What is the lowest temp. that a baby Sulcata can tolerate when outdoors?

[NolaGirl]

I have a baby Sulcata that is just about 3 months old. I usually bring it outside on a daily basis for at least an hour to get some sunshine. It's usually pretty warm, sunny and humid here in SE Louisiana. Well, a cool front has come in and the highs are in the low to mid 60's. It has been a bit windy and overcast on some days, too. I haven't been bringing it outside because I'm pretty sure that the temps are too low and I don't want my tort to get sick. What is the lowest tolerable outdoor temperature for a baby Sully?

 

[DeanS]

A baby sulcata should NEVER have to deal with temps lower than 80F...and that's in the cool zone!

 

[NolaGirl]

A baby sulcata should NEVER have to deal with temps lower than 80F...and that's in the cool zone!

Thank you. I know that it's too cold to bring it outside. I just wanted to know the lowest temp. that it could tolerate. It has just recently gotten cool. I have never brought my tort in temps. lower than 85 degrees.

 

[DeanS]

What I do to ensure they get some sunlight is soak them in lukewarm water outside under the sun...if it's not windy or cloudy! That way they get their D3...then it's right back to their indoor enclosure...which in my case ranges from 80F to 110F...at 75% relative humidity! Their humid hide remains a steady 80-82F and 100% humidity!

 

[EKLC]

Temperature is more complicated than the number we see on the weather channel.

Sun - On a sunny 60 degree day, the ground temperature could be 90+ and your tortoise could catch some rays happily.
Wind - faster moving winds transfer heat from your tortoise faster, so that same sunny 60 degree day might be bad news if the winds are high enough
Water - a wet tortoise loses heat very quickly, and humid air transfers heat quicker than drier air.

That being said, when the weather channel says its in the 70's there will be times when you can bring your baby out and other times when you shouldn't. That's why the infrared point and shoot thermometer is a great tool, since you can measure tortoise shell temps, ground temps, etc. During the winter here in gainesville we have a lot of days in the upper 60's/lower 70's so I put black rubber doormats in a sunny/windless spot so my torts can get some UVB for 20 minutes or so.

 

[Tom]

Temperature is more complicated than the number we see on the weather channel.

Sun - On a sunny 60 degree day, the ground temperature could be 90+ and your tortoise could catch some rays happily.
Wind - faster moving winds transfer heat from your tortoise faster, so that same sunny 60 degree day might be bad news if the winds are high enough
Water - a wet tortoise loses heat very quickly, and humid air transfers heat quicker than drier air.

That being said, when the weather channel says its in the 70's there will be times when you can bring your baby out and other times when you shouldn't. That's why the infrared point and shoot thermometer is a great tool, since you can measure tortoise shell temps, ground temps, etc. During the winter here in gainesville we have a lot of days in the upper 60's/lower 70's so I put black rubber doormats in a sunny/windless spot so my torts can get some UVB for 20 minutes or so.

I agree with all of this. Very well stated EKLC.

To answer the original question. I know of babies that have been left outside with temps in the 40s. They can survive it, or "tolerate" it in some cases, but this is not GOOD for them. Like Dean said, I prefer to keep my hatchlings and small babies at 80 or higher, but I can accomplish this with my big black rubber cement mixing tubs on a 60 degree, sunny, windless day. In the wild sulcatas really don't have a "cool" season. They have hot and hotter in sub Saharan Africa. Even down in their burrows on a cool night I would estimate their temps to be around 80, based on what I see here, in my burrows, during that kind of weather.

Get an infrared temp gun. Invaluable tool.

 

[NolaGirl]

Thanks for the input, everyone. I have a temp gun. When the temps get warmer and it's not windy out, I'll set out my rubber doormat in a sunny spot and measure the temp. with my infrared temp. gun. I'll swing by Home Depot to buy a black cement mixing tub, too. When it's a suitable temp, I'll bring my tort out for a bit. Once again, thanks for responding.

 

[srod]

It has gotten awfully chilly down here. Crazy weather!

 

[NolaGirl]

It has gotten awfully chilly down here. Crazy weather!

I sure wish that it would warm up for a few days so I could bring my tort out to soak up some rays. That rhymed...LOL!