 5 Oz,s . He is out all day , but still gets daily soaks and comes in at night to his controlled humid environment . I do this because of the reasons Tom mentioned. His night box is almost done , and I am toying with a few different ideas for humidity !

View attachment 177470
Thank you for sharing. My little guy has been going out for a hour or so each day. We made him a kiddie pool habitat on Monday. He was staying out most of the day but coming in at night. I starting giving him a lot more food while he was staying outside then in the indoor area. He eats it alL! Do you think his shell could be pyramiding and he's under size because I wasn't feeding him enough?
 

HawkeyeJay

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I generally move them outside full time with a heated night shelter when they reach 8-10". In your climate you really really need underground accommodations for the warmer months, but above ground heated accommodation for the winter months. Here are two ways to do the underground thing:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sulcata-burrows.50846/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/daisys-new-enclosure.28662/

Here are a couple of ways to do the heated night box, when the time comes:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/double-door-night-box.129054/

Outside all day is not good for babies. That is why yours is pyramiding and growing slower than normal. Please give these a read through:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/


Thank you Tom. He just started staying outside from 8:00 until 4:00 last Monday. Before that I was taking him out supervised (because we did loose him for 2 weeks) for an hour or two. I'm wondering if I wasn't feeding him enough.
 

Sara G.

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The pyramiding is likely from humidity issues, not from a food problem.
What is his humidity in the indoor set up?
 

HawkeyeJay

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The pyramiding is likely from humidity issues, not from a food problem.
What is his humidity in the indoor set up?

It was really low. I starting spraying his log that's in his indoor aquarium and it's up to 50%. The aquarium is 60 gallon with a wire top. I place the day light, UVB and night lights over that. How can I get more humidity?
 

cmacusa3

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Closed chambers and get the lights directly on him. Those screens filter out some UVB. This is something I just built for a friend who is starting off with a hatchling in a tank. He knows it won't last long but it was a simple solution to his tank. We took everything back off and he is sealing the wood. It only took a couple hours to build.
I had a set up just like it and could keep humidity over 80% with no issues. It will have CHE on thermostat for night and a power sun vapor bulb for day time on timers.

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cmacusa3

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And I read the post about he doesn't like to soak. You have to do it, and I would recommend twice a day with that Arizona heat and dry air.
 

Speedy-1

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It was really low. I starting spraying his log that's in his indoor aquarium and it's up to 50%. The aquarium is 60 gallon with a wire top. I place the day light, UVB and night lights over that. How can I get more humidity?
I have a 60 gal long tank , just put plastic over the screen . I put plastic on 1 and foil over the 1 with the light , cutting a hole in the screen for the light . If you are getting him outside for 2 hours a day you really don't need to be concerned with a UV light he will be getting all he needs . You will want to keep the light for heat ! Pyramiding is caused by low humidity , not diet ! Remember to keep temps no lower than 80 at the coolest , warm and humid is good , cool and humid is bad ! I also took the dome off and lowered my CHE into the tank below the screen.

P.S. If he doesn't like to soak , you are probably putting him in cool water ? Warm it up , if you can hold your hand in it it is not to hot !
 

HawkeyeJay

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I have a 60 gal long tank , just put plastic over the screen . I put plastic on 1 and foil over the 1 with the light , cutting a hole in the screen for the light . If you are getting him outside for 2 hours a day you really don't need to be concerned with a UV light he will be getting all he needs . You will want to keep the light for heat ! Pyramiding is caused by low humidity , not diet ! Remember to keep temps no lower than 80 at the coolest , warm and humid is good , cool and humid is bad ! I also took the dome off and lowered my CHE into the tank below the screen.

P.S. If he doesn't like to soak , you are probably putting him in cool water ? Warm it up , if you can hold your hand in it it is not to hot !
Thank you for all the help. I made a sure the wafternoon was warm and put him in the tube and he loved it.
 

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RayRay

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Thank you for all the help. I made a sure the wafternoon was warm and put him in the tube and he loved it.


If you want to you can even take a shower with him just make sure to take him out before applying any soap. I would do that with Cookie :) it was fun.
 

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