Smart in Snow?

[Smazril]

Although we have had plenty of sun this last week our temps have been below or right at freezing. Today we had a heat wave... 45 degrees! I let Terry out and he cruised around eating for about half an hour. I brought him inside, he didn't walk in on his own.
Is he large enough to know when he needs to come in? If he is, I can open up his doorway so he can decide to go out and in. He is 10 inches long and 2.75kg (just over 6 pounds).
Thank you! Here he is enjoying outside time.

 

[Delilah1623]

I have no advice but wanted to say he looks happy (=

His shell is beautiful in its own way, every time I see him I think he looks like a little mountain range.

 

[wellington]

I have seen a lot of Sullies on here living where there is snow and having free range to come and go as they please, but being locked back up at night. @Yvonne G @Tom @Jacqui may be able to help you with size and snow.

 

[Tom]

No they don't know when to come out of the cold. There is no "too cold" where they come from, so they've evolved no mechanism to deal with it. Every time I move some new ones outside full time, I have to spend weeks teaching them to put themselves away at night. I would not let mine out in temps like that. Some people let big ones come out for a lap or two in the snow and it makes for a novel pic, but I wouldn't allow that or recommend it. Especially not for a small one like yours.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

For me, I just watch them. If they seem to not get it to go back inside, I'll pick them up and stick their nose in the heated house. They figure it out. I've done this with 3 lb'ers here. stanly here is 45-50 lbs. had he not gone right back in on his own, after making the one lap, I would have moved him in his house.

 

[Smazril]

Thank you Delilah. looking like mountains is fitting since he thinks he could move them!

Thanks, Tom. I waited to let him out until things were melting away today. But I had the feeling he wasn't planning on coming inside.

Ken, did you get snow last week? You might be too West from here? Your weather is very similar to mine, glad to hear what you do. If I'd let Terry out last week my picture would have looked like yours of stanly.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Ken, did you get snow last week? You might be too West from here? Your weather is very similar to mine, glad to hear what you do. If I'd let Terry out last week my picture would have looked like yours of stanly.

No snow for us last week. We even dodged freezing rain! On a side note, Karen, my wife is a CVT/RVT at a mixed large/small practice over here in Woodburn.

 

[Len B]

I am staying southeast of Washington DC along the Potomac River. I have 6 tortoises aged 2.5 to 18 years old. 1 leopard and 5 sulcatas that stay outside all year. They all have free access to the outside all the time, night and day, in fact one decided to venture out of her house some time around 8 pm this evening. I believe she came out because there was more outside lighting on than usual and she could see very well. She went back into her heated house on her own as usual, just later than usual. This is at least the second winter for all of them, some are older and have more winters under their belt. We haven't had any deep snows in the last few years just a few inches at a time. We have had very cold temperatures though, I believe they do know when to retreat back to their houses to warm up, (at least mine do). This fall I have been taking shell temps while my largest one is out and when the shell surface temps get down to around 65 F he is ready to go warm up. Todays air temps were almost 50 F he came out at 1:30 and after grazing leaves, what few weeds are left and some mazuri he went in at 3:40. I didn't check shell temps so not sure if he got chilly or full.

 

[Smazril]

Thanks Turtulas. I don't figure he'd want to be out in much snow since that would mean the food inside is easier to find. A day like today where enough is melted and he can get to grass would be nice for him.
I guess I'll just watch temps outside and of his shell and see what he does!

Ken- the clinic I'm at sees horses and small animal. Every now and again we see a pocket pet for minimal treatments but never turtles/torts. I can treat Terry for basics on my own but would have to see someone else to get any major treatments done. Does Karen's clinic see torts?

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Does Karen's clinic see torts?

One of the owners at her clinic has 2 Sulcatas and a horsfield because of me. I help with research and experience when I need to, to help out.

 

[Jacqui]

I just want to say I love your sulcata!

 

[Yvonne G]

It doesn't snow here in Central California, but there's frost on the ground almost every winter morning. My Dudley comes out every day. If the sun isn't shining, or if it seems too cold to him, he turns around and goes back inside. He's been out making tracks in the frost before, but on those mornings he doesn't stay out very long.

 

[Jacqui]

While they may not have had to naturally deal with the cold, I would think there instinct for survival would kick in and tell them to head to warmth. Of course, not all are going to have the same level of survival skills, thus some would not figure to get out of the cold. Just my personal thoughts.

 

[Smazril]

I just want to say I love your sulcata!

Haha! Thank you Jacqui, we love him too. I like your thoughts above, makes sense to me too.

Yvonne - that seems to make sense. Terry likes to sleep in so he's not up too early anyway. when it was really frigid he didn't even show interest in getting out. Whether he knew it was too cold or just didn't like it (like me) I do not know. Either way, it kept him in.

 

[Tom]

...I would think there instinct for survival would kick in and tell them to head to warmth.

It doesn't and they don't. Once they are habituated to using a night box regularly, they will usually return to it, but if you put them in a new enclosure with a heated area, they have no instinct to go to the heated area at night. They will usually just pick a corner and hunker down for the night. Leopards are even worse.

Night after night I put them in the warm box and let them walk out in the morning. Every night the same thing. Gotta put them in the warm area. When they learn to use their shelters is when it gets hot. They do have a mechanism that tells them its too hot and they should look for a cooler area. Once they learn to go to their box, they just go regardless of temps. After this point they do seem to know to go to their safe spot if temps are uncomfortable in any way. Prior to learning that safe spot, they will all just sleep out in the cold if you let them.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

I agree with Tom here. I've had to “train" all my sulcata to go to the heated box at sun down. This takes from 2 days to maybe 2 weeks. At sunset, I'd pick them up from the spot they decided to stop for the night and put their nose in the box. With this, they go in on their own. I do this until they “get it". Afterwards it's easy for me to just look and see if everyone is in for the night and lock them up until morning.

 

[Smazril]

It doesn't and they don't. Once they are habituated to using a night box regularly, they will usually return to it, but if you put them in a new enclosure with a heated area, they have no instinct to go to the heated area at night. They will usually just pick a corner and hunker down for the night. Leopards are even worse.

Tom, does this mean that once we have gotten him to the point of habit I can allow him the choice to get out in the sun and grass even if I have melting snow? Or at his size you would not let him even have the choice of leaving? I understand to make sure he's in his heated enclosure when he plops down for sleep but do I keep him locked in no matter what during my winters like this one?

Thanks again!

 

[Len B]

So when my sulcatas and leopard seek out the sun in the early morning after a chilly night (or any time the air may have a chill to it) they are not doing this to warm up because they are chilly, but for some other reason ? It is hard for me to accept that a tortoise especially leopards who's range does reach where it gets cold at times can't recognize cold.

 

[Millerlite]

I think they would not find a heated hide on there own cuz they won't know it's there once they know it's there i beleive they know where the eat is and survival instinct is get to the warmth. And if tey know there is a warm area tey will head there. If they don't beleive or know heats close by they will hunker down which is also a survival instinct. There are humans that freeze to death in storms even tho they were found next to a house or a place they could of survived. Just feel like if you don't know your instinct say hunker down:

Kyle

 

[stojanovski92113]

For me, I just watch them. If they seem to not get it to go back inside, I'll pick them up and stick their nose in the heated house. They figure it out. I've done this with 3 lb'ers here. View attachment 106085stanly here is 45-50 lbs. had he not gone right back in on his own, after making the one lap, I would have moved him in his house.

OMG