Worried about room temperature for box turtle

[ahbramey]

Hi! I have had a box turtle for probably roughly 15 or more years (I believe he's in his 30s - he was adopted from another family so unsure on exact age). After I became an adult and moved out, he has been living with my parents while I completed school and started my adult life, but I would like to take him now that I have stable housing and income. However, I am feeling worried about being able to keep the temperature regulated for him. My house does not have central air - I do have AC units in every room, but I don't turn them on unless I am in that room and it's too warm for me. I live on the east coast in a city where we have hot summers and cold winters. The thermostat downstairs says my house regularly goes above 80 degrees F on especially hot days (it's been as high as 87 before), and I'm sure it gets even warmer upstairs. I would like to keep him in one of the spare bedrooms on the second floor of my house so he has a quiet space. There is a window unit in that room but it doesn't have specific temperature settings on it (it's an old school one with a dial that goes from 1-10 and then you can choose the fan intensity). I am worried that he will overheat in his tank unless I keep the air running constantly in that room, which will obviously be costly. (I am feeling less worried about how cold that room will get in the winter because it's easier to keep him warm than to keep him cool even if I do have the heat set to a lower temp. For reference, when I have the heat on, the temp setting ranges between 65-69 F.)

I plan to get a thermometer for that room so I can see just how hot it's getting in there. But I'm wondering how specific others get with the temp of spaces they're keeping their turtles in? And what the highest temp I should let that room get is?

To tell you a bit about his current setup in case that helps: his tank is 18in wide x 36in long x 12in tall. He has a little house with a heating pad underneath and he spends most of his time in there. He has a shallow water source about 12 in in diameter. He has a basking area under a heat lamp. His substrate is corn pellets with newspaper lined underneath, along with some shredded newspaper for him since he likes to burrow in it. (I know there are probably things to be improved about his setup and can work on those things once he's in my care as well.) I don't believe my parents currently do or ever have done any kind of temperature tracking of his tank. They have central air and heat.

 

[TammyJ]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I hope a few of our experts here will soon come and help you with this. @Yvonne G @wellington @Markw84

 

[wellington]

Everything needs to be changed.
He needs a bigger enclosure. A minimum of a 4x8 foot. High humidity deep leafy substrate and orchid bark or dirt from your yard
No heat mats, tortoises and turtles do not heat from underneath.
If your not willing to cool the room up stairs, I'm not sure that would work for him if it did get too hot. In the wild most boxies live in or near woods and can escape the heat there and in burrowing down. They also need a swim/soak area.
@Yvonne G
@maggie3fan
Should be able to help better then me.

 

[ahbramey]

Everything needs to be changed.
He needs a bigger enclosure. A minimum of a 4x8 foot. High humidity deep leafy substrate and orchid bark or dirt from your yard
No heat mats, tortoises and turtles do not heat from underneath.
If your not willing to cool the room up stairs, I'm not sure that would work for him if it did get too hot. In the wild most boxies live in or near woods and can escape the heat there and in burrowing down. They also need a swim/soak area.
@Yvonne G
@maggie3fan
Should be able to help better then me.

To be clear, I am willing to cool the room. I was asking to what extent do I need to cool it. Thanks!

 

[jeff kushner]

Welcome..and congrats on the stable income & housing, not a simple accomplishment for you guys starting out today......I don't envy you & I did it @16!!! LOL

Hang out for the talent here....you're going to catch a little heck for the tank but you knew that. Everyone knows, size matters, not the only thing, but it does matter in terms of exercise. mating urges etc......so I'd suggest that make his life super in other enrichment if you have to take that away........sounds like you have an old friend....and are doing your best....kudos

Check out the care sheets up top for some good reading....you will learn things you didn't know, reason enough, right?

Again, welcome......and hey, where are the pics? You know we love pics, right?

jeff

 

[Maggie3fan]

I keep box turtles as well. I think your temps are too cold. Mine are kept about 80 degrees. In the house they live in 2x6' tort tables...they spend the day in an outside pond, then I bring them in at night because of predators.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Here are a couple of my tort tables that my box turtles live in...the tort tables all have a basking light and a heat light and a roller pan for water
I have 2 tables like this...

 

[Angela & Taco]

I keep the room temperature between 70 and 80 (usually 75ish during the day). I have a window unit in the room he's in (and I'm in DC—I know what you mean about hot summers!). Could you invest in an AC unit that does have temp control/kicks on and off? When I am not home/traveling I like having this option to know he won't get too hot.

Can you monitor the temperature (manually or electronically) for a few days? That will give you a baseline of how much cooling the room will need.

As others mentioned, with the proper enclosure (hides, substrate, water) and the basking area, he should be able to regulate between a warm and cool side. I keep my basking area between 85 and 90 degrees, with a thermostat so it doesn't get too warm.

 

[mark1]

My house does not have central air - I do have AC units in every room, but I don't turn them on unless I am in that room and it's too warm for me. I live on the east coast in a city where we have hot summers and cold winters. The thermostat downstairs says my house regularly goes above 80 degrees F on especially hot days (it's been as high as 87 before), and I'm sure it gets even warmer upstairs. I would like to keep him in one of the spare bedrooms on the second floor of my house so he has a quiet space. There is a window unit in that room but it doesn't have specific temperature settings on it (it's an old school one with a dial that goes from 1-10 and then you can choose the fan intensity). I am worried that he will overheat in his tank unless I keep the air running constantly in that room, which will obviously be costly. (I am feeling less worried about how cold that room will get in the winter because it's easier to keep him warm than to keep him cool even if I do have the heat set to a lower temp. For reference, when I have the heat on, the temp setting ranges between 65-69 F.)

does your house have a yard ? what kind of box turtle ?

 

[ahbramey]

does your house have a yard ? what kind of box turtle ?

I have a really small yard. I live in a rowhome in a city. It’s a concrete patio. I have enough room to put a kiddie pool out for him in the summer but that’s about it. I don’t know what kind but I would assume eastern box.

 

[mark1]

I have a really small yard. I live in a rowhome in a city. It’s a concrete patio. I have enough room to put a kiddie pool out for him in the summer but that’s about it. I don’t know what kind but I would assume eastern box.

you can't keep them outside , or at least , imo, shouldn't without access to the natural ground , definitely not on concrete ........ my easterns have lived here with access to the natural ground with temps ranging from -20 to 104 ........ 87 at the hot part of the day isn't gonna harm an adult box turtle , 65 wouldn't hurt them either , a warm spot (a che) in the winter ........ take the effort to figure it out ,it's , imo, definitely doable ..........

 

[jeff kushner]

My experience with folks who live in the city is that there are lots of things in the small rear yards(nothing of real value though, for obvious reasons) making it a real chore to clear it for a turtle......or there is the constant worry that someone will steal your little guy. Folks are like that now, they sometimes take just to take. Of course a 12x10 slab of concrete can slow your roll to building a natural enclosure too. LOL

Mags has some great tables, something like that is workable inside....I would suggest that if you keep him inside and cannot, for whatever reason add controllable AC, make the water pool in the shady part of his home....it will provide him with a cool place to shed heat. If the pool is under the light, it will get 100+F.


While I remain a "turtle hack", some of those already posting are some of the best talent with these guys you will ever meet Philly, their advice is very solid!


fyi, rather than run my central AC, I use window units one like A & T mentions....with temperature setting and bought a super quiet one for my bedroom that actually allows me to close the window down to 3". I LOVE it!