Going outside?
- Thread starter Roddytort121
- Start date
I let Joe out when it's consistently above 10C.
As the weather improves (I'm in Kent, so this weekend!) he has a basking lamp in a dog kennel in the garden and I let him bask under that and leave when he pleases. He can go back to it, but more often he follows the sun round the garden.
I have spread dark slate chips on the ground in his favourite morning basking spot. They warm up quickly even when the sun is weak and he loves it there. They get too hot in the height of summer and you see him with just a bit of him on the slate so he doesn't overheat
As the weather improves (I'm in Kent, so this weekend!) he has a basking lamp in a dog kennel in the garden and I let him bask under that and leave when he pleases. He can go back to it, but more often he follows the sun round the garden.
I have spread dark slate chips on the ground in his favourite morning basking spot. They warm up quickly even when the sun is weak and he loves it there. They get too hot in the height of summer and you see him with just a bit of him on the slate so he doesn't overheat
Basically, as long as he's fully warmed up when he goes out then let him. It might not be for long if the weather is not so good, but it will do no harm.
Roddytort121
Member
Lol that's sweet, I've put terracotta tiles with substrate On top to help warm it up quicker at the moment it's so lovely to see him outside. I couldn't stop watching him ☺️
it's so lovely to see him outside. I couldn't stop watching him ☺️
My vet keeps Sulcatas - they have a garage-sized shed with free access outdoors. He says that he's seen them venture out in snow, but they retreat to the warm quite quickly. (Not that we get much snow in Kent! My Mum lives in Buxton - now that's proper snow)
Roddytort121
Member
Wow really?! I'm a little baffled how tortoises can be outside most of the summer, inside they need high temps to bask but in uk summer were lucky if we reach 20 regularly!! How do they function !?!
In sheltered, sunny spots in the garden there is a sort of microclimate where the temperature exceeds the measured air temperature, sometimes quite considerably. Torts are expert at finding hot-spots! Joe is like a sun-dial, you could mark the times of day in our garden (he has the run of the whole of it) by where he is. A smaller tortoise loses body heat more quickly than a large one. Joe weighs around 3.2kg. A felull charge i the sun or under the lamp lasts him quite a while
You can't just put the tortoise in the garden without any extra help. There are photos here ( http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...t-tortoise-outside.138772/page-2#post-1304176 ) of Joe's cold frame and kennel
You can't just put the tortoise in the garden without any extra help. There are photos here ( http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...t-tortoise-outside.138772/page-2#post-1304176 ) of Joe's cold frame and kennel
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