Transport of tortoises between indoor & outdoor enclosure ?

Bee62

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Hello tortoise friends,

my sulcata and redfoot tortoises are still young and small. There is no problem to carry them.
But I read that torts don`t like to be carried from one place to another.
I live in Germany, and in summer the temps can decrease to 50 F at night. Much to cold for tropical or subtropical tortoises to stay outside.
My idea was to pick them up every evening from their outdoor enclosure / habitat and take them into their indoor enclosure for the night. And the next morning, if the weather is warm, to carry them out again.
Do you think that this transport is bad for my torts ? Or to live in two habitats ?
What do you think ?
 

wellington

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Some will say yes, some will say no. I say no, it won't be a problem. In early spring and late fall, I have to carry mine back and forth. They don't seem to have any problems with it. As they have gotten bigger, I use a cloth bag some of the times to carry them, one per a cloth bag though.
 

Tom

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Hello tortoise friends,

my sulcata and redfoot tortoises are still young and small. There is no problem to carry them.
But I read that torts don`t like to be carried from one place to another.
I live in Germany, and in summer the temps can decrease to 50 F at night. Much to cold for tropical or subtropical tortoises to stay outside.
My idea was to pick them up every evening from their outdoor enclosure / habitat and take them into their indoor enclosure for the night. And the next morning, if the weather is warm, to carry them out again.
Do you think that this transport is bad for my torts ? Or to live in two habitats ?
What do you think ?

I have been doing it that way since 1979. If its a problem, I haven't noticed yet… I've raised literally hundreds of hatchlings of several species this way. Outdoors in fair weather, indoors at night or during extreme weather either too hot or too cold. My adults live outside full time, but have heated shelters to retreat to at night or on cold days.

When carrying groups of small ones, I will put them in plastic tubs to carry them back and forth. For larger tortoises, I just hand carry them one or two at a time, depending on size.
 

Bee62

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Nov 13, 2016
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Germany
@wellington
@Tom

Thank you for your answers. It really calms me that you both think that it is no problem for the torts.
When they grow bigger I have a heatet barn for them for night and winter. With a door to the outdoor habitat. But as long as they are small I would like to have them in my house like now.
And for carrying them I will use a plastic tube. Mayby this would make it less scary for them.:)

Thank you !
 

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