Outside time

[TortObsession]

I'd like to let my 3 year old Sulcata start spending time outside. I live in North Alabama, and the afternoon temperatures have been reaching the upper 70's to low 80's (currently 77°). Is this warm enough to start letting him (I've always referred to it as a male even though it's too young to tell) spend an hour or two outside?

 

[Markw84]

A 3 yr old Sulcata can be anywhere from 2 - 45 lbs, so not sure where yours fits in. I let mine stay outside full time at about 8-10" (3-6 lbs). With a heated night box where "he" retreat if it gets cooler, it is the best setup for a sulcata. OF course, need to be sure it is a secure enclosure, shade from full sun available, no pesticides, and predator-proof appropriate to his size.

On even a 65° day with full sun, a Sulcata's shell will absorb enough heat to get up in the 80°'s It is also much warmer in protected corners and with ground heat in full sun. So a 77° day is no problem what-so-ever! With younger/smaller tortoises, on questionable days, I use a temperature gun to check their shell and ground temps just to be sure.

 

[TortObsession]

Thanks! He's a little over 8 inches long. I've already moved my Burmese Mountain to a permanent outdoor enclosure, but I don't worry about her quite as much with cooler temps. I'll work on getting him and outdoor enclosure set up.