Need help with Fernando again

[Candy]

I now have an outdoor enclosure for Fernando (as some of you already know). My question is since it's getting warmer outside should I still be turning on the heat emitter that I have for him inside of the enclosure or would it be better just to let the temps. drop down naturally at night for him? So far I keep it at around 80 degrees in there, but was wondering if I'm just spoiling him or not. I mean he's not in the desert anymore and he is captive so if I can provide a warm place for him to sleep at night is this a bad thing to do for him? It's kind of confusing when it comes to wild vs captive. I'm asking this because I've been noticing if I keep it too warm he doesn't come out sometimes if it's colder outside. I've got to tell you guys again that DT's are awesome tortoises to have. This morning I looked out my bedroom window and there was Fernando just grazing away. He also can now find his enclosure and he goes into it around 5 or 6 at night by himself and then around 9 I close it up. I think it's so cool how he does that. They are so bright.

 

[Yvonne G]

The hiding place serves two purposes (well, more, but 2 that I'm going to talk about)

It keeps him warm in the winter and cool in the summer. So think of it as a warm side and a cool side. He goes outside and sits in the sun to eat and warm up. Then he will retreat to his house to cool down. If you keep the heat emitter on inside the house, you may find that he will start a burrow someplace in order to cool down.

 

[Tom]

Yvonne makes a good point.

My general rule for a healthy, outdoor, older than hatchling, CDT is to keep the doghouse from dropping below 60, unless I'm going to hibernate them in the fall. I accomplish this with a thermostat. I just set it and leave it alone. If the temp drops below 60, day or night, the thermostat kicks on the pig blanket and/or the CHE.

 

[Candy]

Thanks Yvonne and Tom. This is Fernando's usual routine now that he's been here since April. He goes into his enclosure at around 6 or so and in the morning before I leave for work I open it up. And then depending on the weather he comes out around 8 to 9 and grazes and then around 12 I will find him burrowed in his favorite place under the Jasmine bush sometimes he even stays there at night and I have to go and put him in his enclosure. At about 4 or 5 I will sometimes find him grazing again and then he goes to sleep. He is so funny to watch. Do you guys think that my grass and weeds are enough to keep him from getting hungry? He's eaten most of the dandelions in the yard already. He doesn't seem as hungry as he was when he got here although he is still eating fine.

 

[Tom]

I'd feed him other stuff too. Unless you have a really really big yard, half an acre or more, and everything grows really really well there, he'll eventually munch it down past a point of no return and pretty soon your yard will be one big dirt patch. If you give him some other stuff too, it will give the grass and weeds a temporary stay of execution. How about mulberry leaves, grape leaves, rose flowers and leaves, hibiscus flowers and leaves, cactus pads and fruits(once in a while on the cactus fruits), etc...

His routine sounds pretty normal to me. BTW, you do know Jasmine is toxic, right? As long as he doesn't decide to eat it one day, you'll be fine. I had to remove mine from where my sulcatas could reach it. They kept trying to eat it. The smell when it blooms is my favorite plant smell of all time. I don't usually stop and smell the roses, but I always stop and smell the Jasmine.

 

[Madortoise]

WOW, Fernando is a big boy.
Mine is up and running by 9 a.m. and by noon seems to acerbate herself. CDTs are supposedly most active in early spring and slow down by summer time. When I come home for lunch, I have to move her to a backyard in the shady area vs. side of the house where she is either too bored or too hot though there's plenty of space and weeds.
CDTs are very curious and intelligent. They have routines but they like to explore new things. Enjoy keeping Fernando entertained w/his environment! The dog house look cute.

 

[Madortoise]

I don't think I answered your question. I would ditch the heating lamp during the warm weather inside of his house.