Greetings from Walla Walla

BirdHerder

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Walla Walla, WA
Hello. I was given a ~9yo sulcata named Nicholas back in September. He was outside in a half-acre pen but when temperatures began to drop I built him an enclosure with heat and light inside a large (~1000sqft) greenhouse to overwinter. He has mostly stayed in his warm room only coming out occasionally to do a lap around the greenhouse. But he has now left the warmth and tucked himself into a large cardboard box that was laying around. It's only in the mid thirties inside the greenhouse now, will he move back if he gets too cold for his own good or should I move him back to the heat?
 

queen koopa

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Where was he housed before you? And you mean its in the mid 30 degrees F in his heated house? Sulcatas need 80 degrees minimum in order to digest. If the animal does not get these temperatures on a day to day basis they will die....

The tortoise is still new to your care, so they are a bit confused. I would not trust the tortoise to put its self back into the warmer area. BUT if its cold in the greenhouse then there’s the reason it found the box. I adopted a 5 yr old tortoise about 3 years ago. My first winter was a major learning experience. I found that her shed in her enclosure was not warm enough so she sought out another suitable place to hide and wait for heat. So she dug a burrow. This is natural for her, but not in places where the ground temperatures are cold or freezing. I had to dig her out because she dug this hole in November. If she waits it out in the hole in temperatures far below what she is built for, she will lose energy and not come out and die. They are not a species that brumates. I had to dig in and get her out. I’ll find the links on heating for large Sulcatas.
 

queen koopa

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Here’s some good reads.



 

BirdHerder

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Walla Walla, WA
Where was he housed before you? And you mean its in the mid 30 degrees F in his heated house? Sulcatas need 80 degrees minimum in order to digest. If the animal does not get these temperatures on a day to day

Previous owner kept him in their yard in the summer and inside in the winter. His heated room is about 80 degrees and he has been staying in there and eating well. There is an electric heater, heat lamp, and sunlight bulb in there (on timers to regulate things). He can come and go as he pleases, one of the walls has a blanket for a door. He has left the room and gone into the box before, but not when it has been so cold.
 

queen koopa

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Previous owner kept him in their yard in the summer and inside in the winter. His heated room is about 80 degrees and he has been staying in there and eating well. There is an electric heater, heat lamp, and sunlight bulb in there (on timers to regulate things). He can come and go as he pleases, one of the walls has a blanket for a door. He has left the room and gone into the box before, but not when it has been so cold.
Oh good.

So I would bring him in at night and lock him in on the worst days. And try to bum up your temperature as much as you can. I’ve noticed my tortoise was low energy when her shed was 78-80F in the winter. Here in Las Vegas I struggled in November a bit and then from the last week of January throughout February to keep temps over 80F. So I got a 45’’ x 18’’ Kane heat mat to help compensate with those time periods. The mat is still on 24/7 starting November to mid march so she’s able to move on and off.
 

Ray--Opo

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I was thinking about a heat mat.

Okay, I'll move him back into his room. I just didn't want to unnecessarily harass him. Thanks.
Yes get a Kane mat. They are indestructible. Since they need total darkness at night. Your heater might not be keeping it warm at night.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome!

What kinds of birds do you herd?
 

Yvonne G

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What a beautiful area! Very nice.
 

Maggie3fan

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Hey Washington...welcome from Oregon. I love Walla Walla and have visited there a lot. I also keep Sulcata here in the PNW....
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inside the sleeping box is a Kane mat on a thermostat that takes up half the space with room in there for a big Sulcata to get off the mat if he wants. My mat is 13-14 years and has had Sulcata pee and poop on it and it's still ticking...
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this is the sleeping box with the Kane mat
100_6293.JPG
 

BirdHerder

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Walla Walla, WA
Hey Washington...welcome from Oregon. I love Walla Walla and have visited there a lot. I also keep Sulcata here in the PNW....

Hello there. Looks like I made his room too tall but I wanted something that I could go in and clean. I guess I'll have to make a smaller room inside the larger room.
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