This will be this years big experiment. I'm taking a page from the redfoot keepers and this enclosure and idea was largely inspired by Tyler and KBaker. Part of the reason of why I think last years EOP babies did not turn out "perfect" (by MY standards) is because of the desiccating effect of the over head heat lamps. They seem to be a necessary evil, but this is an attempt to get around them. I tried lower temps under the bulbs, but then the tortoises just sat directly under them all day, since they could not get warm enough, and this only dried them out even more. At 100-110, they bask a while and then move around the enclosure going about their business. At 90-95, they just parked under the light ALL day, only briefly moving to eat.
I still feel like they need an area that gives them the option of warming up a bit, so I decided to try the Kane Heat Mat. It has a thermostat built in to the pad and a dial to set it at whatever temp you desire. It is very accurate and so far has shown no "hot spots". I'm going to start with 92 and see how it goes. If they just constantly sit on the mat, I will keep gradually warming it up until they start moving on and off of it as they should. The mat is 18x18" and the enclosure is 3x5'. The rest of the enclosure stays 79-84. I've put the mat on a 12 hour timer, so at night the whole enclosure drops down to room temp of 79-80. For light, I'm just using a regular household CFL. It passes through the translucent plastic, and its about 22" away from them, so I'm not too worried about it damaging their eyes like one of those coil type UV bulbs. The light is directly over the heat mat and is on the same timer as the heat mat. They will still get daily soaks and shell spraying several times a day. They will also get an hour or two of sun in the hot dry air here almost every day. I feel this last bit is critical to mention since I don't know how well this would all work in more humid parts of the country. Anyone wanna try it in FL or Louisiana? Some have speculated that this daily "drying out" is a factor in my success with all the moisture. I don't have that answer as I've never done this anywhere else.
Humidity is staying at around 70% when I put the probe anywhere on the mat and 98% everywhere else in the enclosure. I've got three of Deloris' brand new hatchlings in there and I've already seen them periodically sitting on the mat.
Enough talk. Here we go!
I made this frame from 2x4s. I attached the plastic sheeting to the underside with staples. This will form the top of the enclosure.
Here is the inside of the enclosure with the top removed.
One side.
Then the other.
The inhabitants.
Here it is as it normally sits with the top on. Its the top shelf in my tortoise rack and you can see the leopards underneath them. Daisy inhabits the bottom shelf.
I still feel like they need an area that gives them the option of warming up a bit, so I decided to try the Kane Heat Mat. It has a thermostat built in to the pad and a dial to set it at whatever temp you desire. It is very accurate and so far has shown no "hot spots". I'm going to start with 92 and see how it goes. If they just constantly sit on the mat, I will keep gradually warming it up until they start moving on and off of it as they should. The mat is 18x18" and the enclosure is 3x5'. The rest of the enclosure stays 79-84. I've put the mat on a 12 hour timer, so at night the whole enclosure drops down to room temp of 79-80. For light, I'm just using a regular household CFL. It passes through the translucent plastic, and its about 22" away from them, so I'm not too worried about it damaging their eyes like one of those coil type UV bulbs. The light is directly over the heat mat and is on the same timer as the heat mat. They will still get daily soaks and shell spraying several times a day. They will also get an hour or two of sun in the hot dry air here almost every day. I feel this last bit is critical to mention since I don't know how well this would all work in more humid parts of the country. Anyone wanna try it in FL or Louisiana? Some have speculated that this daily "drying out" is a factor in my success with all the moisture. I don't have that answer as I've never done this anywhere else.
Humidity is staying at around 70% when I put the probe anywhere on the mat and 98% everywhere else in the enclosure. I've got three of Deloris' brand new hatchlings in there and I've already seen them periodically sitting on the mat.
Enough talk. Here we go!
I made this frame from 2x4s. I attached the plastic sheeting to the underside with staples. This will form the top of the enclosure.
Here is the inside of the enclosure with the top removed.
One side.
Then the other.
The inhabitants.
Here it is as it normally sits with the top on. Its the top shelf in my tortoise rack and you can see the leopards underneath them. Daisy inhabits the bottom shelf.