So, our outdoor enclosure for our rt, brains, is finished. When we went to brim him in, he was already dug under! My husband is insisting we leave him outside! So I guess he is spending the night outside. I'm so nervous!!
Outside all night
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You've got a good secure enclosure there... he should be fine 
Why does he need to sleep outside? Many people prefer that, but I don't. I like them inside where I know it is safe and nothing strange or unexpected can occur. I sleep better at night that way. I have to catch up and carry in loads of tortoises every night. One tortoise should be no big deal.
He should be fine but if you are nervous then I would probably bring him in already because chances are you arent going to be able to sleep and go get him anyways.
I think he wants him to stay outdoors because he put a lot of time and effort into building the enclosure. I think brains will be safe outside, the enclosure is pretty secure. I'm just worried because its the first night outside. I had intended on leaving him out, just not this soon! He seemed really happy out there, dug a few little burrows. I've never seen him so dirty!
I forgot what kind of tort you have and where you live. So just as a reminder, make sure your nights are not getting too cold. I wouldn't keep him out if it gets colder then what he was used to inside unless you have a heated house on a thermostat. Already seen some sick torts on here from staying outside and it got cold.
wellington said:
He's a Russian. The low temperature tonight is 61f , so he should be good. My two babies < 6 months, will not be spending ANY nights outdoors! We are in upstate NY. Fairly close to gbtortoises, and I believe he leaves his Russians outdoors overnight, I'll have to ask.
LOL....it is like when your child sleeps over at a friends house for the first time....he is rocking it and loving it...but the Mom is freaking the "blank" out the entire time....and yes, 61 should be fine as long as there is no rain or snow
Just have a flashlight at the ready---so when you need to visually see he is alright you can easily do that....LOL
Just have a flashlight at the ready---so when you need to visually see he is alright you can easily do that....LOL
im sure the russian will be fine if temps drop low or during winter a Che or heatbulb would be nice to that awesome enclosure
I saw where the night went just great!! Yeah for both Brains and you!
Tom I like leaving mine outdoors because to me they are better off out there where they can set their own time to go to sleep, get up in the morning, ect.., If you have built a good secure enclosure, they should be okay out there. I like my tortoises being as handled as little as possible and being kept as naturally as I can. I can't put them back out into the wild, but I can try to give them a small sense of still being wild and free.
Tom I like leaving mine outdoors because to me they are better off out there where they can set their own time to go to sleep, get up in the morning, ect.., If you have built a good secure enclosure, they should be okay out there. I like my tortoises being as handled as little as possible and being kept as naturally as I can. I can't put them back out into the wild, but I can try to give them a small sense of still being wild and free.
Afghan tortoises (isn't that what Yvonne said we should call them in another post ), aka Russian tortoises, seem to really love being outside and having that choice.
Tom is right, you do need as secure an enclosure that you can get, and there is probably some tiny risk even with the really well built ones.
Mine seem so happy to have the choices and move about naturally.
), aka Russian tortoises, seem to really love being outside and having that choice. Tom is right, you do need as secure an enclosure that you can get, and there is probably some tiny risk even with the really well built ones.
Mine seem so happy to have the choices and move about naturally.
lynnedit said:Afghan tortoises (isn't that what Yvonne said we should call them in another post
I think your looking for the name: steppe
Jacqui said:
Everyone has their own way of doing things and neither is right or wrong, just preference. I don't see anything natural about a tiny pen in a backyard. For me daily handling allows me to evaluate health, the enclosure, and so many more details, than a "hands off" approach. It also desensitizes the tortoise to me and makes them more "pet" like, which I also think is a good thing for a captive animal.
Once I get my Russian herd going, they will live outside in a large covered enclosure full time too, but when they are young, they will come in for the night.
Tom, never said you were wrong, only said what I prefer to do and why in response to you saying you didn't understand why folks chose to leave their animals outside at night. While I don't think of the enclosures I am working on, such as the redfoot/cherryhead zone that is roughly well over 100' long as "tiny", of course they are no where near to being as large of an area as they would be in the wild. Instead I am trying to build them as large as I possibly can, plant them as heavily as I can, with as many different types of mini environments, as I can manage. I am not Mother Nature, but I do try to do what I can.
I think people's attitude to outside living varies hugely depending on geographic location.
Only you can know what predators are in your neighbourhood and the likelihood of your tort coming to harm.
People a few streets from each other may have different attitudes, simply because one has a particularly nasty cat as a neighbour!
In the UK, I know we come over as very laid back because there are so few wild predators that can do any harm and the domestic ones are the same decision as anywhere else I guess.
Only you can know what predators are in your neighbourhood and the likelihood of your tort coming to harm.
People a few streets from each other may have different attitudes, simply because one has a particularly nasty cat as a neighbour!
In the UK, I know we come over as very laid back because there are so few wild predators that can do any harm and the domestic ones are the same decision as anywhere else I guess.
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JoesMum said:
This is an important point. I wouldn't leave mine out because yards in northern florida get marauded by opossums, raccoons, and armadillos every night, not to mention rats, cats, dogs, and worst of all humans
I wouldn't leave hatchling or juvenile torts out either, that makes sense.
As with many husbandry issues, leaving torts outside will indeed depend on city/country, kinds or presence of predators, location, size and type of tort.
{Re: 'Afghan tortoise', I was referring to this thread;
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...-Russian-tortoise-at-Arkive-org#axzz1xaqZA4u2
I do love those photos }
As with many husbandry issues, leaving torts outside will indeed depend on city/country, kinds or presence of predators, location, size and type of tort.
{Re: 'Afghan tortoise', I was referring to this thread;
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...-Russian-tortoise-at-Arkive-org#axzz1xaqZA4u2
I do love those photos }
You could break out the tent and sleeping bag and go out there and sleep.
I could never leave my animal outdoors unsupervised. We have raccoons, possums, ill behaved children and coyotes around my house. I worry enough about them being down in their cages when I am upstairs sleeping. I know a lot of people do have outdoor enclosures full time and I am building a part time one, but there is no way I am leaving them in there unless I am watching.
I think of the tortoises like my dogs. I don't even let the dogs go out unsupervised. A few weeks ago my dog jumped his electric fence but I saw his monkey butt running and snatched him. I always expect the unexpected and I worry that can go wrong very quickly for a little Russian tortoise.
I could never leave my animal outdoors unsupervised. We have raccoons, possums, ill behaved children and coyotes around my house. I worry enough about them being down in their cages when I am upstairs sleeping.
I know a lot of people do have outdoor enclosures full time and I am building a part time one, but there is no way I am leaving them in there unless I am watching. I think of the tortoises like my dogs. I don't even let the dogs go out unsupervised. A few weeks ago my dog jumped his electric fence but I saw his monkey butt running and snatched him. I always expect the unexpected and I worry that can go wrong very quickly for a little Russian tortoise.
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