Night heat question

[Mary from Kansas]

Looking for experienced opinions. What are the best thoughts/ideas on night time heat. Our weather here is starting to cool down. For us humans it's nice but not cool enough for us to turn on the furnace but it also means cooler in the house. I have been keeping on eye on Geronimo's temperature where he likes to sleep and it's getting down to 65-67 at night and it will only get cooler for a while. What are the best options to get that area warmed up a little more at night? What type of heat lighting, etc.........

 

[Tom]

As long as your basking temps are warming up during the day, 55-60 at night is fine for a hermanns tortoise.

If you want to add night heat anyway, use a ceramic heating element (CHE) in a wide dome with a ceramic base, and run it on a thermostat.

CHE: https://www.lllreptile.com/products/35-zoo-med-100-watt-ceramic-heater

Fixture: http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-300-Watt-Incandescent-Brooder-Clamp-Light-HD-303PDQ/204684496

Thermostat: https://www.hydrofarm.com/p/MTPRTC or
https://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller

 

[Mary from Kansas]

Doing research and I get conflicting info on temps at night and what's to low. Anywhere from 72 is to low to as low as 50 is fine which is quite a difference. Geronimo is doing good, he has been a little slower to get going in the mornings now that it is cooler but he makes sure he makes breakfast, LOL. His basking area usually ranges from 92 -97 during the day and the heat light is on a timer for 14 hours. He does always go to the coolest part of his habitat and snuggles in there at bedtime.

 

[Tom]

Doing research and I get conflicting info on temps at night and what's to low. Anywhere from 72 is to low to as low as 50 is fine which is quite a difference. Geronimo is doing good, he has been a little slower to get going in the mornings now that it is cooler but he makes sure he makes breakfast, LOL. His basking area usually ranges from 92 -97 during the day and the heat light is on a timer for 14 hours. He does always go to the coolest part of his habitat and snuggles in there at bedtime.

All of the Mediterranean tortoises need a nighttime drop in temps. Anyone saying 72 is too low for an adult Testudo species at night has no idea what they are talking about.

If you prefer to keep it warmer at night you can, and sometimes this can help prevent the urge to hibernate, for those people who choose to not hibernate their temperate species of tortoise. If this is your desire, then a little night heat might serve you well. I use night heat for outdoor russians in spring and fall to keep the night time lows in the 60s for them. Our night temps drop into the 30s and 40s here even when the days are 70s and 80s and sunny. I use just enough night heat to keep them from wanting to go into hibernation early or stay in hibernation too late. I think you could use indoor heat the same way, if it suits you.

 

[Mary from Kansas]

Yeah the 72 number didn't sound right to me. I was just kind of concerned if it started getting below 60 in the area of the house he is in. I pretty sure it won't, but it also depends on when we decide to get the furnace going. I really don't want to do night time heat unless we have to. I will keep on eye on it this fall and winter. Thanks

 

[Raymo2477]

I live in Pennsylvania and have never needed night heat with my Hermann's tortoises.
My adult guys that live outdoors during the summer stay outside until night time temps dip into the 40s with no issues.

 

[Maria Ohlson]

Here in Sweden you need nightheat if you have them in a greenhouse.
Nighttime I use a lamp without light. ( Solar heat lamp) And in their nest ( nighthouse) i have a cealing that is ment for small chickens but many tortoisekeepers in Sweden use these. I have mine as the roof on their nighthouse as you can se om one of the Pictures. I dont know if you have simular things were you live?
I only use the heatlamp or heating cealing when the temp is under 15 degrees Celcius. When it gets colder I also have a heatinfan to warm up the temperatur in the air.
( My tortoise is in there inside enclosure now because its getting Cold outside. We now have Days when its frost outside -1 Celcius.)