Roaming around the house

[bananaphone]

Hi, so my sulcata is in a 4x3 pen in my kitchen and she is constantly trying to get out to wander around my house. shes not that big, about the size of a softball or bigger and shes roamed around before for a little while I had my computer in the living room, but now im in the basement and I can't keep an eye on her. will she be ok? im just worried about her eating something random more than anything. not many places she can get to and I can block those out if I decide to let her out. I was also thinking of switching her setup to a little plastic pool with a doorway so she can go in and out of on her own free will when im home.

Thoughts?

edit- i should be clear, not 24/7, but for like an hour or so at a time

 

[Markw84]

I would personally never let my tortoises roam around the house. Not only can they ingest things you might miss or not see, there is a constant accident waiting to happen. A big concern would be the temps. A young tortoise in particular needs 80F + temps all the time. There is no way a basement floor is close to 80F even if the room were to be heated to 80F.

 

[bananaphone]

thats what i figured. i don't have the cleanest floor because of my cats and i dont want her eating something random. temp is not really a concern as its mid 70's in my house due to no AC and like i said, it would only be for an hour or so if i did do it, but im just going to hold off and build a larger enclosure.

 

[Markw84]

For you and others reading... Although the temp in your house is mid 70's, the floor in a corner where your tortoise would likely end up is much different, especially in a basement as opposed to an insulated raised floor. An invaluable tool is an IR heat gun. Only about $25 but well worth it for any tortoise owner. Spot check the tortoise's heat by pointing at shell or neck. I also spot check the ground and basking areas outdoors when deciding to let outdoors in their enclosure on a "cooler" mid 70's day. Also great for checking soaking water temps to ensure it stays up or needs refreshing.

 

[dmmj]

I would not do it myself. the biggest problem is if he eats something that has to be surgically removed it's like $2,000 for that surgery. That alone makes it not worth it to me.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Here is the IR thermometer type that is available for $20-$25

 

[Gillian M]

I used to allow Oli to roam around my flat keeping an eye on him. However I was advised not to as he could eat anything on the floor, he could fall ill GOD forbid, and so on. Therefore I do not allow him to any more, especially now that he has a relatively big enclosure.

 

[theguy67]

It may seem like a good idea, but there's actually more risk than reward. Even 70 degrees is a bit cold for a small tortoise. The hazards are also endless. Most aren't aware of the potential hazards until its too late. Doors opening and closing, new people entering and not being aware, and you've mentioned cats? Its best to keep him in a warm enclosure. Imagine if something did happen, and you wished you could go back in time and do it over. Now imagine right now is THAT do over.