Hi, I'm new to the forum and I need some advice on transitioning my 3 year tortoise to her new outdoor enclosure. Ellie has been inside the house with a heat lamp since I got her and has not been hibernated yet. My plan was to move her outside this Spring. I live 3 miles from the beach so it still gets chilly at night. I put her outside for a couple of nights when we had a little heat wave, but she did not eat much and hid in her house. I've since brought her back inside when the temperature went down and now she has a little bit of a runny nose again so I'm afraid to put her outside again. Any thoughts? She has been healthy up until I left her out overnight and I'm afraid I have to take her back to the vet again for antibiotics. Has anyone had the same experience? I really want to get her outside since she is getting too big for her indoor enclosure.
Transition my tortoise outside
- Thread starter elliesmom
- Start date
- Status
Hi ellie's mom:
Welcome to the forum!!
May we know your name and where you are?
Moving from indoors to outdoors doesn't have to be a permant, one-or-the-other type of thing. You can put Ellie out in the a.m. and bring her back indoors at night.
What kind of tortoise is Ellie?
Welcome to the forum!!
May we know your name and where you are?
Moving from indoors to outdoors doesn't have to be a permant, one-or-the-other type of thing. You can put Ellie out in the a.m. and bring her back indoors at night.
What kind of tortoise is Ellie?
Hello and welcome to the forum..
Thanks for your reply. My name is Mary and she is a desert tortoise. I live in Huntington Beach.emysemys said:
Is okay to put her out at 7:30 am when the temp is 65ish? Do I need to bring her back in every night? We have several mature tortoise's in my neighborhood and they all are outdoors year round.
Hello, and Welcome
Hi Mary:
Once Ellie is acclimated to living outside, you won't need to bring her in any more. But until the night time temps are 60 or above consistently, I'd keep bringing her in at night.
After this summer, she'll be getting used to the slowly changing temps, shorter days, etc. and you will be able to hibernate her.
Once Ellie is acclimated to living outside, you won't need to bring her in any more. But until the night time temps are 60 or above consistently, I'd keep bringing her in at night.
After this summer, she'll be getting used to the slowly changing temps, shorter days, etc. and you will be able to hibernate her.
Hello Mary welcome to the TFO
can you post some pic's of Ellie we would love to see her
can you post some pic's of Ellie we would love to see her
Welcome.
Hibernation questions
I've just moved my desert tortoise into my garage for hibernation. She is 3 yrs old and I'm attempting to hibernate her for the first time. Do I need to do anything special? She had been eating daily until the last couple days when it has been getting cooler.
I've just moved my desert tortoise into my garage for hibernation. She is 3 yrs old and I'm attempting to hibernate her for the first time. Do I need to do anything special? She had been eating daily until the last couple days when it has been getting cooler.
- Status
