tomorrow i'm building a outdoor enclosers for my 4 yrs herman jack. just want to check a few things with you guys.
1. i'm going to have like a kennel kind of thing, should i but some kind of heat bulb in there?
2. will he be okay outside over night?
3. what about winter?

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08 leo's normal and cwd for sale

1- they dont need heat. Just put a really deep layer of hemp in there.
2- Yes, hell be fine. Have the door like a little hole that he can fith through.
3- They hibernate in the winter.

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1. I do not have heat in my outside enclosures, some have though, set to come on if temps drop below 10 degrees.

2. If you have a door on the kennel you can close it over at night for safety. In inches of hemp your tortoise will be fine.

3. Winter means hibernating for healthy tortoises. So you will need to wind him down in preparation of his winter sleep. See:

Tortoise Trust Web - Safer Hibernation and Your Tortoise

HTH

Tamie

just moved but i had a heat lamp if temp dropped to low

british weather means temps are very low (well this year at least)

they can stay out at night but mine don't

Lots of hemp in bed to help them thermoregulate tho.

Over winter he should be being hibernated, so being outside shouldn't be an issue.if ur not going to hibernate him (be aware that can be detrimental to their health in the long run) then bring him inside in a tortoise table.

The Tortoise House < go to their hibernation section on the menu on the left for methods to use for hibernation..fridge will be used here, as no access to cellars/cool outbuildings


Katie

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how long do they hibernate for?

i'm abit worryed about doing it, as i've not had him very long and he wasn't getting treating right from the place i got him from, he was under weight (so the vet told me) he is slowly puting weight on. but i read that if they ain't got the right weight or a bit ill you should do it.

so i hasn't going to do it this year, just so i can get him well.

what do you think i should do?

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08 leo's normal and cwd for sale

Given that information I would not recommend hibernation. If he was underweight when you got him it and you have not had him long then I would overwinter him.

Tamie

is there somethink i have to do so he won't hibernate.

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08 leo's normal and cwd for sale

Keep feeding him and giving him 12 hours heat per day....by this time of the year he'll be indoors anyway as it will be far too cold outside without extra heat so the added bonus of centrally heated houses makes it far easy to keep them awake.

I do have extra heat outside for mine, a uvb/heat bulb for cooler days when they don't want to go out and a tubular heater on a thermostat for night time (comes on when the temp drops to 10c).

I wouldn't hibernate this tortoise either.....best to keep it awake.

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Phoebe

Keeping: Hermanns and Whitei's