hi everone i am needing advice. I have just built a outside enclosure for my horsefield tortoise, the living accomadation is of a wooden frame and plastic perspex and has a basking lamp but the problem i have is in afternoon it is way to hot in there especially when the sun appears and what happened my tortoise buried himself in his cave like hole but he has the choice to go into his run but didnt and there is also a cave like hole he can dig down in too.  I am wanting to put him out night and day but i dont know  if the living accomadation should be wood and insulated with something and some kind of heater and of course my basking lamp????Also can you tell me what temp. can a horsefield tolerate??? at night and day in his living accom. At the moment he is not really eating either  and sleeps quite a bit.  I live in the east of scotland and weather is very changeable im not sure if that has something to do with it, but im getting myself confused at all different articles on horsefields and a bit stressed and wonder if he is better off with someone that knows what they are doing. I have had him for 10 mnths but i was given him as a present, he will be roughly 4yrs old in august.

                                                                                                                                                    Thank you

Hi Sharon
This weather is a problem to all us torty owners, no set up is ideal at the moment, the only one that is, is when it is warm and the torts are merrily stomping ground outside
Ambient temps should be 20-22c, these will keep them active, lower the temps the more they slow down, but if you can keep them up to about 18c that will keep the metabolism going. Horsfields do sleep alot either in hibernation or estivation (Slow down due to high temps, which is a preservation in the hot weather when food is scarce). Have a read of the fact sheets on the left hand side under 'The Tortoise' that will give you some good advice. Hopefully this weather will start to improve so don't give up on your little man, as you sound like you have given him a good home and care how you looke after him, trust me, it doesn't matter how experienced you are the weather is a challenge to us all.
HTH
Jane

hi jane many thanks for your reply.  I was also wondering if it would be best to change the living accomadation to wood rather than plastic glass?? I have a basking lamp in there to but by afternoon it is way to hot, not sure what to do as he probably needs it in morning but afternoon if sunny he dosent, what do you think???    Advice would be good on this . Thank you again

sharon f

???

Hi Sharon
Very difficult without seeing the house, but from what you are saying I will try with the following questions.
How big is the house?
What ventilation do you have?
What sort of lamp are you using e.g combined UV or just lamp?
As you will probably know, that perspex does not allow UV through so it is purely for the heat it can generate, and as you are saying it gets too hot then, what are the temps like if you don't put any heating on? The idea is to encourage the torts out into the natural UV , but provide them with some heating when they need to warm up. Have a look on the members gallery to get some ideas of different outdoor set-ups. I have changed my housing 3 times, and at the moment I have a shed with lamps in, with a door for them to go out into their pen, this works well for us.
Please ask some more if I haven't answered what you are wanting to know, happy to help if I can
Jane

hi jane many thanks for getting back in touch. I will measure my housing and put photos on this site but need my husband to show me how to do it lol. Would it be ok to drill holes through plastic around the sides for ventilation? You prob need photos so i can explain better but i will put photos in the next few days as hubby away working just now.

thanks again

sharon f

Hi Sharon

I wouldn't drill any holes (unless you think they are needed) until we can look at the house, you don't want to ruin it. I must admit since I have gone over to Windows 7 I have not been able to manage my photo's so that is something I keep saying I will sit down and master when I have time.
Jane

Hi sharon, This weather is terribble,so I have just moved my old Tort house into the greenhouse where I have fitted a tube heater which comes on if temp drops below 15c.I also have a basking light which  I have on a timer ( the ones used for turning your lights on and off when you away on hols) they are not dear. I have mine set from 8.30morning until midday so that if its a nice day they will venture outside, it then comes back on again about 3.00-4.00 in afternoon but it all depends upon the weather and you can switch it onto constant on a really bad day and then late afternoon switch it back onto timer so it will be on for Tort for the next morning. How big is your Torts house? it may be a bit small if its getting too hot in there. A timer is a great item to have and don't know how I've lived without for the last 30yrs but then the weathers crazy now. Hope Ive helped in some way Netty

Hi Sharon. If your hrosfield is totally enclosed in a habitat such as a viv, you will not be able to control the temps and he WILL sleep more as he could be uncomfortable, especially if he does not have enough soil to dig down under. Here is how I keep mine, where they are thriving. www.tortsmad.com/russians.htm  Hope this helps.

Sue

hi jane many thanks  for your reply. I have had a read and browse at photos i think im doing things ok but still have some questions (sorry).The housing in my torties run is 800mm deep x600 high x600 wide and run is 1600mm  long x 800mm deepth.I would like your thoughts on this. I think my housing will be made of wood and i will put insulation on walls ( as i plan to let him live outside in his housing over summer), i will also have a uv and basking lamp and also a thermostat with a tube heater set approx 15c. I will post pics as soon as i can thanks again.

  sharon f

hi netty thanks for getting in touch. I have posted the sizes on the forum of the housing and my run. It would be good if you could take photos of your set up , how do you stop the housing getting too hot when the sun comes out? I am going to insulate my housing as to steady the temps and it wont overheat as i want him to go out when it is nice, i shall put photos on when i have finished but it is handy speaking to others as i am no expert, but advice is good. thank you.

sharon f