Sulcata hatchling outdoor enclosure, tropical temperature

[berrybon]

Hi! I’ve been planning to build an outdoor enclosure for my Sulcata hatchling (2months old), but unsure about the temps and how long should the hatchling be kept outdoor. I live in Indonesia. During the day temps usually 30-33’c, but I’am afraid it’s too hot, as I saw other people's sulcata got overheated if put outdoor during the day. I’m planning to put him outdoor after 3 pm when temps is a bit milder, around 24-27’c. It's pretty humid here, so I'm not really worried about humidity.
However, as I cannot control the outdoor enclosure temperature, how long should the hatchling be put in the outdoor enclosure, and what time of the day?

I usually let him bask under morning sun for about 30-60mins every morning, and let him roam my parents’ lawn in weekend for an hour or so (I curently live in an apartment). Thank you for your help!

 

[wellington]

Hatchlings need to stay indoors in a closed chamber with high, 80% humidity until around 2 to 3 years of age depending on their size at that time

 

[Tom]

Hi! I’ve been planning to build an outdoor enclosure for my Sulcata hatchling (2months old), but unsure about the temps and how long should the hatchling be kept outdoor. I live in Indonesia. During the day temps usually 30-33’c, but I’am afraid it’s too hot, as I saw other people's sulcata got overheated if put outdoor during the day. I’m planning to put him outdoor after 3 pm when temps is a bit milder, around 24-27’c. It's pretty humid here, so I'm not really worried about humidity.
However, as I cannot control the outdoor enclosure temperature, how long should the hatchling be put in the outdoor enclosure, and what time of the day?

I usually let him bask under morning sun for about 30-60mins every morning, and let him roam my parents’ lawn in weekend for an hour or so (I curently live in an apartment). Thank you for your help!

My general rule of thumb is one hour of access to sunshine per inch of tortoise a few times per week. 33C is a great temperature for this species, AS LONG AS, the baby always has access to deep heavy shade so that it doesn't over heat. The baby should never be loose in the yard or the house. This is to safe and you will eventually run into a major problem if you keep doing that. Make an enclosure outside to keep the baby safe from dogs, predators, over heating, and escape. Soak the baby after each sunning session to ensure good hydration after being out in the hot sun.

 

[berrybon]

My general rule of thumb is one hour of access to sunshine per inch of tortoise a few times per week. 33C is a great temperature for this species, AS LONG AS, the baby always has access to deep heavy shade so that it doesn't over heat. The baby should never be loose in the yard or the house. This is to safe and you will eventually run into a major problem if you keep doing that. Make an enclosure outside to keep the baby safe from dogs, predators, over heating, and escape. Soak the baby after each sunning session to ensure good hydration after being out in the hot sun.

Hi Tom, thanks for the advice! I never thought about soaking after grassing, as I always soak before letting him roam 🤦‍♂️. We do have a collapsible tortoise fence that we put in the lawn before we set him to roam and grassing. The lawn itself is located inside the house (the house is kinda O-shaped), so there's no other animal there. I just read about double shading thread earlier and I guess that's what has been missing. Thanks Tom!

 

[berrybon]

Hatchlings need to stay indoors in a closed chamber with high, 80% humidity until around 2 to 3 years of age depending on their size at that time

Ah, I thought they needed to be put outside every once in a while for grassing? We do keep him in a closed chamber and just put him outside for morning soak and weekly grassing.