shade vs. sun

[amandamb]

I have been battling with myself for sometime now about where to put my outdoor enclosure. The spot I picked out is shaded a good part of the day. I live in north Mississippi so it gets very very hot and sticky. So i dont want to have a roasted turtle on my hands. But i worry about the lack of sunlight. We have been clearing trees for the past four years so the yard has almost no shade anywhere. So what does everyone think? I need to figure it out soon and start construction. It will be a large enclosure.

 

[cmacusa3]

I have mine set up for mid day Sun but Morning to late morning probably would've been better because of the Oklahoma summer heat, but it was the best spot I had available. During the hot summer months I have a large beach umbrella that goes up, plus I water it down a few times a day and it really helps and they stay active all summer.

 

[amandamb]

I will have to keep an eye on the spot I picked out and see when exactly the sun hits it. I know its not long. I may have to look around some more at other spots. I'm running out of areas to choose from because of how large I want it. I only have one turtle but I want her to feel as if she is free and can roam a large area with a decent size turtle pool.

 

[Eric Phillips]

Ideally, the best would be a spot where you get ample morning sun and then afternoon shade(like the east side of a house). This allows the turtles to warm up in the morning to forage and then find shelter in the afternoon heat. However, a spot with full sun can work if you have plenty of plant cover and hides. An area that is shaded is fine for species like Eastern Box Turtles since they adapt well to a more woodland area as long as they have some sun to help regulate their body heat. If the area is large, she will find the spots to warm her up and cool her off.