I recently moved my 3 juvenile Leopard tortoises outside, full time. They just turned 2 years old this month and range from 6"-8".
This past year, they were spending the days outside but I would bring them in each evening to sleep in a humid chamber.
Well, I was ready (and they were ready) to make the move!! I've spent the past few weeks enlarging their yard and tweaking their house. I lined the plywood floor with some vinyl tiles and put in a coco coir/ top soil mix for the substrate. I'm trying to keep their house moderately humid to see if that helps them stay smooth.
When I set up this house for them in the past, I was using hay for bedding. They were starting to grow a little bumpy, so I stopped using the house and went back to using a humid chamber at night.
This house is 2'x4'x2' tall. It's fully insulated with 1.5" rigid foam insulation. Caulked, weather stripping, the works!
I use a mini oil filled radiator set on a thermostat for heat. I know I'll need to build the 4'x8' house size as my group of leos grow, so I knew this radiator would be used long term.
This just shows one stretch of their L shaped yard. I'm letting that center patch of grass and weeds grow really thick and tall on purpose! I water that area very well and it makes for a nice, warm and humid hiding spot!
See, he wants to run back into the bush
They are doing great going in and out of the house on their own. In fact, they love their entire yard. These 3 have about 250sq ft.... I need to re measure but I think it was about that.
I was a bit nervous not having the house under a covering but Tom, I'm taking your word for it that the house will be ok
I'm curious to see what will happen with them. Will they hit a growth spurt? Will their growth slow? Will they still have smooth new growth or not?
Time will tell.
But I can tell you that as of right now, THEY LOVE LIVING OUTSIDE!! 
This past year, they were spending the days outside but I would bring them in each evening to sleep in a humid chamber.
Well, I was ready (and they were ready) to make the move!! I've spent the past few weeks enlarging their yard and tweaking their house. I lined the plywood floor with some vinyl tiles and put in a coco coir/ top soil mix for the substrate. I'm trying to keep their house moderately humid to see if that helps them stay smooth.
When I set up this house for them in the past, I was using hay for bedding. They were starting to grow a little bumpy, so I stopped using the house and went back to using a humid chamber at night.
This house is 2'x4'x2' tall. It's fully insulated with 1.5" rigid foam insulation. Caulked, weather stripping, the works!
I use a mini oil filled radiator set on a thermostat for heat. I know I'll need to build the 4'x8' house size as my group of leos grow, so I knew this radiator would be used long term.
This just shows one stretch of their L shaped yard. I'm letting that center patch of grass and weeds grow really thick and tall on purpose! I water that area very well and it makes for a nice, warm and humid hiding spot!
See, he wants to run back into the bush
They are doing great going in and out of the house on their own. In fact, they love their entire yard. These 3 have about 250sq ft.... I need to re measure but I think it was about that.
I was a bit nervous not having the house under a covering but Tom, I'm taking your word for it that the house will be ok
I'm curious to see what will happen with them. Will they hit a growth spurt? Will their growth slow? Will they still have smooth new growth or not?
Time will tell.
But I can tell you that as of right now, THEY LOVE LIVING OUTSIDE!!
