The importance of starting them indoors

Tolis

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Im making this post because I have seen an experienced keeper suggesting he prefers to start newborns outdoors in secured enclosures. The reasoning behind this is that it's nature's way, real sunlight, exposed to real conditions to develop strong immune system early on, etc.

Last summer I lost 2 newborns when I took them out in the yard to feed and bask on the lawn within a "secured" frame I made. Today, 8 months later I found one of them in the far corner of the yard.

Comparing him side to side to his siblings you can clearly see nature's way was a bit harsh on him. The growth rate is the same but the dehydration is very obvious.

To be fair, it did not have access to clean drinking water but it had access to unlimited supply of edible plants and shaded hides.

So again, Tom is right guys. Start them indoors and soak them daily to ensure proper hydration.

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ZenHerper

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"As nature intended" is really a kind of political slogan.

Nature-TM did not intend...
...living indoors wearing weather-appropriate clothing,
...cooking/refrigerating food,
...on-demand food stores (including shipping of non-seasonal foods worldwide),
...hospitals, drugs, surgery, heating/cooling, gyms,
...planes, trains, automobiles,
...farming, industrialization, flying to the moon,
...the internet, this website, this conversation... =))

The only imperative is to respectfully give each species the care it requires. Many cannot be realistically and humanely managed indoors past a *certain* size/life passage.

Glad you found your baby! Poke around under any low-growing flora and especially in shade. Put out some shallow pans of water and food.
 

ZEROPILOT

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In nature only a small percentage of baby tortoises make it to adulthood. So the "natural way"aint all it's cracked up to be.
As far as when you should leave your babies outside, there are many things to consider. Location and situation would be the most important.
I currently have 2 Redfoot that were born/hatched outdoors and have never been indoors except during very cool weather.
 

Tolis

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Im happy to report that I just found the second lost baby! ?

I will move them all outdoors in spring and bring them in for the winter or maybe let them brumate out in the winter..Im not sure if a second winter indoors is necessary. Zeropilot got me thinking perhaps I could let them outdoors and just ensure they are safe out of reach from mice which is the only predator that can come in this area. They tend move in urban areas in the fall when the fields are harvested and they no longer provide shelter and food becomes more scarce
 

ZenHerper

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wellington

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If one is raising them outside, they would still be taking care of them, making sure they had food, water, cover/shelter etc I would hope
You on the other hand lost two outside and figured they were gone so did not provide for them.
That is not a good comparison at all.
Purposely raising a group outside and raising some from the same group inside would be a good comparison, of course depending on your location, species and whether conditions are appropriate for raising young outside year round.

Congrats on finding the two escapees.
 
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