Outside night temp for a boettgeri?

[PeterB]

Hi there all
We have recently acquired a boettgeri (our neighbours brother-in-law had 2 that weren't getting on!). Anyway we live at about 1,300mts (not quite 4,000ft) in the Alps.
We have him in the garden, with daytime temps at the mo around 59-62 degrees Fahrenheit, but the last 2 nights it's been around 44-46 degrees. Being inexperienced (& a little concerned) I've brought him inside at night & put him in a box with straw in the kitchen - am I doing the right thing? If not, any suggestions?
Cheers
P

 

[Tom]

Your night temps are a bit on the cool side, and the daytime temps aren't quite enough to warm up and function.

I think you ought to have a complete large indoor set up with proper heating and lighting, and use the outdoor one for fair weather. Many people in that sort of climate use a cold frame or green house of some sort to get more outside days.

 

[jaredherman]

Both day and night temps are too cold

 

[THBfriend]

Yes, too cold all around. Like Tom says, you either need an indoor setup, or you need to significantly improve your outdoor one. If possible build a greenhouse or coldframe for the tortoise. Best with automatic heating - there are thermostats that can automatically activate heat lamps when the temperature drops below a threshold. There are even thermostats with timer functionality that allow definining separate threshold values for day and night. Nighttime temperatures shouldn't drop below 12°C. Daytime temperatures should at least be in the upper 20s, and well above 30°C in basking spots / below lamps.

 

[PeterB]

Hello again all
Many thanks for the advice.
Tbh these temperatures are really unusual for this time of year - in fact this summer is the worst I've seen in the 10 years I've lived here!
Normally we get day temps between 20-30 C (68-86 F) with LOADS of direct sun, espec. from mid morning till sundown, & night temps of around 15-18ish (mid 50s -mid 60s F).
In practical terms, an indoor pen (of any size) is out of the question, but I might be able to rig something coldframe-ish at least until hibernation.
But as a temporary measure, my concern about bringing him in & placing him in a box is that I don't want to cause him unnecessary stress - or is that not a problem?
Thanks again
P

 

[Dan]

The author of Naturalistic Keeping and Breeding of Hermann's Tortoises, Wolfgang Wegehaupt, provides 300+ pages of gospel on how to raise tortoises under exactly your conditions. Tom's recommendations are spot on, as always.

 

[Moozillion]

I keep my Hermann's indoor enclosure at 75*F in the cool end and 85*F in the warm end, with a basking light at 90-95*F. At night, her temps go down into the low 70s. I hope this helps!