Can I keep them??? Is Ohio too Cold??

[Chipdog]

Due to a unforeseen domino effect over the past few years I need to move again. I do have the good fortune to have family that can help me out but the problem is they are up in Columbus Ohio. When I got my 2 Aldabs I was a home owner down in sunny Miami Florida. Now I am in partly sunny South Carolina. Will these guys be able to live up in the cold of Ohio?

I am sure the zoos up there have some torts.

Please help me out. I really don't want to part with them but I don't want them to live a horrible life.

Chip

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I had to move from sunny Calif to Oregon where it rains freezes and snows. I know the weather in my part of Oregon is not as bad as most of Ohio, but possibly my experience can help you. I had over 50 chelonia and 3 Sulcata when I moved. Over a couple of years I found better homes for 2 of my Sulcata and half of the rest. I kept only the number of animals that I could take good care of the weather being what it is. I hired a carpenter to redo a vacant shed and make it insulated and comfy for Bob. He has to be inside for about 7 months. He has a doggie door that I open every morning, but there are days he sticks his head out and stays for a while with just his head visible then he goes back in. I have seen him out walking when the temp is in the low 30's, but he doesn't stay out very long. I have toys in the shed for him to play with and I go out there almost every afternoon to visit with him. He seems to be relatively happy. At first, before the doggie door he would be very angry at being made to stay inside and I could hear him ramming the walls and door, but after the installation of the doggie door when he can decide to go out or not he is much better off. There are no temper tantrums now, now that it is his decision to go out or not he is much better mannered. The shed is 12X20 and is well insulated and big enough for him.
So I would think that's the important thing, making sure that the shed is big enough for them, and they can decide to stay in or go out...HTH

 

[Stephanie Logan]

I'm curious to know what type of toys Bob plays with (besides 100-lb. pumpkins and XL measuring cups and water dishes)?

 

[Nay]

Yeah, I am waiting to hear this too!!!

 

[Candy]

I think you should not take them with you. You should probably ship them out here to sunny California so they can play with Dale.

 

[Yvonne G]

If you have the $$ to build them a bigger house than your Rubbermaid shed, I would take them with me. The larger tortoises come and go in and out of the shed on their own, and they know enough to go back inside when they are starting to get cold. It would be a shame if you had to give them up.

 

[Madkins007]

Just my 2 cents- I live in Omaha, and would not think about trying to keep a large tortoise here- even Leopards. It would be different if I could offer a huge indoor habitat, but I cannot, nor could I afford to heat an outbuilding to the needed temps when it hits zero out here.

 

[chairman]

Maybe you shouldn't have said they were aldabs... too many of us are likely to suggest that you don't keep them just so we can get a chance to adopt!

But disregarding that, it looks like the annual average humidity in Columbus is 81% in the morning and 59% in the afternoon (According to NOAA). You're going to get 5 months out of the year with average lows above 50F. The other 7 months will have lows below that, down to 20-25F for 3 of them. The high temperatures will be above 70F for 5 months, between 50 and 70 for 4 months and below 50 for 3 months, with the lowest average high at 36F.

It looks like you are permitted to build outdoor sheds in Columbus with dimensions of 12 x 12 or less without a building permit, so if you're handy and have the space, you could probably build 2 sheds and join them with a "non permanent" enclosed passway without the hassle of paperwork. (But make sure to check with HOA's and local regs just to make sure... don't want to get anyone in trouble!)

Additionally, EJ started a thread in the Aldab section stating how he felt that his Aldabs were cold tolerant... maybe that means OH wouldn't be so bad for them? Maybe EJ will chime in.

So now I just echo the sentiments of others ... if you have the resources to put together the heated sheds, by all means, keep the torts. Heck, I'd love to take them (assuming I could talk to wife into it), and my weather is virtually identical to what you'll be moving into (I live on the IN side of Louisville).

 

[dmmj]

I have heard that aldab were more cold tolerant also, I would suggest trying to keep them yourself at first if you take yvonne's advice about the shed they should be ok, I mean ohio is not cold all the time is it? Is your housing situation only temporary? a year or two, or do you see it lasting long term? if it is long term a new home might be adviseable. Of course they would opt. be best off in a situation where it was warmer all of the time, but I do believe that you can do it even in ohio. Keep us advised I would love to hear what you decide, aldabs are a big investment both in time and money.

 

[Yvonne G]

In re-reading your post, you don't say where YOU're going to have to move to, but that your family is in OH. In my opinion, family doesn't take care of your tortoises like you would. I would not like to entrust my Aldabran tortoises to a relative who lived in a cold state unless these people are tortoise people, which they probably are not.

Where are you going to be moving to? I'll send you a PM.

 

[redreatta]

i would be happy to help you with your torts. i live in columbus ohio, if you need help building a shed i would be happy to help. i dont know much about aldabs but i am sure anyone on here would give us ideas on what needed built