How to handle this cold snap

TaylorTortoise

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Seriously. This is garbage. I already planted my spring garden so obviously I jinxed it for all of us. Thankfully our sulcata is not too big too bring inside right now. But he’s really not excited about it. He was out partying in the rain yesterday oblivious to the temps.
Do they actually enjoy rain/ getting wet? Lol
 

Sakbiyikian

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Oct 13, 2019
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Fresno, Ca
Thanks everyone! I brought him in and remembered I had a fireplace that’s essentially a space heater. So he’s in a bathroom now with that running.
Just be aware that plastic absorbs the cold and should never be used as a house. Sounds like you did the right, safe decision by bringing it in! ? good luck!
 

steppingonlegos

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Apr 21, 2017
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Why not use it as a house ?
I assume this is true in colder climates so it makes it so much harder to maintain temps. Our house is insulted and completely waterproof but it’s not maintaining temps when the weather drops below 40. It wasn’t having an issue here until this freakish storm rolled in. But if I lived anywhere north of Houston the plastic would be problematic.
 

Relic

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Perhaps the greatest fear in reptile husbandry is the loss of electrical power. Here in Texas we have a unified state electrical grid and due to this ridiculously cold weather, and the resulting historic electricity demand, they have instigated rolling black-outs. Family members in the Austin area have already experienced a couple of outages overnight, each 1-2 hours in length. Apparently, the natural gas supply is constrained (used in many of the electricity generating plants) but most ironically, the great wind turbines installed out in west Texas to generate eco-friendly, green energy? Frozen...
 

Maggie3fan

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When I was still living in California we had rolling black outs, but...I lived behind the Sheriffs office, and rarely did we lose power. I don't know why
 

Maggie3fan

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FYI...
If it comes down to this, I use jars of hot water wrapped in towels, and put them in with box turtles and tortoises. It keeps them from getting too cold
 

steppingonlegos

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Perhaps the greatest fear in reptile husbandry is the loss of electrical power. Here in Texas we have a unified state electrical grid and due to this ridiculously cold weather, and the resulting historic electricity demand, they have instigated rolling black-outs. Family members in the Austin area have already experienced a couple of outages overnight, each 1-2 hours in length. Apparently, the natural gas supply is constrained (used in many of the electricity generating plants) but most ironically, the great wind turbines installed out in west Texas to generate eco-friendly, green energy? Frozen...
We’ve been out since 2am. Moved the tortoise into a bin with hay and out the bin in my bathroom with my warm water running. Generating is attempting to heat our bedroom. It’s gonna be a long few days.
 

Maggie3fan

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You can always just climb inside a sleeping bag with them...
A buncha years ago I had 3 Sulcata all under 5 years. So we lose power, and my only options (so I thought)were to put them in bed with me.
So of course I went to sleep... and when I woke up the next morning, I had pasty urates on my bare chest, pee all over, poop all over, and not 1 tortoise left in bed. What a horrible feeling, cold poop on my skin.
So it took me and a neighbor a few hours to find them. Each in his own hiding place. I will never and have never done that again...such a mistake
 

Relic

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A buncha years ago I had 3 Sulcata all under 5 years. So we lose power, and my only options (so I thought)were to put them in bed with me.
So of course I went to sleep... and when I woke up the next morning, I had pasty urates on my bare chest, pee all over, poop all over, and not 1 tortoise left in bed. What a horrible feeling, cold poop on my skin.
So it took me and a neighbor a few hours to find them. Each in his own hiding place. I will never and have never done that again...such a mistake
This sounds more like a college-era fun weekend...yikes!
 

Jan A

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Perhaps the greatest fear in reptile husbandry is the loss of electrical power. Here in Texas we have a unified state electrical grid and due to this ridiculously cold weather, and the resulting historic electricity demand, they have instigated rolling black-outs. Family members in the Austin area have already experienced a couple of outages overnight, each 1-2 hours in length. Apparently, the natural gas supply is constrained (used in many of the electricity generating plants) but most ironically, the great wind turbines installed out in west Texas to generate eco-friendly, green energy? Frozen...
Solar panels aren't much help in this weather either...
 

shellcior

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Dec 12, 2018
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Magnolia, Tx
I'm from Houston and drove just fine in the ice. Please refrain from lumping us all in with the idiots that like to speed in the ice and rain. I brought my 100 lb sulcata in and put him on top of moving blankets and blankets over him with a space heater on him when the power was on. I did not feed him for those days we were without power. Some Houstonians are more resilient than you think.
 

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