Hello!
Well this is probably answered somewhere already so apologies for possible repeat question.
What is the minimum overnight temperature people leave their horsfield tortoises outside?
The weather is so shocking still and I am sure previous years mine have been outside in June 24-7. So far this year I've not done so as I think too cold .
I hate them being still stuck inside or doing the hokey cokey in out in out in out.
I've had my tortoises Tetley and Twiglet for 15 years, maybe more (Nina i know you helped me with Twiglet when I first got him 15 plus years ago).
Thanks
Rowan, Tetley and Twiglet x
Overnight temp outdoor enclosures
Re: Overnight temp outdoor enclosures
Hi Rowan -- great to hear from you!
Yes, it's been absolutely miserable this year, and I seem to be dividing my time between the slug patrol of my garden, where I go out with a torch at 10.30 p.m. every night and pick up bags full of slugs and snails that have been demolishing the plants in my garden, and also popping the tortoises in and out when there is a break in the miserable weather.
I'm not sure what the minimum temperature at nighttime is, but as long as they can warm up in the day then they could take quite low temperatures at ngiht (as long as that doesn't send them into hibernation mode). Of course a tortoise's energy levels are to a certain extent dependent on the temperature of their surroundings. If mine are warmed up before they go out, they are quite active for a while, even when it is 13C or 14C, but then they dig in and sleep for the rest of the day. So I usually bring them in for a warm up and then put them out again. Horsfields are quite tolerant of cold temperatures as long as it is dry, but they don't take well cold and wet, so I try not to let mine be outside when it is cold and wet.
I don't think that the hokey cokey (good way to describe it), is satisfactory in any way, but that is what I do; or if I'm going out and I think the weather might be bad then I just leave them indoors and they pout and aren't happy at all. I can't believe that it is June and we are still having this sort of weather.
Regarding nighttime, I'm afraid I bring mine in every night, because we have rats in the area and I don't want to take the chance of putting them at risk. I think that if I had an outdoor tortoise house which was secure from predators, and with a lamp in it that could enable them to warm up in the mornings before going out, then I would leave them out 24/7, but I don't have that option.
I know I haven't really answered your question, and I know that many tortoises just stay outdoors and in the cold and wet weather they will have a shelter where they can keep dry, and I think that works OK for them, but I'm afraid that I either do the in/out dance or just leave them inside if it miserable outdoors.
Doris and Dolly sent their greetings to Tetley and Twiglet!
Nina
Yes, it's been absolutely miserable this year, and I seem to be dividing my time between the slug patrol of my garden, where I go out with a torch at 10.30 p.m. every night and pick up bags full of slugs and snails that have been demolishing the plants in my garden, and also popping the tortoises in and out when there is a break in the miserable weather.
I'm not sure what the minimum temperature at nighttime is, but as long as they can warm up in the day then they could take quite low temperatures at ngiht (as long as that doesn't send them into hibernation mode). Of course a tortoise's energy levels are to a certain extent dependent on the temperature of their surroundings. If mine are warmed up before they go out, they are quite active for a while, even when it is 13C or 14C, but then they dig in and sleep for the rest of the day. So I usually bring them in for a warm up and then put them out again. Horsfields are quite tolerant of cold temperatures as long as it is dry, but they don't take well cold and wet, so I try not to let mine be outside when it is cold and wet.
I don't think that the hokey cokey (good way to describe it), is satisfactory in any way, but that is what I do; or if I'm going out and I think the weather might be bad then I just leave them indoors and they pout and aren't happy at all. I can't believe that it is June and we are still having this sort of weather.
Regarding nighttime, I'm afraid I bring mine in every night, because we have rats in the area and I don't want to take the chance of putting them at risk. I think that if I had an outdoor tortoise house which was secure from predators, and with a lamp in it that could enable them to warm up in the mornings before going out, then I would leave them out 24/7, but I don't have that option.
I know I haven't really answered your question, and I know that many tortoises just stay outdoors and in the cold and wet weather they will have a shelter where they can keep dry, and I think that works OK for them, but I'm afraid that I either do the in/out dance or just leave them inside if it miserable outdoors.
Doris and Dolly sent their greetings to Tetley and Twiglet!
Nina
Re: Overnight temp outdoor enclosures
Hi Nina,
Thank you for coming back to me.
You have actually helped me lots. I think sometimes my 2 are, dare I say, alittle pampered!
Take care and keep this wonderful site going
Row xx
Thank you for coming back to me.
You have actually helped me lots. I think sometimes my 2 are, dare I say, alittle pampered!
Take care and keep this wonderful site going
Row xx
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