When is it too cold?

[JSWallace]

Nope. I sometimes find leopards parked in a corner on a night that will drop below freezing, instead of in their heated night box. Sulcatas are pretty good about going into their night boxes on their own every night, but when they are new to the enclosure, or the night box is new, they sometimes just park outside.

My russians usually retired to their boxes, but not always.

Am I right in thinking that on a relatively chilly day my tort will get nice and warm indoors and then maybe decide to go outside , it may be warmish outside but as temp of day decreases the torts body temperature will also decrease and it may then run out of energy to actually get itself back indoors ,so just hunkers down in the ground wherever it happens to have found itself? ( sorry that is a very long single sentence!!)

 

[Tom]

Am I right in thinking that on a relatively chilly day my tort will get nice and warm indoors and then maybe decide to go outside , it may be warmish outside but as temp of day decreases the torts body temperature will also decrease and it may then run out of energy to actually get itself back indoors ,so just hunkers down in the ground wherever it happens to have found itself? ( sorry that is a very long single sentence!!)

Yes you are right. That is exactly what happens sometimes.

Other times, I don't think its temperature related. There are many reasons why a tortoise might decide to park for the night in one spot or another. Security, cover, humidity, proximity to something else, distance from a cage mate, etc… There could be a million reasons. The point is that they do sometimes choose poorly and we have to help them. In their wild countries where they evolved and where individual tortoises have grown up, they know where all the good stuff is and they know where to park. And wherever they park, the temp is acceptable since they are in their native range. Move them to a foreign country with a different climate, and the temperatures might not be survivable some of the time.

 

[JSWallace]

Yes you are right. That is exactly what happens sometimes.

Other times, I don't think its temperature related. There are many reasons why a tortoise might decide to park for the night in one spot or another. Security, cover, humidity, proximity to something else, distance from a cage mate, etc… There could be a million reasons. The point is that they do sometimes choose poorly and we have to help them. In their wild countries where they evolved and where individual tortoises have grown up, they know where all the good stuff is and they know where to park. And wherever they park, the temp is acceptable since they are in their native range. Move them to a foreign country with a different climate, and the temperatures might not be survivable some of the time.

That all makes perfect sense. This time of year I would always make sure tort was indoors for the night (I'm in UK). But once it warms up I trust her instincts more. My dilemma is when it's warm but wet, she will dig well down under a bush somewhere which is pretty dry but I always wonder if she should be indoors.

 

[Big Charlie]

Nope. I sometimes find leopards parked in a corner on a night that will drop below freezing, instead of in their heated night box. Sulcatas are pretty good about going into their night boxes on their own every night, but when they are new to the enclosure, or the night box is new, they sometimes just park outside.

My russians usually retired to their boxes, but not always.

Charlie (sulcata) does this sometimes. He chooses the corner that is the farthest from his nightbox and hunkers down. It's very hard to move a 100 pound tortoise when he doesn't want to.

 

[JSWallace]

Charlie (sulcata) does this sometimes. He chooses the corner that is the farthest from his nightbox and hunkers down. It's very hard to move a 100 pound tortoise when he doesn't want to.

I can imagine! How do you do it?

 

[Big Charlie]

I can imagine! How do you do it?

I get 2 or 3 people to help. Two people pick him up while someone slides a tarp or large towel underneath. Then we all grab the ends of the cloth and carry or drag him.

 

[JSWallace]

I get 2 or 3 people to help. Two people pick him up while someone slides a tarp or large towel underneath. Then we all grab the ends of the cloth and carry or drag him.

Blimey, sounds like hard work!

 

[RosemaryDW]

A very rare occurrence in the UK!!

Very true.

 

[Moozillion]

I get 2 or 3 people to help. Two people pick him up while someone slides a tarp or large towel underneath. Then we all grab the ends of the cloth and carry or drag him.

GOOD LORD!!!!!!