Tortoise behavior in upgraded outdoor enclosure

[gtc]

I am wondering if I should be worried. My greek has been outside everyday for the last few weeks (sleeps indoors due to cold temps at night). This is the same enclosure I used last year but this year I added a coldframe (see pic). The whole enclosure was put together with leftover building materal. I notice my tort spends over 90% of the time in the coldframe sleeping under some dry grass I put in there. Last night when I moved him back to his indoor enclosure I heard a slight "clicking" sound everytime my tort breathed. Nose is not runny, eyes look good.

Are these signs (lots of sleeping in coldframe and clicking noises during breathing) that it is too cold for my tort and that my tort might be developing a respiratory infection?

I thought that a greek could handle those outdoor temps and that spending all that time in the coldframe might be bad because it might be too warm to be in 32C for over 90% of the time?

I have also wondered if the humidity + temps could be a problem?? It has not rained for a while, but dew drops can be seen on the coldframe glass.

Temps in shade 19C-23C (66.5F - 73.5F)
Temps in coldframe 32C (88F) when sun is out.

I have adapted the philosophy: my summer = torts winter/spring (outdoor enclosure, cooler temps)
my winter = torts summer (indoor enclosure, warmer temps)

 

[JoesMum]

A tort spends a fair amount of time basking. Actvity is reserved for eating, escape bids, tracking down food or a mate, etc. You have provided a perfect basking spot. The cold frame temperature is what we recommend for a basking lamp and it is dry in there. Joe can hunker down in his basking spot for a good 4-5 hours when he chooses; that sounds entirely normal. You don't say how cold it gets overnight outdoors, but I would leave a min/max thermometer in the cold frame and find out. It could well be warm enough out there for him at night.

If your tort is eating normally and seems otherwise well, I would not worry. A faint clicking is not always a sign of illness.

 

[gtc]

Thanks Joesmum. My greek is eating well and the clicking noise was gone today when I went to bring him in for the night. Again he spend almost all day in the cold frame, even thought it was 25C (77F) out today. Went out twice to eat and bask (watching with webcam). I hope he is getting enough UVB during his short trips out from the cold-frame as the glass stops UVB.

The night time temps vary between 9C-12C (48F-54F). Might be OK for a russian but maybe too cold for a greek? Haven't measured temps in cold-frame yet but I would guess they should = outdoor temps when sun is not shining?

 

[JoesMum]

I live in the UK. I have a 50 year old Greek. He is out all summer. 9-12C is fairly average round here at night... bordering on warm! Sheleterd and dry at night and he will be fine.

 

[JoesMum]

I will also add that those low night temperatures are just fine as long as your tort can bask and warm up next day. On the grey days, when the sun fails to come out first thing and Joe can't bask to get going, I put Joe under a basking lamp in an outdoor dog kennel so that he can ket himself out whenhe is ready to go. It is that basking that is essential, they can handle the cooler nights.

 

[gtc]

Wow, thank you. I did not know that. I will let my greek sleep outside. Funny how I live several hundred kilometers north of you and our temps are not that different. Where in the UK are you?

 

[Jlant85]

^_^ I just landed on this and we too here in San Francisco has the same temperature as you guys! IT IS NUTS! Some days are cold and some days are hot. I too also use a cold frame. Well half my enclosure is cold frame and other half is open space. I leave my torts out all night long and my temperature drops to 52-56 degrees at night. Our day time temp goes from 65-70 degrees. Inside the cold frame, it goes up to 80-90 degrees. They are doing well. Like @JoesMum said, aslong as they can bask the next day they are fine. If they are eating and poop then you have nothing really to worry bout. I like to watch the weather. When i know its gloomy i take my torts in for half the day and have them bask until i place them back outdoor.

 

[Jlant85]

@JoesMum is my mentor and she thought me all i know bout my outdoor enclosure. ^_^v

 

[JoesMum]

Wow, thank you. I did not know that. I will let my greek sleep outside. Funny how I live several hundred kilometers north of you and our temps are not that different. Where in the UK are you?

I am in Kent, just south east of London. The British climate is very mild thanks to the jet stream bringing warm air over the Atlantic from the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, the warm air travels over a lot of sea to get to us, so we get a lot of rain too. Britain would be a lot colder if it wasn't for the jet stream. The weather patterns of the US mainland work differently. We nitice that places on the same latitude as us are often MUCH colder.

 

[gtc]

@JoesMum: I am in the south of Norway, my city is 1000 km north of Kent. I know all about the weather phenomenon you are describing, it is even more pronounced up here and keeps our climate fairly mild. Even in January the temps usually hover above freezing 3C (38F).

@Jlant85: It is weird that your climate is not warmer during the summer. I just checked your average temps in San Francisco, in January 60F is common. Thats so nice! You and your torts are lucky

 

[JoesMum]

We can have it much warmer in summer. In a good year, we will regard 25C as hot, and we can have it hotter... however, that rain from the Atlantic does a good job of keeping temoeratures down... as it is this morning!

 

[tasha bason]

I'm new and made a post about an outdoor enclosure I made, well it's been about a week and a couple days and my tort seems to not be eating since I've put him in the outdoor enclosure. I don't think it's a temp issue but I could be wrong it's been about 60 low and 80 high. And humidity high. He doesn't seem to be active either. Mostly tries to stay hiden. I'm very new to this and maybe not giving him the right foods. I've given him kale and wheat grass and before we built the enclosure he was eating them just fine... im going to get dandelion today I read they love that. anyou suggestions?