Maximum Daytime enclosure temps.

haydog_99

Active Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2020
Messages
138
Location (City and/or State)
Rocklin, CA
My new enclosure is running pretty hot so I figured I’d see what the experts say. The temperature on the hot side of my enclosure has been as high as 88 with the cool side around 81-82. I’ve been keeping the temp down to 86 on the hot side while maintaining enough humidity, is that too hot? Even with the temp at that level my tortoise still spends almost All of his time on he hot side. I assume if it was too hot for him he would go to the other side ? He is a one year old Leopard tortoise.

Thanks
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I keep my young leopard tortoises in an enclosure that's overall 80-85F degrees, day and night, with no drop in temperature. Is this a covered enclosure? Maybe your heat source is too big? I have never used anything more than 100 watts.
 

Markw84

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
5,042
Location (City and/or State)
Sacramento, CA (Central Valley)
I let me enclosures get into the low 90°s by midday as all the lights are on. At 95° I have the basking light cut off on a thermostat as I don't want it higher than that. There is nor real danger until temps reach 100°. Watching them outdoors, I have always found my leopard tortoises like daytime temps higher than any other species I have kept. Even my sulcatas will slow down and seek shade and rest when temps climb much above 90°. The leopards will remain quite active and grazing into the high 90°s
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tom

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
My new enclosure is running pretty hot so I figured I’d see what the experts say. The temperature on the hot side of my enclosure has been as high as 88 with the cool side around 81-82. I’ve been keeping the temp down to 86 on the hot side while maintaining enough humidity, is that too hot? Even with the temp at that level my tortoise still spends almost All of his time on he hot side. I assume if it was too hot for him he would go to the other side ? He is a one year old Leopard tortoise.

Thanks
I agree 100% with everything Mark said. I try to get ambient temp up to 88-93 during the heat of the day, in addition to a 95-100 degree basking area, and then let the whole thing cool to 80 at night when the basking lamps are off.

Maximum daytime ambient temp for me would be 95-96. I also have thermostats to kill the heat lamps if the temps get higher than that.
 

haydog_99

Active Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2020
Messages
138
Location (City and/or State)
Rocklin, CA
I keep my young leopard tortoises in an enclosure that's overall 80-85F degrees, day and night, with no drop in temperature. Is this a covered enclosure? Maybe your heat source is too big? I have never used anything more than 100 watts.
Yvonne, Yes it is a covered enclosure (4' x 2' x 2') and I have it set up with a 100 watt CHE on each side of the enclosure hooked to a thermostat to maintain the correct night time temp and a single MVB for daytime heat. I have an 80 watt and a 100 watt, with 100 Watt the hot side of the enclosure runs around 88 degrees, the basking rock runs around 97 degrees, and the cool side runs in the low 80's. With the 80 watt buld the hot side runs around 84, the basking rock runs about 94 and the cool side is around 80. I'm a little concerned running the 100 watt bulb because I can only get it up about 10.5 inches about the tortoises back and I've seen people saying that is too close, even though the zoomed chart show's it should be fine. I have the 80 watt bulb about 8.5 inches from the tortoises back, according to the zoomed chart that may be a little high. I am a bit confused...... https://zoomed.com/wp-content/uploads/Choosing-Correct-UVB-Lamp-2018-07.pdf
 
Top