I don't know how you cold weather people do it!

Holycow

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So it's been pretty cold here in South FL. Days getting in the mid 60's and nights in the upper 40's! The time it takes to make sure every tortoise is in its house with heating system operating is a major chore. I bring my aldabra in for the night anyway. With the weather being so cold I've only been keeping him outside for the warmest part of the day so he can sit in the sun for a few hours. When the temps are in the 60's his shell still reads in the 90's when he sits out in full sun. It should soon be back to mid 70's in the daytime and upper 50's at night.
I don't know how you folks manage torts in places where it snows for months or freezes solid. You have my respect.
-Jeff
 

Yvonne G

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I don't know how they do it either. It's a little colder here than where you are but no snow...actually pretty mild winters. But I still have to provide heated houses for my tortoises. I have four heated houses. And I'm building Dudley the sulcata a new one.

My sister lives in Oregon, where people don't tan, they rust. It snows a bit there, and she has a really nice insulated shed for Bob. She has to lock him in sometimes, but most of the time she lets him decide if he wants out or not.
 

phebe121

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I want a big tort there so cool but as far as the cold it suck i wish i was some place warm all year i hate my animals cant get out in the sun
 

wellington

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I do it by not having large torts, which is unfortunate. :(

You live once. If you can afford it, you should do it. Keeping large species in AZ or CA is not ideal either, with the low humidity, but people do it and some do it very well. It's all in what your willing to do and can afford
 

Jemo

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We have to Keep them inhouse here in cold Germany for at about 7 mounth a year!
Yust give them some space!
Of course they are more inactive than in summertime outside.
We provide a large glasshouse, temperature at least 26 degrees Celsius, all the floor, water basin and sand part are heated from underneath at 27 degrees Celsius.
For moistering we are fogging fully sterilised and desalted water with 100 bar Pression.
The tortoises love that!

Feeding in winter is only hey, once a week some vegetable mix with vitamins.

They are growing very fast, more in winter than in summer!!!
It is really a lot of efford to keep them in this cold climate.

Jemo
 

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So it's been pretty cold here in South FL. Days getting in the mid 60's and nights in the upper 40's! The time it takes to make sure every tortoise is in its house with heating system operating is a major chore. I bring my aldabra in for the night anyway. With the weather being so cold I've only been keeping him outside for the warmest part of the day so he can sit in the sun for a few hours. When the temps are in the 60's his shell still reads in the 90's when he sits out in full sun. It should soon be back to mid 70's in the daytime and upper 50's at night.
I don't know how you folks manage torts in places where it snows for months or freezes solid. You have my respect.
-Jeff
Thanks for the respect, but the reality is we're completely insane! I'm in over my head with a sully in Utah winters. People are skiing and we're shivering inside waiting for the sun:)
 
Joined
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We have to Keep them inhouse here in cold Germany for at about 7 mounth a year!
Yust give them some space!
Of course they are more inactive than in summertime outside.
We provide a large glasshouse, temperature at least 26 degrees Celsius, all the floor, water basin and sand part are heated from underneath at 27 degrees Celsius.
For moistering we are fogging fully sterilised and desalted water with 100 bar Pression.
The tortoises love that!

Feeding in winter is only hey, once a week some vegetable mix with vitamins.

They are growing very fast, more in winter than in summer!!!
It is really a lot of efford to keep them in this cold climate.

Jemo
That is the most beautiful indoor space I've ever seen. Please tag me if you ever post detailed photos of the whole area. I want to see more!
 

wellington

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We have to Keep them inhouse here in cold Germany for at about 7 mounth a year!
Yust give them some space!
Of course they are more inactive than in summertime outside.
We provide a large glasshouse, temperature at least 26 degrees Celsius, all the floor, water basin and sand part are heated from underneath at 27 degrees Celsius.
For moistering we are fogging fully sterilised and desalted water with 100 bar Pression.
The tortoises love that!

Feeding in winter is only hey, once a week some vegetable mix with vitamins.

They are growing very fast, more in winter than in summer!!!
It is really a lot of efford to keep them in this cold climate.

Jemo
What kind of heated flooring are you using? The ones I found here, all had risks of heavy flat surfaces being on them, possibly causing malfunction of the unit and/or over heating where the flat heavy item was.
Your place is beautiful, I would kill to be able to provide that kind of space. I'm sure yours don't mind being kept inside at all.
 

wellington

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Oh, forgot to ask, is there any worry of them going through the glass or breaking it just by trying to scratch themselves up against it?
 

KTyne

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My Tortoise is currently small enough that it isn't really a hassle to have her indoors with our -30C weather (can get to -50C here in the winter, sometimes even to -60C). She is kept warm indoors with her CHE :)
Once she's full-grown we'll be moved back to our home Province where it hovers around 0C in the winter so she should be good to live outdoors... although I'd probably still bring her inside at night time.
The cold gets some getting used to but we usually don't go outside for long when it gets that cold.
 

Holycow

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Homestead ,FL
We have to Keep them inhouse here in cold Germany for at about 7 mounth a year!
Yust give them some space!
Of course they are more inactive than in summertime outside.
We provide a large glasshouse, temperature at least 26 degrees Celsius, all the floor, water basin and sand part are heated from underneath at 27 degrees Celsius.
For moistering we are fogging fully sterilised and desalted water with 100 bar Pression.
The tortoises love that!

Feeding in winter is only hey, once a week some vegetable mix with vitamins.

They are growing very fast, more in winter than in summer!!!
It is really a lot of efford to keep them in this cold climate.

Jemo

Wow! Beautiful tortoise and "enclosure."
 

weldorNate

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I just keep my tortoises inside during the winter. We have been having a heat wave lately its been getting about 35 during the day and about 20s and colder at night. Not looking forward to the colder temps yet to come.
 

Jemo

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the floor heating is a system we use normally for living houses here. It operates with hot water (at about 40 degrees C) and the temperature is Computer controlled (sensor integrated inside the floor) very exactly

K640_19.05.10 (20).JPG

Regarding the glass we had no Problems, it is very strong, of course they scratch it.

Jemo
 

wellington

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the floor heating is a system we use normally for living houses here. It operates with hot water (at about 40 degrees C) and the temperature is Computer controlled (sensor integrated inside the floor) very exactly

View attachment 109829

Regarding the glass we had no Problems, it is very strong, of course they scratch it.

Jemo

I had thought it was water heat. Very cool. Did you build this room for tortoises or did you revamp it for tortoises? It's a beautiful job. Wouldn't mind seeing some more pics of it.
 
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