Help from the Uk please

[chell222]

Hi everyone
My Horsfield is 2 years old and we are in the not so sunny uk .
I am wondering what others with tortoises in the uk do with our weather... what is the min temp you would put your tortoise out side in..would you put your tortoise out at all at this time of year... do you only put tort out in sun ? etc
Any help would be grateful

Michelle x

 

[LKentish]

Not an expert by any means! But my mother and I haven't put our tortoises out recently at all. Definitely too cold for them (one sulcata and two spur-thighed). if its at all sunny and warm on patches I let them run around for 20 minutes or so.. But again, I could be wrong in doing that even, we're in London.

 

[bextort]

Hi Michelle, I'm from the uk too, Manchester and also have a Russian.

I still put mine outside, don't know about where you live but yesterday we still had temps of 25 and this weekend looks like it's going to be the same.

The temp did drop a fair bit in the past couple of weeks and thought my tort was preparing for hibernation as she stopped eating and her activity was slow however she seems to have picked up pace again now the weathers perked up.

Becky

 

[stu]

Hi I'm in the UK and my two Greeks have access to the outside from 15•c upwards however they don't stay out long when it's colder.

 

[FLINTUS]

Horsfields can go down to 5 for short periods, and down to 10 for prolonged periods. Most people will still have them outside during the day, but may start using heating at night when they're outside now. Then they will hibernate over the winter. I would set up some indoor enclosure though for the month or so either side of hibernation.

 

[Merlin M]

I am not putting mine out just now its too cold and damp in Scotland. I would say 15°C is the minimum but they would NEED supplementary heat, even just from a cold frame or green house!

Best to get an indoor enclosure set up for this time of year...
I generally go by the t-shirt rule, if I am comfortable in a t-shirt outside then they should be ok...

 

[chell222]

I am not putting mine out just now its too cold and damp in Scotland. I would say 15°C is the minimum but they would NEED supplementary heat, even just from a cold frame or green house!

Best to get an indoor enclosure set up for this time of year...
I generally go by the t-shirt rule, if I am comfortable in a t-shirt outside then they should be ok...

He has a indoor enclosure already with basking area set at 32-35... colder area at 20c... I have ordered a table 4 foot by 2 which is coming this week , I just think hes bored when its too cold to go out and as hes too young I worry about him getting too cold outside , even thou we been plugging in his heat lamp in garden so if he were cold he could go under )

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Not an expert by any means! But my mother and I haven't put our tortoises out recently at all. Definitely too cold for them (one sulcata and two spur-thighed). if its at all sunny and warm on patches I let them run around for 20 minutes or so.. But again, I could be wrong in doing that even, we're in London.

Sunny Stevenage here

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Thanks for all your advise ..hes just so tiny

 

[LKentish]

Aaah lucky! Actually after writing this, I went out and it's actually quite sunny! So maybe they will get more than 20 minutes today haha

 

[Merlin M]

I thought you would have one set up, but it is often good to give the advice in general just in case!

Yeah I am a worrier too, and if he has the heat lamp he should be ok...

Or you could make his table more interesting with rocks to climb and plants to eat and climb and hide under!
Mine are definitely getting bored as the big two are on paper while they are wormed, but my little one is happy with her rocks plants and food (she is having a growth spurt and eating all in sight!)

For me right now it would have to be warm for a while to put mine out as there have been many heavy dew falls and the grass is fairly long, to air temp may be ok, but ground is cold and wet!