Ideas on how to get night temps down ?

[geordie mark]

Can anyone help I can't get my night time hides down below 24c ! It's just my room temperature and I'm almost positive this is the reason he's digging down every day "/

[Lisamn]

You think your night time temps are making him dig down in the day time? If you can't put/leave him outside at night, how about leaving a fan on in your room to try and cool it a few degrees?

[Pussygalore]

why is your room that warm? I'm sure its not that warm outside at night or hasn't been recently in the uk, can't you open a window and sorry but I assume you have the lights/heat off over night and from early in the evening. Also is there no way your tort can be outside 24/7 it must be cooler outside? if your room is that warm at night what is it through the day, does it get the full sun, if so you may have to think about closing the curtains or moving the table to somewhere cooler or not having your lights/heat on. A strip light will provide the uv but not give off the heat and you maynot need a heat source if your room is very warm in the daytime or the sun reaches part of the table.

[yuna1971]

Maybe have a period in the day where you have the heat light totally off. Something like 2-4pm. A lot of torts can be napping at the time anyway - rising later to get some evening warmth. I would try that. Windows open. Have other windows open in the house to let the air/breezes infiltrate.
I still would imagine in their natural habitat, that it would be warm nights. If you think of the med this time of year in particular. I'm sure your doing your best. xx

[yuna1971]

But yes, watch for too much sunlight if the tables near a window as table temps will rocket.
You could consider just moving the table temporarily whilst we have these warm days? xx

[sandy]

Put him outside when temps are that high:0)

[Catwoman63]

I bring my boys and my hatchling in at night and the thermometers can read 24c overnight as it is warm at the moment, but they are always active during the day, so i dont think that is the problem x

[yuna1971]

It's a hard call if you haven't got an outdoor enclosure ready...or live in a vulnerable area. Ask yourself...if I wasn't home, I have a garden..I am not there as I'm at work. Would I put my torts outside?
Or...even if you do have an outdoor area ready. It depends where you live, the security you have, the confidence you have.
It's all very well to say - they need to be outside but circumstances can influence that decision. Would you risk it if you weren't there and I'm talking full time 9-5 jobs. Not part time and can be checking...or have someone around who's there.
It can be hard for people. And I don't buy the 'well you shouldn't have torts then' as dogs, cats, kittens etc - still vulnerable if you are not home.
As long as you can provide as much outdoor time as you can then that's all that matters, but it depends on an individuals situation on how much. And those circumstances can be changed or bettered perhaps. xx

PS. It's my opinion and I am not trying to debate it. Just trying to see both sides xx

[sandy]

Originally Posted by yuna1971

It's a hard call if you haven't got an outdoor enclosure ready...or live in a vulnerable area. Ask yourself...if I wasn't home, I have a garden..I am not there as I'm at work. Would I put my torts outside?
Or...even if you do have an outdoor area ready. It depends where you live, the security you have, the confidence you have.
It's all very well to say - they need to be outside but circumstances can influence that decision. Would you risk it if you weren't there and I'm talking full time 9-5 jobs. Not part time and can be checking...or have someone around who's there.
It can be hard for people. And I don't buy the 'well you shouldn't have torts then' as dogs, cats, kittens etc - still vulnerable if you are not home.
As long as you can provide as much outdoor time as you can then that's all that matters, but it depends on an individuals situation on how much. And those circumstances can be changed or bettered perhaps. xx

PS. It's my opinion and I am not trying to debate it. Just trying to see both sides xx

I understand what you are saying, but too many keepers panic at the mention of "large birds, rats, tortoises getting stolen" if they think like this, then tortoises are not really for them. Tortoises need to be free roaming as far as possible. You cant guard against everything. You can do things outside to make it as safe as possible. My tortoises have been outside 24/7 for the last 34yrs. In different areas of the SE. And I just ajust my gardens accordingly.
I have had panics when tortoises get where they shouldnt etc, but thats all part of keeping them.
A tortoise being kept inside, in what is a small enclosure (compared to what they can have outside) most of the year is not what tortoises are all about.
You wouldnt do this to a cat or a dog?

[Pussygalore]

well said Sandy and you have to admit that the old tortoises that get mentioned are nearly if not all ones that have spent their lives free roaming in gardens. My only concession to keeping them as close to freedom as I could was shutting them in at night but they always went back to their shed early evening by themselves so I just had to close the ramps. To many people may give their animals/birds whatever the best money can buy but give little thought to the animals mind/mental state, horses being kept in stables with little or no free time, dogs by themselves all day, cats never being allowed outside, so call house rabbits the list is endless. None of these are intended to live like this and if we did this to our children we would have them taken away which is what happens to many of these poor creatures and I'm sorry but the tortoise should be included. A bit of research soon shows the wide roaming areas these have and the wide variety of food they will pick out while roaming, they don't just sit in one place or have a few feet of surrounding area that they live in and to take this away from them is wrong. I have seen how even a tiny hatchling loves to be able to explore and be in the sun the difference in their activity to being inside is so obvious and my adults made it very obvious how much they hated being inside or in a restricted space.