Minimum Night time Temp for Burrow

[Sudhira]

At some point I would like our CDT to remain outside throughout the night. I am going to monitor temps in the burrow for a few weeks to see how low it gets. I am curious as to how low a temp is considered acceptable in order for him to remain in it over night?

He is at least 50 years old, and weighs 16 pounds

 

[Tom]

This depends on the weather and time of year. In summer, I don't care how cold it gets because it will be roasting hot the next day. In spring and fall we still have cold nights and a mix of warm and cooler days. I don't like CDTs or other temperate species to be out when temps are below 55-60 in their burrow, and that is IF the weather will be warm the next day.

Some people just put them outside and the temperature is what it is. Some of them survive just fine this way, but I think it depends on burrow depth and orientation, as well as many other factors.

In my opinion, its best to have a night box and have some heat in there set on a thermostat to 65-70 for temperate species. Having the night box also allows you to shut them in every night to keep them safe from predators as well as wild temperature swings.

Here is what I do for my Russians, which require basically the same care:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/heating-an-outdoor-russian-night-box.116180/

 

[Ariza]

Well, I'm the ''let them be'' type of host. I made Ariza 3 above ground burrows, two facing north and one facing south, one of the north facing gets afternoon shade and has a deeper tunnel than the other north facing one (see my post "Show us your burrow") Since she wandered into my yard 3 years ago I've always left her outside to do as she pleases, I figured she's a wild species and knows better than I what and when she needs. The only exception I made is I brought her inside and put in a box in a cool dark place when the temps in Tucson went above 107 in the summer. And in the winter I cover her entrance with rags to keep the burrow warmer and just leave a slit of space open for air. She seems to be healthy and happy so far. She's 9 inches long and I assume she's over 20 years old. My back yard has block fence and I have no wild animal or rodent problem.