At what temperature should I bring my tortoise inside?

Question

I was given a tortoise last week by someone that doesn't want to care for him. They had no idea what species of tortoise it is and I am not sure from pictures- I'm leaning towards Redfoot.

Anyway, I put him in a large cage/enclosed area outside that is fully enclosed and has no way for him to dig out, has a large water pan for him to climb in, and shelter for him to get out of the elements.

My question is: At what temperature do I need to bring him in the house? I don't have anywhere to put him outside right now that I can provide heat to, so when it gets too cold I have a cage for him in the house. Lately at night it hasn't been getting below 65, but I see that it is supposed to be around 58 in a couple nights. He is not a baby, and is probably 7-8 inches long.

Thanks!

Answer 1

My outdoor set -up is similar, with a sheltered area for the tortoises to enter. I bring my redfoots inside if the nightime temperature is forecast to be below 10 - 12 C which is about 50 -54 F. A fellow redfoot keeper I know uses the same guidelines with his outdoor group of RF's and neither of us have ever had a health problem.  They tolerate these night-time temperatures well as long as they can warm up during the day. If you also are experiencing several cool days in a row (high 60's to low 70's)  you may also need to consider bringing him in for  warm-up.

Answer 2

Bring him in when he starts slowing down and eats less.  If you don't want him to hibernate, bring him in and keep him warm.  There is no specific temperature.  They get ready to hibernate depending on their individual needs.  Have fun with your new tortoise!

Answer 3

the cool side should be 80-85 and the basking spot should be 90-95  it also depends on what tortoise you have that  temp i told you is good for russian tortoises