Over-winter indoor enclosure - HELP

[Fireflyfarm]

Hi all -
We have two RF's that were hatched in January. They have been living in their outdoor enclosure all summer. We bring them in at night and put them out in the morning since they are so young - don't want any predators having access to our babies. Winter is approaching and we are working on plans for the new indoor enclosure. The enclosure will be in one of our greenhouses (we have a plant nursery on our property). They will have good light, good air circulation and good humidity. Temps can climb in the gh during the day - and on nice days they would be in their outdoor enclosure. The greenhouse is heated and we don't anticipate low temps being any less than 55-60 degrees at ANY time. Any less than that and we have some serious plant problems too. We are talking about a 4'x8' enclosure that would be raised off the floor. High sidewalls to prevent any escapes. Cypress mulch, various plants, etc. My big question - given those temps and their age - will we need to provide any additional heating for them?? And if so, can you suggest what we should do.
Thanks!
Stephanie

 

[DixieParadise]

I would not put my young ones in any temp that stays below 70 for any length of time. If there was a way to insure that the temps stayed at that constant, I would say this might be an ideal place for them. When you say you move them in at night, is this where you are moving them to? If not then perhaps the enclosure you keep them in at night will be there inside enclosure during the winter months.

My older RF and YF stay in a very large enclosure in the garage under Heat Lamps 24/7. When they are in there that is all that is in there. No motor vehicles or gas operated machinery. They go in temps that dip below 65, but not on a constant...I know when they are getting cold, when they move to the heat lamps.

My 3 yr olds stay in a double zoomed tort house, with proper lighting. I don't like these indoor enclosure, because I have to change the substrate often to accomodate them..but it is what one has to do to keep these little fellows going. They are only there for about 3 months give or take a week or two depending on the Texas weather.

 

[Fireflyfarm]

At night they come into the house and stay in our laundry room. No AC vent in there so it stays toasty. (Great for them - miserable for me) And...their enclosure is a rubbermaid container that is about 2x4. That size is fine to hunker down and sleep at night but way too small for a few months. Should I do bottom heat under the new enclosure and offer heat lamps? The heat mats would be far enough away from them to merely keep some radiant heat coming up. I use grow mats for plants - they are made to get wet and they don't put off that much heat - I think it stays around 80 degrees on the mat. Can I get heat lamps that allow them darkness to sleep?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

A heat lamp that stays dark is what we call a CHE. Ceramic heat emitter. It will work perfect for what you need.

Sent from my TFOapp

 

[Fireflyfarm]

Thanks all! That helps. I'll look for a CHE and start working on building their enclosure.