Outside Heating

[Reptile Lover]

Do you guys have a suggestions for anything I can use to heat an outside enclosure for my tortoise?
Thanks!

 

[wellington]

What kind of enclosure and size. Also what species of tortoise if this for and the size and age.

 

[Reptile Lover]

The size of the enclosure is around 22 inches wide and 32 inches long and made out of wood. I have a Russian tortoise that is about 6 inches wide by 7 inches long and she is about 6 years old.

 

[Reptile Lover]

What kind of enclosure and size. Also what species of tortoise if this for and the size and age.

The size of the enclosure is around 22 inches wide and 32 inches long and made out of wood. I have a Russian tortoise that is about 6 inches wide by 7 inches long and she is about 6 years old.

 

[wellington]

Sorry, forgot to ask, where are you located? Also, that is way to small of an enclosure for an adult russian. That size is good for a hatchling. Russians, although small, need a very big enclousre, in the wild they would cover many miles

 

[Reptile Lover]

Sorry, forgot to ask, where are you located? Also, that is way to small of an enclosure for an adult russian. That size is good for a hatchling. Russians, although small, need a very big enclousre, in the wild they would cover many miles

I live in San Diego and the habitat is basically a place for her to sleep. She has access in and out with a backyard to roam around in.

 

[wellington]

So, this is for a russian correct? @Tom may be able to help you better with any heat needed for a russian. I would guess a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat would be enough for a Russian. But wait and see what Tom or others that would be more familiar with your temps.
What are your cold temps usually in your area day and night.

 

[Tom]

I just need to understand what you've got going there.

So you have a large backyard enclosure, and within this large enclosure is this 22x32" night box for sleeping? And you want to add heat to the night box?

This is unusual, but not necessarily right or wrong. Most people who house them outdoors in our area here just let them slow down and do their own thing this time of year. Its not really cold enough, or consistently cold enough, for them to really hibernate here. Most people either hibernate them properly, bring them inside for the winter and keep them up, or just leave them outside to fend for themselves.

Adding heat to the night box is something I've considered too. This way they could run around on our warm sunny winter days, but not get too cold on our cold winter nights. It might be a good way to go.

First off, your box will need to be sealed and insulated or any attempt at night heat will just be wasted electricity. I think the best option in most cases is to use a Radiant Heat Panel, like this: http://www.reptilebasics.com/40-watt-radiant-heat-panel
CHE's can work too, but they concentrate a lot of heat in one small area and can lead to carapace damage and burns if not used carefully. These RHPs do the same thing, but they spread the heat out over a greater area and can never burn.

Here are some examples of boxes I've made that might give you some ideas. Of course you'd need to consider door sizes and box dimensions for the species you intend to use it for:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/semi-underground-russian-box.98590/

 

[Reptile Lover]

I just need to understand what you've got going there.

So you have a large backyard enclosure, and within this large enclosure is this 22x32" night box for sleeping? And you want to add heat to the night box?

This is unusual, but not necessarily right or wrong. Most people who house them outdoors in our area here just let them slow down and do their own thing this time of year. Its not really cold enough, or consistently cold enough, for them to really hibernate here. Most people either hibernate them properly, bring them inside for the winter and keep them up, or just leave them outside to fend for themselves.

Adding heat to the night box is something I've considered too. This way they could run around on our warm sunny winter days, but not get too cold on our cold winter nights. It might be a good way to go.

First off, your box will need to be sealed and insulated or any attempt at night heat will just be wasted electricity. I think the best option in most cases is to use a Radiant Heat Panel, like this: http://www.reptilebasics.com/40-watt-radiant-heat-panel
CHE's can work too, but they concentrate a lot of heat in one small area and can lead to carapace damage and burns if not used carefully. These RHPs do the same thing, but they spread the heat out over a greater area and can never burn.

Here are some examples of boxes I've made that might give you some ideas. Of course you'd need to consider door sizes and box dimensions for the species you intend to use it for:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/semi-underground-russian-box.98590/

Thank you for the info and ideas!