Sprinkler for my sulcatas

[TechnoCheese]

So I got a space heater with a thermostat that keeps the inside above 68° so should I get rid of the basking area all together? All the information I have found online says they need a basking area that is around 100°

The basking spot only applies to juveniles in indoor enclosures. Is there any way to get the heat up to at least 75?

The problem with them both being in that enclosure, is that they can constantly see each other, so they literally can never escape. Just seeing another tortoise is very stressful on them, and an enclosure half that size for each really wouldn’t be the end of the world. Another option is to rehome one tortoise, but it doesn’t sound like you want to do that.

For the fence, I would just take some metal sheeting or long wooden boards and mount them along the bottom so that they can’t see out.

 

[Groot&Rosie]

Yeah I can make it warmer. It's still hot here so it's been staying above 80 anyways. I think the heater only kicks on at night when it is the coldest. I actually originally only wanted one, but these two were kind of rescued. The were kept in a 3x8' enclosure in a basement and had to get carried to the backyard so it didn't happen a lot of the time. I want them to be happy and comfortable for sure so I will look into separating them, but for right now it's not super practical unless I got rid of one.

 

[Groot&Rosie]

The basking spot only applies to juveniles in indoor enclosures. Is there any way to get the heat up to at least 75?

The problem with them both being in that enclosure, is that they can constantly see each other, so they literally can never escape. Just seeing another tortoise is very stressful on them, and an enclosure half that size for each really wouldn’t be the end of the world. Another option is to rehome one tortoise, but it doesn’t sound like you want to do that.

For the fence, I would just take some metal sheeting or long wooden boards and mount them along the bottom so that they can’t see out.

So just to clarify, I should get rid of the heat lamps all together and just keep it above 75°?

 

[TechnoCheese]

So just to clarify, I should get rid of the heat lamps all together and just keep it above 75°?

Yep! Though in the winter, it would be a good idea to maybe get it up to 85, or just have one part of the enclosure be warmer.

 

[Groot&Rosie]

Yep! Though in the winter, it would be a good idea to maybe get it up to 85, or just have one part of the enclosure be warmer.

Ok and I can leave their door open in the winter and let them outside? Just make sure they're indoors at night?

 

[TechnoCheese]

Ok and I can leave their door open in the winter and let them outside? Just make sure their indoors at night?

Yep!

 

[Groot&Rosie]

Ok thank you!

 

[Groot&Rosie]

Yep!

I do have that rock that I put under their basking area. Is there any way that I can heat that so they have a warm spot that they can hang out? Or should I just not worry about it and consider it decoration?

 

[TechnoCheese]

I do have that rock that I put under their basking area. Is there any way that I can heat that so they have a warm spot that they can hang out? Or should I just not worry about it and consider it decoration?

I would just consider it decoration. A heat mat would have the same effect.

 

[Tom]

Have someone help you by holding the tortoise's shell against their torso so the tortoise's head is pointing toward the sky. Then take a pic of the tail and anal scutes, so we can verify the sexes.

Here is what I would do about housing and heating.:

1. Make a second door and divide the inside and outside space in half. For outside, drive some sturdy stakes, like pressure treated 2x4s, into the ground on 8 foot centers and then use plywood cut into 8' x 16" strips to divide the yard.
2. For the visual barrier around the chain link, I'd use 12" x 8' strips around the bottom of the fence. You can use the 11/32 ply which are about $20 a sheet. This will give you 24' of 16" high strips for the divider wall and 32' of 12" high strips for the visual barrier wall for each sheet of plywood. You can use bailing wire to attach the plywood to the chain link or put a 12" section of 2x4 outside the fence and screw through the plywood and into the 2x4 to hold it in place.
3. The heat lamps don't work well for larger tortoises. As was mentioned, they will slowly cook and dry out the top of the tortoise and not warm up the core and bottom of the tortoise well enough. Its just not effective and it is potentially dangerous. The best solution will be to keep ambient around 80 degrees (68 is much too cool for this tropical species) and then have a heated night box for each tortoise to go into for warmth. I keep the heated night boxes 86 in winter, but you might want to go to 90 for your situation. In my area we have warm sunny winter days, so they can walk around outside all day and bask in the hot sun. In your area it will be much too cold for this, so they need a warm area to hang out (the 80 degree room there) and they need a hotter area to go get warmer (the 90 degree boxes). Here are two ways to do the boxes. As two singles: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/ Or like this as one divided double door box with one heater: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/double-door-night-box.129054/

It is not easy to keep giant tropical tortoises in a colder climate, but we will try to help you figure something out.

 

[Groot&Rosie]

Have someone help you by holding the tortoise's shell against their torso so the tortoise's head is pointing toward the sky. Then take a pic of the tail and anal scutes, so we can verify the sexes.

Here is what I would do about housing and heating.:

1. Make a second door and divide the inside and outside space in half. For outside, drive some sturdy stakes, like pressure treated 2x4s, into the ground on 8 foot centers and then use plywood cut into 8' x 16" strips to divide the yard.
2. For the visual barrier around the chain link, I'd use 12" x 8' strips around the bottom of the fence. You can use the 11/32 ply which are about $20 a sheet. This will give you 24' of 16" high strips for the divider wall and 32' of 12" high strips for the visual barrier wall for each sheet of plywood. You can use bailing wire to attach the plywood to the chain link or put a 12" section of 2x4 outside the fence and screw through the plywood and into the 2x4 to hold it in place.
3. The heat lamps don't work well for larger tortoises. As was mentioned, they will slowly cook and dry out the top of the tortoise and not warm up the core and bottom of the tortoise well enough. Its just not effective and it is potentially dangerous. The best solution will be to keep ambient around 80 degrees (68 is much too cool for this tropical species) and then have a heated night box for each tortoise to go into for warmth. I keep the heated night boxes 86 in winter, but you might want to go to 90 for your situation. In my area we have warm sunny winter days, so they can walk around outside all day and bask in the hot sun. In your area it will be much too cold for this, so they need a warm area to hang out (the 80 degree room there) and they need a hotter area to go get warmer (the 90 degree boxes). Here are two ways to do the boxes. As two singles: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/ Or like this as one divided double door box with one heater: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/double-door-night-box.129054/

It is not easy to keep giant tropical tortoises in a colder climate, but we will try to help you figure something out.

I am not too concerned about the sexes although I could get pictures,but according to the past owner the female has been laying about 2 clutches of eggs a year.
Everything I am reading is saying they need a basking area of about 100° to be able to digest properly. Is this incorrect? If not how do I effectively get that without heat lamps? I am just getting a lot of contradictory information about the subject. I was actually reading a post from you that was a couple years ago that you suggested heat lamps for a 5 year old sulcatas.
I just want them to be happy healthy and comfortable

 

[Tom]

I am not too concerned about the sexes although I could get pictures,but according to the past owner the female has been laying about 2 clutches of eggs a year.
Everything I am reading is saying they need a basking area of about 100° to be able to digest properly. Is this incorrect? If not how do I effectively get that without heat lamps? I am just getting a lot of contradictory information about the subject. I was actually reading a post from you that was a couple years ago that you suggested heat lamps for a 5 year old sulcatas.
I just want them to be happy healthy and comfortable

Age doesn't matter. Its size. Heat lamps can be used to give smaller tortoises, even 5 year olds, an effective basking area. Heat lamps just don't work well for 10+ pound or larger tortoises, for the previously outlined reasons. If you could somehow make a large bank of the right types of lights that cast a 95 degree warm area much larger than the tortoises body, it could work, but because of the height and mass of the larger tortoises, the top of the carapace would still be too warm and the plastron and core of the tortoise wouldn't be getting enough warmth from such a heat source. What the larger ones need is sunshine in a warm climate, like where they come from. This is why I don't recommend people in cold climates get or keep this species. It is very challenging, expensive, and full of compromises. Large heated sheds and pictures of tropical tortoises walking in snow abound here on this forum and elsewhere, and I don't agree with the practice. There is no snow in the Sahel. There is no cold in the Sahel. There is no "winter" in the Sahel. In warmer climates like here, AZ and FL, where we tend to have warm days all winter long, a simple heated night box is enough to get them through our 3 months of cooler weather. It was 96 degrees here last Thanksgiving. Most of winter last year saw daily highs in the 80s and some weeks were low 90s. I'm talking about December and January. Its easy to keep these giants here. In a place that gets below freezing for most of winter, how do you house a large tropical animal that needs lots of space and warm temps 24/7? The methods I outlined above in my previous post are how I would do it. That should satisfy their basic needs and get them through winter, but it is not ideal. I don't know of any better way to do it.