How cold is too cold for overnight lows

[wrmitchell22]

My Sulcata Boulder has been living exclusively outside for about 2 months. He is thriving, eating growing, soing great. I live in AZ and daytime temps are in the 90's, but lows are getting close to the high 50's. I am sure their will be mixed answers, but can anyone tell me what temps they have kept their baby sulcatas outside at successfully? He is 7 months old and about 4 or 5inches.

 

[wrmitchell22]

Nobody?

 

[dmarcus]

Sorry I can't help, mine have an insulated and heated house outside so they will be in there at night no matter the outside temps...

 

[wrmitchell22]

Thanks anyway, hopefully someone will get on and help me out

 

[Dr. Coffee]

My Sulcata Boulder has been living exclusively outside for about 2 months. He is thriving, eating growing, soing great. I live in AZ and daytime temps are in the 90's, but lows are getting close to the high 50's. I am sure their will be mixed answers, but can anyone tell me what temps they have kept their baby sulcatas outside at successfully? He is 7 months old and about 4 or 5inches.

Pretty sure I read somewhere no colder than 60 degrees. And also, At that young age, I wouldn't mess around with less than upper 60s. They're from Ethiopia, I checked the average temps there, it said it's been observed to get down to the 31 degrees °F, but 43 on average in the cold season. But, keep in mind that they live in burrows around 3 feet deep, sometimes 10 feet long. So, that would stay consistently between in the between 45-60°. So, I guess what I'm saying is, I googled for 10 minutes and I don't know.
I wouldn't risk it though. My guy (7yrs old 14 inches) stops moving when it gets below 70°F, that spooks me out, so I bring him inside.

References:
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Ethiopia-CLIMATE.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahara_Desert_(ecoregion)
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_underground_temperature_remain_the_same_throughout_the_whole_year
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_spurred_tortoise

 

[ascott]

I do not care for Sulcatas, want to say that starting off....I do have CDTs that are outside 24/7 during tortoise season...when the temps get "consistently" below 55-58 I will begin to bring them in for sleeping at night and then put them back out from am to pm as long as the day temps are 75+, once the temps "consistently" fall below that I will bring them in to begin hibernating...

Are you not able to leave em out from am to pm and then house them inside at night? Of course this will be adjusted as the weather permits...

That is what I believe I would be doing

 

[tyler0912]

Bump?

 

[Tom]

I would not leave a sulcata of any age outside without a temp controlled shelter. I know they can survive cooler temps over night, as long as its dry, but I still don't think its good for them. In the past mine have always slept inside until they are around 8-10". Last month, however, I moved some 6 inchers outside with a fancy-schmantzy underground heated shelter. So far so good, but I have to put them in their shelter every night and they are not cluing in on getting in their shelter on their own.

I would not let a small one get below 75ish at night. On days where we will have highs in the 80's, I set my night box thermostats for 76. On days where the temps will stay lower, I set my thermostats for 80-85, since they won't be able to warm up outside.

 

[AnthonyC]

"I do not care for Sulcatas, want to say that starting off"...
Ang when I 1st saw that I took it literally! I was all like "OH NO SHE DIDN'T"!

I do not care for Sulcatas, want to say that starting off....I do have CDTs that are outside 24/7 during tortoise season...when the temps get "consistently" below 55-58 I will begin to bring them in for sleeping at night and then put them back out from am to pm as long as the day temps are 75+, once the temps "consistently" fall below that I will bring them in to begin hibernating...

Are you not able to leave em out from am to pm and then house them inside at night? Of course this will be adjusted as the weather permits...

That is what I believe I would be doing

 

[wrmitchell22]

Thank you guys! I will set up an inside night time shelter for Boulder and start bringing him in for the night

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"I do not care for Sulcatas, want to say that starting off"...
Ang when I 1st saw that I took it literally! I was all like "OH NO SHE DIDN'T"!

I do not care for Sulcatas, want to say that starting off....I do have CDTs that are outside 24/7 during tortoise season...when the temps get "consistently" below 55-58 I will begin to bring them in for sleeping at night and then put them back out from am to pm as long as the day temps are 75+, once the temps "consistently" fall below that I will bring them in to begin hibernating...

Are you not able to leave em out from am to pm and then house them inside at night? Of course this will be adjusted as the weather permits...

That is what I believe I would be doing

Too funny, i read it the same way at first, and I was like whatever, then realized what they meant, lol!

 

[AnthonyC]

HAHAHA---And I just got a glimpse of this too! "Wife to Will and Mom to
Expecting our first human child in April 2012".

Thank you guys! I will set up an inside night time shelter for Boulder and start bringing him in for the night

---

"I do not care for Sulcatas, want to say that starting off"...
Ang when I 1st saw that I took it literally! I was all like "OH NO SHE DIDN'T"!

I do not care for Sulcatas, want to say that starting off....I do have CDTs that are outside 24/7 during tortoise season...when the temps get "consistently" below 55-58 I will begin to bring them in for sleeping at night and then put them back out from am to pm as long as the day temps are 75+, once the temps "consistently" fall below that I will bring them in to begin hibernating...

Are you not able to leave em out from am to pm and then house them inside at night? Of course this will be adjusted as the weather permits...

That is what I believe I would be doing

Too funny, i read it the same way at first, and I was like whatever, then realized what they meant, lol!

---

 

[ascott]

LOL really loud...you guys are silly...but I totally see what you guys mean and would have thought....but shame on you guys . I adore those giants......