Hello
I haven't posted before, but I've been reading these forums for some time. I've found the information here so helpful and inspiring, especially the post from @JoesMum
I rehomed a 15 year old Hermanns back in May this year, from well meaning but out of date care. He now lives in my garden. He has a heated and insulated box, approx 1x2 feet, which is 35 C (95 F) in the day and 15 C (60 F) at night. He then has free roam of a secure area 12x6 feet, planted with safe sheltering plants and with some panes of re-purposed double glazed windows to form little cold frames.
I feed him weeds, which I grow in a patch next to his paddock. I have recently fenced off this weed patch and will incorporate it into his main paddock next year, when it's grown up again. He will then have an area of 22x6 feet, which I'm hoping will be big enough to sustain grazing, meaning I don't need to pick leaves and feed him anymore. I want him to be self sufficient!
His main paddock is on the right of this photo, the weed patch newly fenced in on the left. The photos are a little grainy, I took them from an upstairs window.
He puts himself to bed every night in his hot box, and goes in and out of it during the day, depending on the weather. He eats well and is active, and often drinks from his saucer. His weight fluctuates, but is between 980g and 1030g. I weigh him weekly, and this is pretty much the only handling he gets.
I don't plan to hibernate him this year, because I haven't seen good weight gain and I wasn't convinced of his health before I got him. I do plan to hibernate him in future years. For over winter, I have a 4x2 feet indoor box to set up for him.
Current temperatures here are about 15 C (60 F), but overcast with sporadic sun only. It is below 10 C (50 F) overnight and early morning. It rains every other day or so, so the ground is often damp.
My question is, given he will be downsizing bigtime to move indoors for winter, and won't be happy about this, how long can I leave him outside, with his heated box?
Thanks for reading,
Ella
PS I hope the photos come out...
I haven't posted before, but I've been reading these forums for some time. I've found the information here so helpful and inspiring, especially the post from @JoesMum
I rehomed a 15 year old Hermanns back in May this year, from well meaning but out of date care. He now lives in my garden. He has a heated and insulated box, approx 1x2 feet, which is 35 C (95 F) in the day and 15 C (60 F) at night. He then has free roam of a secure area 12x6 feet, planted with safe sheltering plants and with some panes of re-purposed double glazed windows to form little cold frames.
I feed him weeds, which I grow in a patch next to his paddock. I have recently fenced off this weed patch and will incorporate it into his main paddock next year, when it's grown up again. He will then have an area of 22x6 feet, which I'm hoping will be big enough to sustain grazing, meaning I don't need to pick leaves and feed him anymore. I want him to be self sufficient!
His main paddock is on the right of this photo, the weed patch newly fenced in on the left. The photos are a little grainy, I took them from an upstairs window.
He puts himself to bed every night in his hot box, and goes in and out of it during the day, depending on the weather. He eats well and is active, and often drinks from his saucer. His weight fluctuates, but is between 980g and 1030g. I weigh him weekly, and this is pretty much the only handling he gets.
I don't plan to hibernate him this year, because I haven't seen good weight gain and I wasn't convinced of his health before I got him. I do plan to hibernate him in future years. For over winter, I have a 4x2 feet indoor box to set up for him.
Current temperatures here are about 15 C (60 F), but overcast with sporadic sun only. It is below 10 C (50 F) overnight and early morning. It rains every other day or so, so the ground is often damp.
My question is, given he will be downsizing bigtime to move indoors for winter, and won't be happy about this, how long can I leave him outside, with his heated box?
Thanks for reading,
Ella
PS I hope the photos come out...