Randy Andy's new house & introduction :-)

[AliG]

Hi, I am quite new to this forum, I have never posted on a personal level but have commented on a few conversations. I would like to introduce my little horsfield 'Randy Andy' sorry for the nick name but he has earned it. He is one of 3 little ones I rescued from someone I know, who thought they were doing the right thing but ..... I will stop there. I took them on about 3 years ago with the understanding that I would re home them to their forever homes when I had researched their needs to the best of my ability (and with massive thanks to this forum) Charlie went to live with a work colleague and her family, who has made him a fabulous outside home and an amazing indoor area and I have updates from on a weekly basis (Charlie left me last summer). Flower more recently went to a lovely lady who has several other rescues and one she has had for 45 years, her daughter is a Vet nurse and is the inheritor of all of them when the time comes :0) .

So on to my little boy who is going to be with me for quite some time yet.

I made his outside home last summer and I have been updating, adding, improving and changing .... I think we are constantly trying to improve.. The recent part is his new house, which at the moment i have no heating element to it and I am not sure what to put in. If any one could advise I would be very grateful.

Thank you Alison & Randy

 

[AliG]

Hi I thought I would have had some suggestions about outdoor heating by now We have had a lucky weather break and I have left my little boy outside day and night and he seems to enjoy it at the moment. Although I do have to pull him outside from his box every morning when the sun starts to shine, he is quite lazy.

 

[LaLaP]

Hi! Randy Andy's enclosure looks great. He's a lucky guy.
I bring my 2 Russian torts in at night so I can't help much except I know that Tom has built and posted instructions for several heated night boxes. Just search the forum for "Tom's night box". I'm guessing that his boxes are for bigger torts like Sulcatas but I think you could set up the heat the same way.
Good luck!

 

[Yvonne G]

I think "Randy Andy" is a GREAT name for a male Russian tortoise!!!

How cold does it get there? I'm really not of the school that Russian tortoises need heat outdoors. I let them be according to nature. Lots of keepers make some sort of cold frame. This allows them to have a sun heated hiding place if they choose to use it. then for winter, when it gets really cold, they hibernate/brumate, so no heat is needed.

 

[AliG]

Thank you for getting back to me, at night time it goes down to about 48 - 50 and there has been no frost since mid May at night. I pull him out of the box in the morning before i go to work (say 8.30 am) he is usually cool but would stay inside the box all day otherwise. I will try over the next few days to leave him alone and see if he will come out voluntary :0) I am of the same opinion that he should be allowed to live as natural as possible, so I should maybe stop fussing :0)

 

[dmmj]

That is a very impressive enclosure. And randy andy is a perfect name for a male russian

 

[Sleppo]

Love the enclosure and the name. The name really fits the species! hahaha

 

[RosemaryDW]

I would let him come out on his own time; at least try it for a few days.

 

[AliG]

I would let him come out on his own time; at least try it for a few days.

Thank you Rosemary, I will try it is very tempting to keep checking and fussing over him but I know he needs to act naturally and get on with it, so if I can I am going to leave him now and see how he goes on

 

[RosemaryDW]

If it helps, my tortoise spends a great deal of time in her burrow once things heat up. And she really is attached to it the first few days it is open every year (we don’t open her “outside” burrow—the one in my avatar—until the ground in our damp area is good and dry).