Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan
One thing that seems to have been right all along is that for the Mediterranean species at least, they do better outside. If the weather and conditions are at all tolerable, get them outside. Once out there, they know better than we can how to make the best of it. As a keeper I'm nowadays seeing myself as being someone who intervenes to enable them to be outside as much as possible.
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I think I am now of the same mindset. My 11 month old Hermann has been outside 24/7 without additional heat or light (just a coldframe/climate frame) since mid May and he seems to be thriving. Steadily gaining weight, smooth growth, bright eyes and on the few times I've handled him he has struggled strongly to get back in his enclosure
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The lowest overnight temp has been 7 degrees and the highest daytime up in the 30's. It has been intersesting to take carapace temp. measurements with the IR thermometer which have given me much reassurance.
I have only intervened a couple of times and brought him inside when we've encountered those torrential downpours and that's only because he does insist on spending his nights in scrapes under plants rather than go inside his shelter. To be honest he would've probably rather been out in it
I can perhaps see the point of those closed chambers for tropical species in colder areas but personally I think Med. keepers (in the UK, at least) need not concern themselves with them.