Tortoise pen (and cold weather)

[npetrides21]

Hi I have recently bought my Russian tortoise a pen for outdoors as he has outgrow hi vivarium but I wanted to know how long should they e kept outside for and how would you heat it up to keep them warm.
Thank you


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[Yvonne G]

RE: Tortoise pen

Quite a few folk just let the tortoise stay outside 24/7. Russian tortoises need a very safe habitat because they are extremely adept at climbing and digging, but they are also very cold hardy. My Russian tortoises live outside all the time. I don't provide any heat outside for them. This past week the night time temps have dipped down into the 60's and high 50's, but the tortoises are just fine with that. When it starts to get colder and I see that they are thinking about hibernating, I'll bring them in to a pen that I have built on the car port. I only bring them in because they are very good at hiding themselves and they will die if I allow them to hibernate outside in the rain. I continue to put food in with them, and once they have stopped eating, and after a good, long soak in water, I'll close them up and leave them alone until spring.