What to do at night?

[JohnathanO]

I was just wondering what everyone does at night with outdoor torts, Do you lock them in their homes? are you worried about other animals bothering them?

My sulcata is about 15 lbs, i'm just worried about raccoons, skunks or possums bothering him at night so i normally bring him in. I'm currently making plans for a new tortoise shed, It will have a door to lock him in I just wanted to know if I should lock him in every night or let him have in and out privileges?

 

[murdocjunior]

Im my tort house i have a doggy door for easy access in or out and they go in and stay the night in there. And in the winter time they stay in there with the heat lamp and heater

 

[Sweetness_bug]

My 40 pound sully is inside with me at night and in the winter. However in the sumer i leave himo ut and he has a small house ouside. Its a kids play house minus the door lol... He has is own room inside.!

 

[kimber_lee_314]

I have a huge raccoon problem - one of my box turtles was actually killed by one. So I built wooden boxes with doors as ramps. I lock everyone up every night - then in the morning I just open the door ramps and they can come out whenever they want. I have a lot of turtles/tortoises so it's a pain, but it's better than having one eaten! Good luck!

 

[Greg T]

Mine are big enough to leave outside during the warm months. I don't have a pest problem to worry about, so that makes it easier. I have a few hides in the yard and they choose where they want to sleep. I normally check on them before I go to bed just to make sure everyone is in a good place. I make a enclosure in the garage for the colder months.

 

[Yvonne G]

Its so easy for someone to hop a fence and steal a tortoise. I make sure that all my tortoises are in their houses at night. I make the rounds every night and lock everyone up. Last night my biggest Manouria decided the weather was nice enough, she was going to sleep outside. So I had to get the sled, load her up and drag her to her house (65lbs of dead weight and wiggly legs is more than I can pick up...a bale of hay, yeah, but a tortoise? no). Most of my shed doors are locked with a sliding bolt.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Bob is an 80 pound Sulcata, he has a shed to live in and I make sure he goes inside every night and I lock the door. I have raccoons and foxes and coyotes so a big predator problem. But I think the biggest predator is human so I lock him in with a padlock. I personally think that keeping them safe inside is important. Bob goes inside on his own every night, I never have to make him go in. He likes heat, so he goes in to his pig blanket in his sleeping box every night about 5:30 in the winter...