The move outdoors

[Subersibo]

Yoshi (2.5 yrs old, 9 inches) has been living outside in his new nightbox for 3 days now and seems to just stay in the box most of the time. Hasn't been eating. Mornings and evenings are cold here but afternoons are in the mid-70's and sunny. (Box temps range from 81-86, humidity 50-60's).
Indoors he is very active, roams his enclosure and eats A LOT. He usually goes out of his humid hide early in the morning in his closed chamber to bask under a powersun 100 and to eat.
This morning I found him outside the nightbox around 7 am when it was about 50 degrees outside so I'll keep his nightbox closed til the outside temps are right. He did spend a lot of time outdoors last spring and summer but always just hiding and rarely eating.
Maybe he got used to the artificially "correct" temps and humidity in his indoor enclosure where he can come and go as he pleases any time of the day regardless of the season that he still needs to get used to his new permanent home where seasonal changes dictate his activity.
Do you guys leave the door to your outdoor tort houses open or do you lock them in til the weather is ideal?
Do your torts come out to eat during cold temps and is it safe for them to do so as long as they have their heated house to retreat to?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Honestly, I open my tort door everyday. No matter what..
Open in the morning after I'm up, closed in the evening by dinner time.
My guy still comes out in the cool weather and eats. Sometimes I'm surprised he's out eating but he seems to put himself back on his own.
I still check on him throughout the day so I can move him if needed but he does very well on his own.

Personally, I'd open your door every morning. Once the day's weather is nice, if he isn't out, pull him out. When it cools down if he isn't in, collect him and put him in front of his ramp so he can walk in himself.

Let your tort become familiar with going in on his own and he'll be doing it in no time.

 

[Jodie]

They are tricky individuals at best. I have a 1.2 group. The male is always out. I have to watch him, and put him in every night. When it is cold I have to put him back in repeatedly. I have one female who goes out, eats, and goes back in when it is cold. She will bask and stay out until evening when it's warm. Just like she is supposed to. My other female will not leave the box on her own except to eat and nest. I don't know if they will eventually learn and function or not. In the meantime I watch them closely, and do not let them make bad choices.

 

[Subersibo]

Thanks for the replies. I'll continue to monitor his activity. I did pull him out to get a bit of sun yesterday and he went back in on his own after a while. First time he used his house he wouldn't go on the heat mat and he would bury himself a bit in the substrate as that is what he is used to but now I think he found comfort in being on it.
I already miss having him in his closed chamber where I can watch him bask, eat a mountain of food, roam around, and put substrate in his water dish when I'm late to give him his food but I know being outside is best for him. It's like having a child move out LOL!

 

[Yvonne G]

Yoshi looks great. You're doing a very good job of raising him up smooth.

I open the door to my leopard shed every morning. They all come out on their own eventually. In the evening some of them have gone back in on their own, but there are two, an adult female babcock and an 11 year old male babcock are always snuggled down under a bush and they NEVER go back inside on their own. I gather them up and put them into the shed, closing the doors so no one can come out on their own.

 

[Tom]

They are all different, and it usually takes time for them to get used to any changes in the routine. Plus it is not uncommon for leopards to be shy and hide a lot. Give him time. I open my boxes up as late as 10am on cold winter days, but most days I open them around 8-8:30am. If its cold or overcast, they often just stay in. Then I close up the boxes in the evening.

 

[Subersibo]

Thank you for sharing your experiences.
When I put him out he likes to hide in the long grasses and weeds and since there is so much of it everywhere it takes a while for me to find him. He is so good at hiding and does it in different places. I'm thinking of cutting some of the grass and weeds.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Hiding in the tall grasses is perfect!! It provides moisture on their shell, like a natural humid hide! I specifically leave areas overgrown to offer this.

 

[Subersibo]

Ah, I see. I'll leave it as is then. He has a very bountiful food supply. I planted seeds some time ago and the grass and weeds have grown like crazy over the winter!

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Here's what I'd do with that pen..
Either, mow the center down like a lawn. It'll give him a grazing meadow so to speak. Or mow a winding path around those tall patches. He may not graze on grass yet but he will at some point. My leopard likes to eat grass that is short.
Then if you mow the center keep the wild, tall growth along the perimeter. Id say about 2 or 3 feet from the edge. If you mow a curved path, you'll still have the bushes.
Either way it will give him the tall hiding areas but a grazing area, too. Plus you'll have an easier time finding him which is what you were originally wanting to do.