Outdoor redfoot enclosure in Arizona. How do I keep the heat down/humidity up?

[rachelmick15]

So I'm fairly new on here, I've been scrubbing the threads trying to find a specific topic on how to keep my outdoor redfoot enclosure cool during the hot summer months (115 the last three days, so far). I started with about 8 different varieties of edible plants including a bunch of hibiscus, but the heat seems to be taking a toll on them and all the plants, minus the Rosemary, have started to droop and look sad. Are there any ideas for keeping the enclosure cool besides watering and fogging? It just doesn't seem to be enough with this heat.

 

[rachelmick15]

U

 

[Sara G.]

I don't know of anything that would help with that. I'm sorry. Water & extra shade is the only thing I can think of.

 

[Sara G.]

Beautiful set up by the way!

 

[rachelmick15]

Thank you!

 

[rachelmick15]

So I'm fairly new on here, I've been scrubbing the threads trying to find a specific topic on how to keep my outdoor redfoot enclosure cool during the hot summer months (115 the last three days, so far). I started with about 8 different varieties of edible plants including a bunch of hibiscus, but the heat seems to be taking a toll on them and all the plants, minus the Rosemary, have started to droop and look sad. Are there any ideas for keeping the enclosure cool besides watering and fogging? It just doesn't seem to be enough with this heat.

The pictures attached are last week before everything started getting sad.

 

[Tom]

That is why you don't keep red foots in AZ.

Be very careful. That heat can kill them. Best to have them indoors in a large humidified enclosure when temps are over 95 outside.

 

[rachelmick15]

Well, that's not very good advice if I'm not allowed to bring it inside my work apartment. Maybe something more productive will help with my outdoor enclosure.

 

[Millerlite]

More shade. Use shade cloth. Also dig hides into the ground a little. This will help keep it cool. Huge water dish they can sit in during the hottest part. Also I recommend a sprinkler system or misting system on a timer. also variety of plants at different heights to help with humidity.

Kyle

 

[rachelmick15]

Thank you Kyle! I'll double up the current shade cloth and see if that helps. I think I'll need more plants as well to make it more jungle like and help with the humidity.

 

[Pearly]

Lovely enclosure. All i can think of is: shade and misting fan. Air movement+ cool mist in the shade should bring your temps down dramatically.

 

[Pearly]

One more thing. I had a nice blue plumbago where my tortoise garden is going as well, but I dug it up. Seem to recall reading that it was not good for torts. I might be wrong

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Shade cloth and a sprinkler/misting system would be my advice here.

 

[cdmay]

More shade. Use shade cloth. Also dig hides into the ground a little. This will help keep it cool. Huge water dish they can sit in during the hottest part. Also I recommend a sprinkler system or misting system on a timer. also variety of plants at different heights to help with humidity.

Kyle

Agree with Kyle.
I have a friend who raised three beautiful red-footed tortoises to adulthood in Tucson. In his case he provided heavily vegetated areas within their enclosure that he said they could 'disappear' into.
In some parts of their range red-foots do experience some harsh hot and dry seasons but they typically spend this time in mammal burrows.

 

[rachelmick15]

It's so good to know your friend was successful raising them in Tucson, their temps are a bit higher down there compared to up here in the valley.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Shade and more shade.
Do you have room for a cement block "house"? It would stay cooler.
Temperatures much above 95 are pretty seriously high for Redfoot.
(I have a misting system with a timer. i can also operate it manually.) For hot days here in Florida. It's also very humid here, so, you are fighting two battles. Heat and humidity.
Get yourself some fluffy, tall potted plants and some much more substantial areas, pots, doghouses, whatever to get out of the sun for the hottest parts of the day.
Even mine hide in their houses until after it gets cooler and it is about 88-90 here.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

The little tortoise pot is a good idea but it offers no insulation from the heat. Things made of cement or cement block are great at keeping cool inside.
And make it as large as you have room for. They will stay hidden until the temps get under 90ish. So they'll be in there a lot.

 

[Yvonne G]

I pounded T-posts into the ground throughout the "rainforest," then I hung drip pipe along them. I punched in the sprinkler-type drip emitters every 5'. I turn this on daily when the weather is over 95F degrees. The drip system, along with all the trees and shrubs in the "rainforest" keep the temperature very comfortable.

I should add that my "rainforest" is under a pretty large mulberry tree. I also have mature rose of sharon trees, large butterfly bushes. It's very shady in there. While the trees and shrubs were growing (20 years ago) I had black shade cloth over the area.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

More shade. Use shade cloth. Also dig hides into the ground a little. This will help keep it cool. Huge water dish they can sit in during the hottest part. Also I recommend a sprinkler system or misting system on a timer. also variety of plants at different heights to help with humidity.

Kyle

Kyle is hitting on it. Shade under shade under shade with lots of evaporation (from open water and mist/sprinkler), as well as evapotranspiration (plants shedding water to cool themselves). One layer of shade does not work as well as three or four, even though the direct sun may be blocked the thing creating the shade transmits heat after it gets hot. Three or four layers of shade. Shade cloth, tall plants, medium size plants and then low plants. The sun blasts where redfoots come from, but there are many many layers of shade. So what you are attempting is to make the desert a bit more tropical.

Also consider racking up large leaves from some tree (no toxic blah blah) and have them several inches to a foot deep in the enclosure. Very good insulation.

I dug out exploded irrigation pipe in Fresno (Chowchilla) one summer in college. 20+ days over 100F with several runs of over 110F. In a vineyard the goal was to dig straight down to the pipe, 5 to six feet down, then run the length of the pipe from the pit that was dug out in the cool of the morning.

So a trench with a gentle slop, lots of plants covering the trench, and misting, deep leaf litter, multiple layers of shade, and more misting.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

That was a good idea you did there

I pounded T-posts into the ground throughout the "rainforest," then I hung drip pipe along them. I punched in the sprinkler-type drip emitters every 5'. I turn this on daily when the weather is over 95F degrees. The drip system, along with all the trees and shrubs in the "rainforest" keep the temperature very comfortable.

I should add that my "rainforest" is under a pretty large mulberry tree. I also have mature rose of sharon trees, large butterfly bushes. It's very shady in there. While the trees and shrubs were growing (20 years ago) I had black shade cloth over the area.