Would he be okay outside all day?

[BowDownBowser]

My wife and I are about to move to a new house where I plan on building an outdoor area for my sulcata to spend the days getting natural heat and light and brought in at night because he's still young. He's a little over 3" now at almost 4 months old. Would it be safe to leave him outside in an area protected from other wildlife such as birds during the day or should he still only be outside while he can be watched until he gets bigger?

 

[Yvonne G]

I leave my babies outside all day long if the weather is good. I have a wire cover over their habitat.

 

[jmhoesch]

If he's well protected from predators, I don't see why not. He'd love the sunshine!!

 

[dmmj]

Personally I wait till 4 inches to leave outside during the day.

 

[Tom]

Its not good for babies to be outside all day. Climate and temps don't matter. I only put little ones outside for an hour or two a day. As they gain size, I leave them out longer and longer. I don't leave sulcatas out all day until they are around 5-6 inches, and then I soak them on the way in every night and they sleep in their humid warm chambers. I move them outside full time at about 8-10", but I still keep their heated night boxes moderately humid to make sure their growth continues coming in smoothly.

 

[TortyTom]

I agree with Tom. I'm afraid your little guy wont get the humidity it needs to grow smooth if kept outside at this size.

 

[jtrux]

Looks like you're in FL. Very ideal conditions, IMO.

I would say that as long as he/she has protection from predators you will be OK.

Also, you might start a small burrow for it and then it can expand it as it sees fit.

We all love pics so when you get the chance, post some pics of the enclosure.

I live in San Antonio, TX and my baby sulcata (3") is in a well-planted 8'X4' enclosure that is partially shaded by a large oak tree. He's got it all to himself and is doing very well.

 

[AMA904]

Its not good for babies to be outside all day. Climate and temps don't matter. I only put little ones outside for an hour or two a day. As they gain size, I leave them out longer and longer. I don't leave sulcatas out all day until they are around 5-6 inches, and then I soak them on the way in every night and they sleep in their humid warm chambers. I move them outside full time at about 8-10", but I still keep their heated night boxes moderately humid to make sure their growth continues coming in smoothly.

Tom - What's your reasoning behind this?

 

[AMA904]

I agree with Tom. I'm afraid your little guy wont get the humidity it needs to grow smooth if kept outside at this size.

TortyTom - Humidity is not an issue in Florida.

 

[Tom]

I have been all over the world looking at tortoises of a variety of species and a wide variety of set ups and keeping styles. Hatchlings and little babies do best and thrive best when kept indoors in stable conditions most of the time. Doesn't matter if you are in Hawaii, AZ, CA, LA, or FL. Babies raised outside tend to pyramid more than babies raised properly inside and they grow at about half or a third of the speed on the exact same diet. If you set them up and care for them right, and your weather cooperates, babies can survive outside all day, but they do BETTER inside with a proper set up.

My young ones thrive and do great indoors. As they put on size, I leave them outdoors longer and longer until they are out most of every day, weather permitting, by the time they are 5-6". At this size they all still come inside to sleep. They continue growing at about the same pace through all of this. Once they get to about 8-10", and we are in the right season (late Spring or Summer) I move them outside full time with a proper enclosure and heated night box. ALL of them of every species stop growing or at least slow down a lot when I make this seemingly minor change. They sleep in a heated outdoor box, instead of a heated indoor enclosure. Temps and conditions in their night boxes are similar to temps and conditions in their indoor enclosures, but something about the great outdoors full time (vs. just all day long) causes them to cease growth for a while. They continue eating like pigs, but they just don't grow. Eventually growth begins again, slowly but surely, and after a year or so, they begin to sprout like the giant tortoises that they are again. I've have seen this with dozens of them.