I decided to start yet another thread, because I think this deserves a topic all its own.
@Tom mentioned in my other thread (as have others) that it is possible to keep a Sulcata in a Northeast climate, but it takes time, effort, and money.
We live in a climate with an average winter low of 16*F. Jan is our coldest month, on average. In the summer, our average high is 82*F.
We live in an attic apartment. We have a large yard, but as we rent, I can't see being allowed to do much more than add one of those 92-cubic feet Rubbermaid sheds. Will we be living here forever? Absolutely not. But it can still be a few years yet (2 at the minimum, and hoping for 5 at the maximum). Right now, they're living in a 40-gallon breeder, which obviously needs to be upgraded ASAP. I haven't officially measured them, but I'd say both are a minimum of 4.5" long at this point. Not sure on weight yet.
Is a properly insulated and heated Rubbermaid shed a good outdoor winter housing option in such temps? This wouldn't be until at least next winter, but I need to get planning to purchase (or build). I've been looking at different winter outside housing enclosures, and I can't figure out what size ours would need to be. Is it possible to house them outside without spending thousands?
Tom also mentioned separation of the pair -- what would this look like in an outdoor enclosure?
What size enclosure should I be building for them now? Links to past threads would be great, too.
I really appreciate all of the help and patience I've gotten. We didn't have much time to prepare for them, as we weren't even aware they were tortoises. I'm stressing about all of this and have been up all night reading all that I can on them. I know there are thousands of threads that can probably answer my questions, but my head is spinning and I'm just sick to my stomach over all of this.
@Tom mentioned in my other thread (as have others) that it is possible to keep a Sulcata in a Northeast climate, but it takes time, effort, and money.
We live in a climate with an average winter low of 16*F. Jan is our coldest month, on average. In the summer, our average high is 82*F.
We live in an attic apartment. We have a large yard, but as we rent, I can't see being allowed to do much more than add one of those 92-cubic feet Rubbermaid sheds. Will we be living here forever? Absolutely not. But it can still be a few years yet (2 at the minimum, and hoping for 5 at the maximum). Right now, they're living in a 40-gallon breeder, which obviously needs to be upgraded ASAP. I haven't officially measured them, but I'd say both are a minimum of 4.5" long at this point. Not sure on weight yet.
Is a properly insulated and heated Rubbermaid shed a good outdoor winter housing option in such temps? This wouldn't be until at least next winter, but I need to get planning to purchase (or build). I've been looking at different winter outside housing enclosures, and I can't figure out what size ours would need to be. Is it possible to house them outside without spending thousands?
Tom also mentioned separation of the pair -- what would this look like in an outdoor enclosure?
What size enclosure should I be building for them now? Links to past threads would be great, too.
I really appreciate all of the help and patience I've gotten. We didn't have much time to prepare for them, as we weren't even aware they were tortoises. I'm stressing about all of this and have been up all night reading all that I can on them. I know there are thousands of threads that can probably answer my questions, but my head is spinning and I'm just sick to my stomach over all of this.