Leaving hatchlings in yard

[HarleyK]

How risky is leaving the hatchling out in the yard in its enclosure? I plan on taking the redfoot rubbermaid tub out in the early afternoon and bring it in at dusk so it can get some sunlight. He could still bury in his hide/moss if he wanted.

I see squirrels run around along the walls and fence and birds also. Anyone have a bad experience with squirrels or birds?

 

[spikethebest]

i am concerned with getting too much sunlight, flipping, dehydration, raccoons, dogs, birds and the sprinklers.

 

[ChiKat]

Can you put chicken wire or some sort of screen over it to make it secure? I would worry about birds and even small animals around a teeny hatchling!
I would also be careful of it overheating since it's so young. What are the temps like where you live?
I am just now comfortable leaving my 1-year old Russian out for extended periods of time...but I'm kind of overprotective

 

[Tom]

I wouldn't do it. There is much debate about redfoots and sunshine anyway, but even with my sulcatas, I only put them out, in a heavy duty wire cage, for an hour or two. In the wild, babies of all species, tend to stay pretty hidden and sheltered, so whether he hides outside or inside should't matter much. Too much could go wrong with a hatchling outside, unsupervised all day.

Some people do it every day while others never risk it. I think this somewhat depends on your area and situation too. I'm pretty protective and careful with hatchlings, but I do take more risks with bigger, older ones.

To answer your question about birds and squirrels: I don't think squirrels would mess with a tortoise, but they might mess with the tub or its planted contents. Birds on the other hand WILL mess with them. Ravens have decimated the CDT populations out here and I have seen them eyeballing my babies through the wire. They don't mess with bigger torts, but they could easily kill small ones.

 

[TortieGal]

Crows are just as bad as Ravens. Make sure they're protected.

 

[Madkins007]

I approve of letting them get some fresh air and real sunshine. I don't know of any real debate on the topic- tortoises like and benefit from sunlight and all of its components... as long as they can get out of it at will.

I'd worry about predatory birds, dogs, and kids. I'd also love to be able to offer more room- exercise is an important developmental element that is often hard to offer in tubs. Could you do a temporary 'grazing pen'? Maybe something like some plywood panels formed into a square with some chicken wire stapled over the top and maybe a board going across one end for strength and shelter?

On the other hand- I find my tubs get all clammy and too wet over time, so I also put my tubs out to just dry and drain. Sunlight also helps sterilize them a bit- killing off any mold, etc. that may be trying to grow in there.

Just FYI- in my last tub, I got so tired of the water staying too long that I got another lid to set under the tub, then drilled a couple small holes for drainage. Made a decent difference. i was going to add some more holes before I decided to make a purpose-built 'tortarium' instead.

 

[HarleyK]

Yeah I dont have any other pets around but I am most worried about predatory birds and squirrels. I do see some type of condor fly overhead, but I kept my tort in a spare 20 gal terrarium with a locking wire mesh and put the 20 gal into a large rubbermaid so my tort doesnt get stressed. I have the moss in there and water dish. It's in the shade and out for max 3 hours and daytime temps are about 70-80. Like what mark said I air out his indoor habitat and turn over the bark and dry out moss. My tort appreciate the fresh air.

 

[PeanutbuttER]

Generally speaking I honestly believe you have nothing to worry about from hawks or falcons. Your only threat from a predatory bird IMO would be perhaps an owl (specifically Great Horned if you have any in your area). My guess is that the condor would behave more like a hawk or a falcon and ignore your torts, but better safe than sorry.

 

[tortoisematt]

I'd be far more concerned about putting a rubbermaid tub in direct sunlight! I'm not sure where you live or how sunny and warm it is, but Rubbermaid tubs in the sun only have one temperature setting which could easily be 20 degrees above ambient.

I almost lost a pair of pancake tortoises that kept escaping from their enclosure. I put them in a tub until I could fix the problem. I called my wife the next day to make sure she brought them in, but she wasn't answering her phone. I rushed home from work and found them lethargic with eyes closed and foaming from their mouths, totally overheated. I cooled them off and they're doing fine, but I'm surprised they survived!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Tortoisematt: Welcome to the forum!!