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Keeping a sulcata tortoise outside all summer long?

cassiopeia1280582

6

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 21 July 2013 - 21:16

Hi there!

Does anyone have experience with keeping sulcata tortoises in Dubai?

Mine is about 10 months old and quite active. The tortoise is outside in our garden all the time at the moment - I used to carry her in and out every day, but the constant change seemed to disrupt her rythm, so I am trying to let her stay out at the moment. During the hot hours she hides inside a plant and is partly burrowed in the sand, but I think she is too small to dig deep burrows. There is shade and the sprinkler is on around noon (if you wonder why, ask our gardener who doesn't speak a word english), so the tortoise gets moisture which I guess helps to cool down. But I am constantly worried that some day the heat will be too much, especially as I will be with in Europe with my kids for the next 4 weeks. Any experience with that? According to what I have read on other forums, sulcatas should be fine in desert climate...

Thanks in advance!
Cheers

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2

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 17 March 2021 - 13:11

No, unfortunately, but read this from their main website: Housing and Heating Requirements Sulcata tortoises are native to the semi-arid Sahel region in Africa (loosely defined as the region jus...

hi , We resently got one guess he is 10 months old now - i would really appreciate if you can help me with good Vet , and what is the food that u suggest Mine he loves lettuce , hardly broccoli alternatively - any other food

cassiopeia1280582

6

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 22 July 2013 - 22:09

Thanks a lot for all the answers! It is a relief to read that others have good experiences keeping sulcatas outside! If I keep mine indoors in her housing she always seems very restless, but I can´t really let her wander around the whole house to give her space to move. She definitely seems happier outside. The tortoise has access to water in a plant pot saucer right next to "her" plant. She comes out in the morning and early in the evening to eat. I might try to change the sprinkler from noon to morning and afternoon, but I thought it would be good to get some extra cool down during the hottest time of the day. Our maid (who initially thought I´m crazy because in Sri Lanka they eat tortoises if they find one) will be doing everything she can to make sure the tortoise is well while I'm away. So I will ask her to mist the area and make sure the tortoise is eating. When I just got her she tipped over all the time, but hasn´t done it in about 6 months, so I´m not too worrried about that. Again thanks a lot.

274

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 22 July 2013 - 11:56

I have the 12 sisters of Laura2's babies, plus mama tortoise, and they all live in the garden. Between 9 a.m. and about 5;30 p.m., you would never guess that a single creature lived in the garden as they are all safely in their beds (burrows). Even the tiny ones have their burrows, under the plants, to stay cool. Mama spends most nights asleep by a sprinkler head , getting soaked 4 times over. The babies come out for a few hours and then disappear again for the night, coming back out at about 6 a.m. for breakfast. There are a number of shallow bowls (plant pot saucers in different sizes are good) around the garden as well. As long as your torti has access to shade and water, she should be fine during the summer.

331

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 22 July 2013 - 11:05

The information bblue posted appears to be for when you are providing housing/heating for a Sulcata in a colder country or smaller ones kept indoors. As it rightly mentions the reason that they should not be overheated in an enclosure or shelter is that they cannot regulate their own temperature by digging a burrowing. As the UAE climate is very similar to their natural one and Sulcatas thrive outside in the UAE as long as they can burrow and have shade. We have kept them here for 25+ years and never brought them inside, although we do with other varieties of tortoise that do not come from a desert habitat (but into a room without A/C, as it is bad for their respiratory system). As long as Sulcatas have loads of shade and they dig underground burrows, which in our experience they will do from very young, they will be fine. Ours large ones also have a wallowing pool ( a bit like a very shallow garden pond). For smaller tortoises we put out a flat saucer like dish and they sit in the water there, this also helps them regulate their temperature. Sprinklers on at noon is probably the wrong time for your tortoise as it will be sleeping then. My main concern about leaving tortoises is that they escape or tip upside down and cannot get upright but if somebody is checking every day you will be fine. edited by Fiat500 on 22/07/2013 <em>edited by Fiat500 on 22/07/2013</em>

86

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 22 July 2013 - 10:29

Hi, I have 2 sulcatas (11 months old) they dont have the run of all the garden (kids, dogs, pool, my nerves!) but have a well shaded run with loads of sand/soil to dig into, a couple of shallow water bowls to paddle in and plants to hide under etc.. so far they have been fine with the heat. My other 3 med torts have the same set up & have coped well in the summer the last few years. Only once have i brought them inside to escape the heat a couple of years ago (as one stopped eating enough and lost a bit of weight). I would try confining him to a smaller well shaded area so he does get stuck out in the sun and mist the area with water a few times a day to help the sand stay cooler. If he starts eating less or loses any weight consider bringing him in. But it would have to be a room with no AC and a heated area to stay warm. Its a tough one with outside to hot & inside to cold! Who will be looking after him during your holiday? is it someone you can trust to look out for him over heating? Let me know how you get on. Laura

331

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 22 July 2013 - 06:54

No, unfortunately, but read this from their main website: Housing and Heating Requirements Sulcata tortoises are native to the semi-arid Sahel region in Africa (loosely defined as the region just south of the Sahara Desert). They have evolved to deal with a warm, dry environment with lots of natural sunlight, so their habitat in your home or yard should be set up with this fact in mind. You need to provide your tortoise with daytime temperatures between approximately 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (23 to 29 degrees Celsius). DO NOT keep the tortoise's enclosure warmer than this -- no matter what the pet store may tell you! People mistakenly assume that sulcata tortoises must be kept at high temperatures because they are desert animals. This is NOT true! When the temperature goes above 85 degrees F, sulcata tortoises will seek shelter from the heat in their underground burrows, and they will stay underground until temperatures drop to tolerable levels. Wild tortoises stay out of the mid-day sun and heat, only coming above-ground to eat and drink early in the morning or early in the evening after temperatures have dropped. Always make sure that your tortoise has access to cooler areas or shade so that it can cool down when necessary. Nighttime temperatures should be lower than the daytime temperatures, but should not be allowed to drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius). Note that sulcata tortoises DO NOT hibernate during the winter -- in their native environment, winter is a dry season, not a cold season. Therefore, if you live somewhere that has cold, snowy winters, you must be able to provide large, secure indoor quarters (along with appropriate heat and UVB light) for your sulcata tortoise.

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