Should I keep my baby sulcata tortoise outside or inside?

[Justin Hedgecoth]

I was just wondering if I should keep my baby sulcata tortoise outside or inside.
I'm worried it might get out of its enclosure if I put it outside, or get eaten by a bird or something.
I live in Tennessee with a wide, open, grassy area in my backyard.

Here's a picture of him. Help appreciated!

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. Your baby needs humidity in the inside enclosure it has quite a bit of pyramiding. Read the threads below in my post for proper indoor housing. As for keeping him outside, no, not 24/7. Put him out in an escape and animal proof enclosure daily for a couple hours, making sure it has shade, sun, water and a hide until he is older and larger then he can live outside when temps are warm.

 

[Justin Hedgecoth]

Ok will a tank work? And do I need a heating lamp or anything else?

 

[Big Charlie]

You'll need a container with a top to keep the humidity in, heat and a UV lamp. A tank works but usually isn't the best solution. The information should be in the threads posted by wellington.

When you put your baby outdoors, the enclosure should be protected on the top as well on the sides. A baby that tiny can be picked up by a bird and carried off.

 

[TheWarTortoise]

Ditto on the pyramiding. As for outside, you don't even need to spend money on an enclosure if you just watch him out there for an hour or two. Plus, it's a lot of fun watching the a baby running across a yard with tall grass

 

[Justin Hedgecoth]

Alright! Thanks guys!
I couldn't find anything online
Appreciate it so much!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Your baby needs a steady 85% humidity to stop that pyramiding now before it gets bad. It needs a good Powersun 100 watt UVB MVB. It's not easy to keep a baby smooth. And you DON'T want pyramiding. Read those stickies that Wellington pointed out to you. I will try and post a picture of my Pansy. I think they are about the same age....

 

[Justin Hedgecoth]

What is pyramiding? Is it bad?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

What is pyramiding? Is it bad?

What is pyramiding? Is it bad?

Do a little research so you can see and understand. Her shell should be smooth, not look like the Alps or sunk in the middle....

Her set up....

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Her set up....

Her set up....

 

[Yvonne G]

What is pyramiding? Is it bad?

By "bad" if you're thinking "life threatening", then no, it's not bad. If it's not associated with metabolic bone disease (which yours isn't), then it's merely cosmetic. Take a look at the silhouette of your little tortoise. See how there are deep gullies between the scutes? Then look at Maggie's picture. See how her baby is smooth? If your baby continues to grow as he is, then he's going to be bumpy as he gets bigger instead of having a smooth shell. Not harmful or detrimental to his health at all, just bumpy.

 

[wellington]

Just to add, it's bumpy and bumpy is not natural and the cause is improper humidity from what they should have and would have in the wild.

 

[Justin Hedgecoth]

At what age can I let him live outside?

 

[Big Charlie]

At what age can I let him live outside?

It's not so much age as size. Charlie moved outside full time when he was 5 years old. Even when you move them outside full-time, you'll still need to provide them a heated area for when the weather turns cold.

 

[JoesMum]

Forgive me if you have already read these, but they're really helpful and worth spending some time on.

How to raise a healthy Sulcata
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

For those whose who have a young Sulcata
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[Lyn W]

The caresheet will point you in the right direction for temps, humidity, diet and substrate etc
When he is big enough to live outdoors in a few years or more time,Tom has a great design for a heated night box.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/#post-632974

You can use something like a kiddies paddling pool to contain him outdoors for supervised short spells - torts are faster than you think and soon disappear if not watched even for just a few minutes.
Just make sure he has all the things recommended above in the enclosure while out and some sort of cover to protect from hungry birds etc. if you do have to pop indoors.

 

[Speedy-1]

That is how I started Speedy outside , a couple hours a day in a kiddy pool .



Now that he is bigger (between 7 and 8 inches) he is out all day , and sleeps inside because our night time temps are still in the mid forty's !

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome Justin. Did you read those threads and get the info you need? Please come back and ask as many questions as you like.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

That is how I started Speedy outside , a couple hours a day in a kiddy pool .

View attachment 171376

Now that he is bigger (between 7 and 8 inches) he is out all day , and sleeps inside because our night time temps are still in the mid forty's !

View attachment 171377

You are doing such a good job with him. He's looking good. I have a 2 yr old female who is really nice looking also. She has all the right parts so far. But she could change. That might be alright as I have read that females are more introverted than males, and I want one that's really outgoing....I'd post a picture, but according to this Chromebook my 400 pix are somewhere else, and I am not who I am. So I can only get TFO, funny....

 

[Justin Hedgecoth]

Thank you guys so much he's looking great now I'm so grateful for the advice. I hate to see my little Herbert unhappy, but now he's very active. His favorite food is definitely dandelion!