Tortoise Outside All Year Round

Tortoise Kid · 19-03-2009, 07:56 PM

Hi,
I Have 2 Friends that have Tortoises Approx 70 Years Old
Its Hard to Determine What Species
But they Live Outdoors In a Greenhouse With No Special Lighting
And Hibernates Itself in The Garden In The Winter
They are Both Extremely Healthy and Active
Would It Be Possible to Do This Now or is it just because those tortoises
are used to it?
if so what tortoise would i need to buy to do this and what species etc
have very largen garden , greenhouse and pen ready
help please much appreciated

sandy · 19-03-2009, 08:35 PM

They are adult tortoises that have ajusted to their lifestyle in that garden. They were probably adult when bought.
I certainly wouldnt try that with small tortoises, I dont think they would survive.
You can use some of those things. A greenhouse is great for tortoises in times of cold duller weather. The glass retains quite a lot of heat. Putting electrics in is even better.
I had two adult tortoises that lived in one of my unheated greenhouses for a few years. But I decided we needed electrics so they can have extra heat in colder times.
I do block their acsses sometimes during warm spells in the Summer, otherwise they would be in there all the times. Especially females.

**16 shells** · 19-03-2009, 08:39 PM

It would be in the lap of the gods to start a small tort of this way, a heat lamp would be a bonus, most med species would be the free romers. A lot of torts lived this way years ago, a lot never survived, the cold ,wet, and predators.
Paul

Conor · 20-03-2009, 08:53 AM

I like to leave mine out as long as possible. however it gets a mite chilly and i've put electrics into my greenhouse. T.Hermanni (4 yrs old) still needs checking. i wouldn't like to leave her out all year unheated

Pussygalore · 20-03-2009, 09:04 AM

what you have sounds lovely but a baby would simply get lost or rather you would loose it,literally (not die) have you thought about maybe trying to rehome an adult, you could eventually let your tort live like that but it would be years untill that happened if your thinking of buying a hatchling. Adult torts do come up for sale and that would probably be the best way to go, one thats lived outside etc, there are keepers who allow their torts to dig down for hibernation and a greenhouse is one way to do that but unless your tort has done that before and you know what you are doing and what to look for I think its more risky than controlled hibernation and you need (I think) a depth of 18inch or so of diggable surface to allow the tort to move up and down according to the temps, its sound like you have a lovely home to offer one though and I'd try for an adult.

Tortoise Kid · 20-03-2009, 05:10 PM

what species, size and age would you recommend
thanks for all the relies so far

Pussygalore · 20-03-2009, 05:24 PM

if you want a tort that will spend most of its time outside the Hermans, Ibera (spur thigh) or Horsfeild are all fairly common but they don't really become fully grown untill their teens, a baby or small one can go outside in the summer but you'd need a much more controlled area, we've spent anything up to an hour looking for my hermans and thats in a enclosure, if they had the run of the whole garden I'd never find them, my big adult spurs weigh about 2200 grms and you'd have a job to loose something that big, both my spurs are rehomers and spend all summer outside and did so with their previous owners, having just a dry house of sorts to go in, they now have a heated shed but if you could get electrics to your greenhouse with a simple pig lamp type heat bulb they would be fine most of the year, they'd need to be able to come out of the GH as they do get very hot in the summer and the heat would only be used on cold days/spring and autumm, if you don't have heat your tort would probably hide away when its cold and a lot of owners end up having to bring the tort into the house for a warm up as our british weather is so unpredictable having heat would advoid this.

lisa · 20-03-2009, 07:50 PM

Thomas lives outside all the time apart from hibernation, he is 4 and a marginated Tort. It's not done him any harm.

**Bindi** · 20-03-2009, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisa

Thomas lives outside all the time apart from hibernation, he is 4 and a marginated Tort. It's not done him any harm.

Have you got any outside heat for him Lisa?

lisa · 20-03-2009, 08:01 PM

No, he didn't have any outside heat before I got him so just kept to what he was used too. He does have a hide to go into and a glass covered area so that warms up nicely for him.

As I said it's what he was used to so I just kept to that rather than change things and up set him.

19-03-2009, 07:56 PM	#1
Tortoise Kid Member Incubating Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 175	Tortoise Outside All Year Round Hi, I Have 2 Friends that have Tortoises Approx 70 Years Old Its Hard to Determine What Species But they Live Outdoors In a Greenhouse With No Special Lighting And Hibernates Itself in The Garden In The Winter They are Both Extremely Healthy and Active Would It Be Possible to Do This Now or is it just because those tortoises are used to it? if so what tortoise would i need to buy to do this and what species etc have very largen garden , greenhouse and pen ready help please much appreciated

19-03-2009, 08:35 PM	#2
sandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 12,146	They are adult tortoises that have ajusted to their lifestyle in that garden. They were probably adult when bought. I certainly wouldnt try that with small tortoises, I dont think they would survive. You can use some of those things. A greenhouse is great for tortoises in times of cold duller weather. The glass retains quite a lot of heat. Putting electrics in is even better. I had two adult tortoises that lived in one of my unheated greenhouses for a few years. But I decided we needed electrics so they can have extra heat in colder times. I do block their acsses sometimes during warm spells in the Summer, otherwise they would be in there all the times. Especially females. __________________ < > 60+, keeping ibera, graeca and box turtles \0/ /_\ http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/tortoisefriends

19-03-2009, 08:39 PM	#3
16 shells Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hull Posts: 7,286	It would be in the lap of the gods to start a small tort of this way, a heat lamp would be a bonus, most med species would be the free romers. A lot of torts lived this way years ago, a lot never survived, the cold ,wet, and predators. Paul __________________ Paul.

20-03-2009, 07:50 PM	#8
lisa Member Hatched Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Devon Posts: 371	Thomas lives outside all the time apart from hibernation, he is 4 and a marginated Tort. It's not done him any harm. __________________

20-03-2009, 08:01 PM	#10
lisa Member Hatched Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Devon Posts: 371	No, he didn't have any outside heat before I got him so just kept to what he was used too. He does have a hide to go into and a glass covered area so that warms up nicely for him. As I said it's what he was used to so I just kept to that rather than change things and up set him. __________________

20-03-2009, 08:53 AM	#4
Conor Member Egg Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Dublin, IRL Posts: 63	I like to leave mine out as long as possible. however it gets a mite chilly and i've put electrics into my greenhouse. T.Hermanni (4 yrs old) still needs checking. i wouldn't like to leave her out all year unheated

20-03-2009, 09:04 AM	#5
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	what you have sounds lovely but a baby would simply get lost or rather you would loose it,literally (not die) have you thought about maybe trying to rehome an adult, you could eventually let your tort live like that but it would be years untill that happened if your thinking of buying a hatchling. Adult torts do come up for sale and that would probably be the best way to go, one thats lived outside etc, there are keepers who allow their torts to dig down for hibernation and a greenhouse is one way to do that but unless your tort has done that before and you know what you are doing and what to look for I think its more risky than controlled hibernation and you need (I think) a depth of 18inch or so of diggable surface to allow the tort to move up and down according to the temps, its sound like you have a lovely home to offer one though and I'd try for an adult.

20-03-2009, 05:10 PM	#6
Tortoise Kid Member Incubating Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 175	what species, size and age would you recommend thanks for all the relies so far

20-03-2009, 05:24 PM	#7
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	if you want a tort that will spend most of its time outside the Hermans, Ibera (spur thigh) or Horsfeild are all fairly common but they don't really become fully grown untill their teens, a baby or small one can go outside in the summer but you'd need a much more controlled area, we've spent anything up to an hour looking for my hermans and thats in a enclosure, if they had the run of the whole garden I'd never find them, my big adult spurs weigh about 2200 grms and you'd have a job to loose something that big, both my spurs are rehomers and spend all summer outside and did so with their previous owners, having just a dry house of sorts to go in, they now have a heated shed but if you could get electrics to your greenhouse with a simple pig lamp type heat bulb they would be fine most of the year, they'd need to be able to come out of the GH as they do get very hot in the summer and the heat would only be used on cold days/spring and autumm, if you don't have heat your tort would probably hide away when its cold and a lot of owners end up having to bring the tort into the house for a warm up as our british weather is so unpredictable having heat would advoid this.

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