Re: Sulcata Questions, Hi Comy

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Posted by Giovanni on July 08, 2000 at 07:57:29:

In Reply to: Sulcata Questions posted by HappyDude on July 07, 2000 at 22:16:38:

: 1. My torts eat grass in their indoor pen when I mix it up in their food but they won't eat anything when they are outside. How do I get them to eat the grass and other stuff outside.

*It's normal Comy, thanks for your pictures because it seems to me that your torts are about 6 months old. They have to learn to be sulcata's basically, and this will come with time and then they will be grazing just like a cow.Dont worry about it.

:
: 2. I don't think my torts are the brightest in the bunch. They don't seem to be able to find a warm spot. Even in their indoor pen, they crawl away from the heat completely to sit in a dark spot and they are totally bunched up in their shell huddled together. But when I move them under the heat lamp, they sprawl out and get comfortable. Will they be able to regulate their own temperatures if I put them outside?

*You may want to make sure that your heat lamp isn' too hot , you really don't want it to be much hotter then 100 degrees. In my juvenile habitat, my highest basking spot is 90. The reason you see more movement underheat is because they are like solar panels..lol, they retain (not regulate)their heat.

:
: 3. Where should I put the temperature sensor in their outdoor pen and what temperature should I set it at? Its a 4x4x2(tall) wooden enclosure with a 250w ZooMed Ceramic lamp hooked up to a thermostat that turns the heat lamp on and off based on a specific temperature.

*Set it at a max of 95 and a min of 70, have it about 12 inches from the bottom.

:
: 4. The temperature here gets down to almost 30F in the winter and up to 110F in the summer. I live in N. California about an hour from San Francisco. It's pretty windy where I live. I put a wall up by the door of their wooden pen to block the wind. And the 250w heat emitter should be able to keep that enclosure warm. When can I leave them out? Will they be able to find the warm enclosure?

*I highley recommend you do not not keep them outside in the winter. I lived in Santa Clara for 10 years, and that weather is cold and not good for an African Spurred Tortoise, especially hatchlings. If you can house them during the winter I suggest you do, or build a heated greenhouse for them. They will be able to find warmth if they need to but you dont want them sitting in those bitter temps. I know the CDT has acclimated to it, but these Tortoises should be treated differently. I hope this answered a few questions for you. Take care.

Ciao'

Giovanni

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Re: Sulcata Questions, Hi Comy BeHappy 07/08/00 (1)
- Re: Sulcata Questions, Hi Comy Giovanni 07/08/00 (0)

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: : 1. My torts eat grass in their indoor pen when I mix it up in their food but they won't eat anything when they are outside. How do I get them to eat the grass and other stuff outside. : *It's normal Comy, thanks for your pictures because it seems to me that your torts are about 6 months old. They have to learn to be sulcata's basically, and this will come with time and then they will be grazing just like a cow.Dont worry about it. : : : : 2. I don't think my torts are the brightest in the bunch. They don't seem to be able to find a warm spot. Even in their indoor pen, they crawl away from the heat completely to sit in a dark spot and they are totally bunched up in their shell huddled together. But when I move them under the heat lamp, they sprawl out and get comfortable. Will they be able to regulate their own temperatures if I put them outside? : *You may want to make sure that your heat lamp isn' too hot , you really don't want it to be much hotter then 100 degrees. In my juvenile habitat, my highest basking spot is 90. The reason you see more movement underheat is because they are like solar panels..lol, they retain (not regulate)their heat. : : : : 3. Where should I put the temperature sensor in their outdoor pen and what temperature should I set it at? Its a 4x4x2(tall) wooden enclosure with a 250w ZooMed Ceramic lamp hooked up to a thermostat that turns the heat lamp on and off based on a specific temperature. : *Set it at a max of 95 and a min of 70, have it about 12 inches from the bottom. : : : : 4. The temperature here gets down to almost 30F in the winter and up to 110F in the summer. I live in N. California about an hour from San Francisco. It's pretty windy where I live. I put a wall up by the door of their wooden pen to block the wind. And the 250w heat emitter should be able to keep that enclosure warm. When can I leave them out? Will they be able to find the warm enclosure? : *I highley recommend you do not not keep them outside in the winter. I lived in Santa Clara for 10 years, and that weather is cold and not good for an African Spurred Tortoise, especially hatchlings. If you can house them during the winter I suggest you do, or build a heated greenhouse for them. They will be able to find warmth if they need to but you dont want them sitting in those bitter temps. I know the CDT has acclimated to it, but these Tortoises should be treated differently. I hope this answered a few questions for you. Take care. : Ciao' : Giovanni :

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