Central FL Sulcata in the rain?

[herbortamus]

First of all I would like to say thank you to everyone on this site. I am moving my boy, Herbert, outside for the first time and I have found the comments on this site extremely helpful. This site is so great I wish I had found it a long time ago.

On to my concerns. Herbert is 8 years old. I know it's late for him to be moving outside, but I haven't had the ability to do this sooner. I am going to try to build him an outside house (and insulate and heat it). I think he'll be alright during the colder times, but what about the rain? Here in Central Florida we get some monsoon-like rains during hurricane season. If a hurricane does come I suppose I could take him into the garage, but what if it is just a lot of rain? What does anyone who has a tortoise in this area do?

Thanks in advance to any comments.

 

[DeanS]

How cold does it get? I lived in WPB back in the late 90s...and cold meant 65-70. A sulcata can easily withstand those temps. Please post pics of Herbert...and your yard, if possible.

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum...

If your 8 year old should have to problems, just make sure he has a place to go )some type of shelter) so that he can get out of the rain..

 

[Katherine]

Yay for moving him outside! I bet he quickly adjusts and appreciates the change. I kept my sulcatas outside year round while living in the fort lauderdale area. The crazy florida rains were not an issue; my tortoises don't mind the rain as long as they have somewhere to seek shelter should they choose. Most yards have good drainage there thanks to the sandy soil, but before you build a house for your little man stand out there in a heavy rain and watch where water pools up. Knowing your yard can help you chose a dryer location that is unlikely to flood, I also built the houses up a bit, adding extra substrate below them to elevate them a little and encourage runoff. I used XL dog igloos while in florida and took the bottoms off so they sat on the soil; drilled a hole in the top and suspended a red heatlamp from the ceiling and my kiddos were warm and dry all year round. We did get some cold nights; not many but several in the 30s and 40s while I lived there and I always temped with infrared thermometers and those enclosures stayed appropriately warm and dry year round. only a hair north now and I still miss how easy it was in Florida to keep them outside all year.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Nicole:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum...

If your 8 year old should have to problems, just make sure he has a place to go )some type of shelter) so that he can get out of the rain..

I so need to check my grammer some times..

I wanted to say that your tortoises should not have any problems..

 

[laramie]

[/size]Hello and Welcome to TFO, Do you have any pics of Herbert?

 

[herbortamus]

How cold does it get? I lived in WPB back in the late 90s...and cold meant 65-70. A sulcata can easily withstand those temps. Please post pics of Herbert...and your yard, if possible.

The temp dropping into the 50s is normal and there are even a few nights that get below freezing.

I'm using the TF app right now and it crashes every time I try to add a photo, so I'll have to do it later.

Unfortunately I'm moving into my house in a few weeks, so I don't have the ability to wait for it to rain and see where the water collects. I was hoping he would be OK as long as I raised his house.

Thanks, guys!

 

[Jacqui]

Unfortunately I'm moving into my house in a few weeks, so I don't have the ability to wait for it to rain and see where the water collects. I was hoping he would be OK as long as I raised his house.

Thanks, guys!

Raising the house will indeed help and is normally going to do the trick in most cases. How high up were you thinking?

 

[Tom]

I set my tortoises houses up on pressure treated 4x4s. Works here, but it will just depend on how the water pools in YOUR yard. Here's the house I built:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-Mother-of-All-Tortoise-Boxes#axzz1h1KaMnYd

I have since added a flap/ramp to the door way. During the day I unlock the flap and lay it down so they have a ramp to come in and out on. At night I flip up the flap and latch it shut so it keeps them locked up and a bit warmer too.

Rain should be no problem as long as they can get out of it.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I live in the PNW and it gets pretty cold here with days below freezing and a lot of rain. My 100 pound Sulcata spends some time in the rain then goes into his heated and insulated house and gets under his basking light. Yours is old enough to do that as well...

 

[EricIvins]

All my Sulcatas are more active in the rain than anything........Even when its cooler out.......

 

[herbortamus]

Raising the house will indeed help and is normally going to do the trick in most cases. How high up were you thinking?

I have seen plans online for houses with a preasure treated, raised base. I was thinking of doing that, but making another, slightly larger base to put that on. Then he would have two steps to go up. Then also put the plastic sheets hanging over the doorway.

To answer another comment, his area will be about 60 feet long by about 30 feet wide.

 

[herbortamus]

I've been so nervouse about having him live outside and I already feel better and more confident after hearing all your replies. I'll post some pics of him soon, and post pics of what I end up building.
Thanks everyone!