Sulcata in bathroom

MStacy

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Hi. My Sulcata is around six years old and is 11#'s. I'm in Florida, but we are experiencing a cold winter. I don't let her outside unless it's 70° or higher. So, she's currently living in my bathroom. Our house is set on 73°, she has a open cardboard box with hay, and I have a CHE aimed towards her. This isn't ideal, obviously. She doesn't dig, she gets warm baths once a week, but she's sleeping almost non-stop. She gets like that every winter, even though I keep her warm. I've read Sulcatas don't hibernate, but what is she doing? She barely eats or drinks, she just sleeps. If it's warm enough I bring her outside. She just crawls under a bush and goes back to sleep. We are moving this year, so we haven't built her a heated outdoor enclosure. What's wrong. Please be gentle with me. I know this isn't ideal. How can I get her to exercise and eat?IMG_20210119_104826623.jpg
 

Tom

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Hi. My Sulcata is around six years old and is 11#'s. I'm in Florida, but we are experiencing a cold winter. I don't let her outside unless it's 70° or higher. So, she's currently living in my bathroom. Our house is set on 73°, she has a open cardboard box with hay, and I have a CHE aimed towards her. This isn't ideal, obviously. She doesn't dig, she gets warm baths once a week, but she's sleeping almost non-stop. She gets like that every winter, even though I keep her warm. I've read Sulcatas don't hibernate, but what is she doing? She barely eats or drinks, she just sleeps. If it's warm enough I bring her outside. She just crawls under a bush and goes back to sleep. We are moving this year, so we haven't built her a heated outdoor enclosure. What's wrong. Please be gentle with me. I know this isn't ideal. How can I get her to exercise and eat?View attachment 318362
This species comes from a part of the world that is always hot. Ground temps in their burrows deep under ground are always 80-85 plus, and there is no cold time of year there. If your house is set to 73, its getting colder on the floor. This is too cold.

Your tortoise needs a heated outdoor night box. You may not need it plugged in for most of each year, but you do need it for at least part of every year. Even when its summer, your tortoise can sleep safely and securely in its night box. Set it for 80 most of the year, and set it for 86 during your winters.

I just left FL this morning. It was 70 at 6am. 89 was yesterday's high. I drove back to Georgia where the current temp is 45 and pouring rain.

Like this:
 

MStacy

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Well, a night box isn't in the cards right now. Any suggestions on how to get her spot inside 80°+? Do you not let yours burrow? I'm pretty sure underground temp here is 68°, if she were to sleep in a burrow. How on earth could you get your giant tortoise in a heated night box, if they don't want to get in? (Obviously I could at her size). How do you make sure they come out of their heated box to eat in the winter?
 

Lyn W

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My leopard is in an unused bathroom and has a medium dog kennel as a hide, (Amazon). I use a Reptile Radiator on a thermostat to heat it between 90-95F approx. He is about the same size as yours and loves it. It could be easily dismantled and transported when you move too.


1613430759433.png
There is a ramp so he can wander in and out when he wants. The room has a radiator in it but I also hang a uvb/heat/che lamps for basking and extra heat..
My leopard is less active and eats less during winter too and doesn't always rush out for food , but he will eat if I provide room service and put the food in the hide.
I have thick rubber matting on the bathroom floor so that it's not too hard on his legs and for insulation.
 
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Lyn W

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Be careful with the heat near the carboard - could be a fire hazard
 

MStacy

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My leopard is in an unused bathroom and has a medium dog kennel as a hide, (Amazon). I use a Reptile Radiator on a thermostat to heat it between 90-95F approx. He is about the same size as yours and loves it. It could be easily dismantled and transported when you move too.


View attachment 318363
There is a ramp so he can wander in and out when he wants. The room has a radiator in it but I also hang a uvb/heat/che lamps for basking and extra heat..
My leopard is less active and eats less during winter too and doesn't always rush out for food , but he will eat if I provide room service and put the food in the hide.
I have thick rubber matting on the bathroom floor so that it's not too hard on his legs and for insulation.

This is seriously cool! Could you post a link or picture of a reptile radiator? Also, where do you buy thick rubber matting? Like car mats?
 

MStacy

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My leopard is in an unused bathroom and has a medium dog kennel as a hide, (Amazon). I use a Reptile Radiator on a thermostat to heat it between 90-95F approx. He is about the same size as yours and loves it. It could be easily dismantled and transported when you move too.


View attachment 318363
There is a ramp so he can wander in and out when he wants. The room has a radiator in it but I also hang a uvb/heat/che lamps for basking and extra heat..
My leopard is less active and eats less during winter too and doesn't always rush out for food , but he will eat if I provide room service and put the food in the hide.
I have thick rubber matting on the bathroom floor so that it's not too hard on his legs and for insulation.

Also, do you know the brand of this kennel?
 

Lyn W

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I think the kennel was called the Imperial Insulated kennel - it cost me about £69 for the medium size. To get more use of it for your sully you may need the bigger size.
It is already insulated but I also lined it inside with insulated foil and I protect the base with some thick plastic and then a plastic tray with substrate in so it can be swapped in and out for cleaning.

The 'Reptile Radiator' was the nearest I could get to an easy to use radiant heat panel in the UK - you may need to Google it to see if it is available in the US. I suppose it's like a flat che and needs a thermostat for safety and thermometer probes placed at tort level.
1613437859943.png
It is used by most people on the roof of a viv but because the kennel roof is sloping I fixed some brackets and stretched an extendable oven rack across from wall to wall to rest the radiator on. It works well because as well as heating below, the heat from the back of the radiator also heats the kennel too instead of being lost to the roof. Takes a bit of adjusting to make sure its not soo close to tort shell. It would probably be easier for you to see what Tom uses in his night boxes.

The rubber matting for the bathroom floor is a roll I bought for about £10 in one of our DIY stores but you could use the interlocking sort too. The roll is easier as pee seeps between the joins of the interlocking. so double cleaning!
1613438139516.png
 

Lyn W

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I think @Ray--Opo uses a similar kennel for his sully. I've tagged him so he can advise you on what he uses for heating etc. US style.
 

MStacy

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I think the kennel was called the Imperial Insulated kennel - it cost me about £69 for the medium size. To get more use of it for your sully you may need the bigger size.
It is already insulated but I also lined it inside with insulated foil and I protect the base with some thick plastic and then a plastic tray with substrate in so it can be swapped in and out for cleaning.

The 'Reptile Radiator' was the nearest I could get to an easy to use radiant heat panel in the UK - you may need to Google it to see if it is available in the US. I suppose it's like a flat che and needs a thermostat for safety and thermometer probes placed at tort level.
View attachment 318376
It is used by most people on the roof of a viv but because the kennel roof is sloping I fixed some brackets and stretched an extendable oven rack across from wall to wall to rest the radiator on. It works well because as well as heating below, the heat from the back of the radiator also heats the kennel too instead of being lost to the roof. Takes a bit of adjusting to make sure its not soo close to tort shell. It would probably be easier for you to see what Tom uses in his night boxes.

The rubber matting for the bathroom floor is a roll I bought for about £10 in one of our DIY stores but you could use the interlocking sort too. The roll is easier as pee seeps between the joins of the interlocking. so double cleaning!
View attachment 318377
Wow! Thank you so much! Can this be used outside also?
 

Lyn W

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Wow! Thank you so much! Can this be used outside also?
I haven't because of our climate and my garden isn't secure enough so Lola comes in every night all year around, but I think it is made for outdoor use for dogs. You could attach a door to secure it at night and use a hinge so that it will double as a ramp. I drape a towel over it at night to reduce draughts further.
 

Lyn W

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Get the biggest you can for a sully so you get plenty of use out of it as he grows and don't forget to check the door width to make sure he can get in and out easily.
 

MStacy

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Get the biggest you can for a sully so you get plenty of use out of it as he grows and don't forget to check the door width to make sure he can get in and out easily.
Get the biggest you can for a sully so you get plenty of use out of it as he grows and don't forget to check the door width to make sure he can get in and out easily.
Thank you so much!
 

Ray--Opo

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Wow! Thank you so much! Can this be used outside also?
I built a 2'×2' box out of plywood. 1 1/2 in insulated foam board on top, bottom and sides. Then I used formica for the inner walls and bottom. ( had formica left over from another project).Radiant heat panel on ceiling and Kane mat on floor. I will take a pic tomorrow. With warmer temperatures and needing to be temporary. You could probably skip the insulation. 65° and sunny is ok. Ground temp will be in the 80's and shell will get close to 100°. Like I said I will send pic tomorrow.
 

Lyn W

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One more question. What do you do about uva/uvb since she's inside?
All other lamps/heat are hanging outside in the room and he comes and goes as he pleases for food and basking. In the summer he is outside a lot of the time and just comes in for the night.
I only put the food inside the hide if he doesn't show any signs of coming out.
 
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Yossarian

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Well, a night box isn't in the cards right now. Any suggestions on how to get her spot inside 80°+? Do you not let yours burrow? I'm pretty sure underground temp here is 68°, if she were to sleep in a burrow. How on earth could you get your giant tortoise in a heated night box, if they don't want to get in? (Obviously I could at her size). How do you make sure they come out of their heated box to eat in the winter?

You probably will have to block the burrow off so that she cant go in there if you cant get her out.
 
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